Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should birth control be free?
Position1 of 3›
Yes, birth control should be free
Argument‹2 of 5›

Birth control has health benefits

Birth control is not just about regulating pregnancy, it's about quality of life.

The argument

Besides its intended purpose, birth control can have countless health benefits for women. It can regulate the menstrual cycle, treat acne, help with polycystic ovary syndrome, and prevent overly heavy menstrual bleeding. Not to mention that the combination birth control pill can even reduce the risk of ovarian cancers. Why should these not be free? They would keep women healthy and well, benefiting society and creating ease of life that can't exist for some people if they can't afford birth control. The health benefits alone provide enough reason to make it free.

Premises

[P1]Birth control provides numerous health benefits beyond contraception, including regulating menstrual cycles, treating acne, managing PCOS, and reducing ovarian cancer risk. [P2] Healthcare interventions with broad health benefits should be made freely accessible so cost does not prevent people from receiving them. [C] Therefore, birth control should be free.

Counter-arguments

If birth control becomes free, why shouldn't every form of medication with positive side effects be free? The medical industry would collapse, and money would be lost. There is also no guarantee that free birth control won't be taken advantage of, taking away from those who would actually benefit from this.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] It is not fair to make birth control free.