Why Contraceptives Aren't a Woman's Right

While the battle rages over who should provide free contraceptives to women, I think many people forget to think about why such a thing should be done, and whether it should be done at all.

I've heard many of the usual arguments: contraceptives are an important "health" benefit that many women can't afford... the better, more expensive ones aren't just for contraceptive purposes but also hormone imbalance, etc. There are a boatload of arguments that people throw out, all trying to help you swallow one bottom line: Women NEED contraceptives...not only need, but it's our right. 

Both things are wrong. Women don't need contraceptives. And it is not our "right" to have them. A simple argument for the first point: women don't need to have sex. Therefore, women don't need contraceptives. Now, if a woman is going to decide to have sex anyway, that decision is completely on her, and she should think about the consequences that may happen from that action. This is a lesson people start to learn as toddlers: every action has a consequence, and you have to learn to anticipate, expect, and prepare for them...on your own. If someone isn't mature enough to understand this, they probably shouldn't be having sex.

I really hate it when people tell me what to do. And this is how I feel when people start talking about legislation that requires something to be provided to all people of a certain type for "free" because when you really get down to it, any handouts that are going around are coming out of the taxpayers pockets. And as someone with a "private" business of teaching piano students, I get taxed at some ridiculous 30% of my earnings...which gets me pretty huffy by itself, not to mention when I start considering what it gets spent on! I don't have a problem helping people out on my own initiative, but I like to make my own decision about to whom I give.

The other thing that really bothers me about this issue is that people are getting all offended on my behalf (as a woman) when I really don't want them to. I would like to make my own decisions about what I need or don't need and then deal with my own consequences, and everyone (meaning everyone impersonal--read: government) can just get out, thank you very much. But how can someone make an argument based on their own personal preference? If someone says, "I think my boss should give me condoms for free" they just sound like a entitled moron. But apparently, if they say, "All women should be provided contraceptives free of charge," people will actually listen and even applaud. Unbelievable.

Now some will say, "What about women that are raped and didn't actually make her own decision?" Well, that's truly horrible and the man who did it should be tarred and feathered (not literally, but that's my gut reaction.) But such a circumstance still would not make abortion or contraceptives a woman's right. How can someone have a right to something that forces action from someone else? We can't! Because if that someone else doesn't desire to perform said action, and then is compelled to because it's my right, we have a case of forced action--which is also called slavery. The contraceptive issue definitely falls into this category because it is a tangible thing: if I lack it and it is my right to have it, then someone somewhere must provide it for me. My point is that we (and the government) should never try to compel anyone to serve someone else (or ourselves) in a particular way...for free, or for pay.