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The Price to Pay
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 4, 2007
Due to changes made last spring to the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, subsidized birth control is no longer available for university health clinics, and college women across the country have seen prices for their preferred brands of oral contraception increase dramatically. While this is no longer breaking news, it is no less important, especially at Columbia, as many female students have resorted to less effective but more affordable methods of contraception. This is unacceptable in the interest of safe sex, and, as a prominent, academic institution, Columbia must use its influence to enact change and ensure that all students have access to contraception.
Columbia's Office of Government Affairs has a significant number of lobbyists who speak out on issues important to the University and can bring a degree of attention to the issue that student protesters cannot. Several student groups, such as College Democrats and Students for Choice, are invested in finding funds for affordable birth control, but they lack the direct access to Washington, D.C., that the Office of Government Affairs provides. The issues of academia are not limited to discussions of federal aid and academic freedom. Affordable birth control may seem a mundane issue to some students, but a long-term lack of access to it can negatively affect the greater Columbia community. Lobbyists must work together with student groups to ensure that the issue gets national exposure.
Columbia and Barnard have suggested that students opt out of the University insurance plan in favor of plans that provide larger co-pays on contraception, or merely switch to cheaper, generic forms of birth control. Neither option is very appealing, as Columbia's insurance is often the most affordable plan available, and switching birth control often causes unnecessary discomfort for young women. At the very least, the University must subsidize birth control for those unable to afford the new prices. It is not enough to provide extra condoms to RAs and harp on the use of protection during orientation week. A true commitment to safe sex means offering a variety of options to anyone who wants them.
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Buy your OWN beer, dope and rubbers. Tuition is high enough around here without further subsidization.
Students pursuing a full-time undergraduate education generally aren't able to work enough or at a high enough wage to "take responsibility" for purchasing expensive undiscounted contraceptives. Furthermore, it's true that college is something of a self-imposed poverty, but I can't believe that anyone would suggest that students stop pursuing a higher education in order to work full time and be able to afford health insurance and full-price contraceptives. The only way for Columbia students to "take responsibility" in this case is to study hard through college and begin successful careers; it's not surprising if the first stage doesn't involve much wage earning. I urge the previous commenter to remember that the lack of inexpensive birth control can make it difficult for less wealthy students to take the safest route to safe sex.
It's time for students from this prominent university to act as adults and take responbility for their own actions. The goverment can't be expected to provide virtually everthing.
Socialism is a proven failure...
"socialism is a proven failure..."
Not in Sweden!
What was a success? The meatballs?
Hey genius, look up the history of Sweden from the late 80s to early 90s...
I did. All I found were power-play diagrams and meatballs.
Yeah, sounds pretty good to me. I don't know what the hell you're talking about, "genius."
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