The Correlation between Long-acting Birth Control and Pregnancy

I am ready to talk about birth control. The state of Colorado is debating whether or not Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) should be funded by the government, or if the roughly $2 million being currently funded should be cut and directed elsewhere. As a female and an off and on user of birth control, exploring this topic will give me more insight into whether or not there should be free or reduced pricing access to forms of reversible, long-term birth control such as IUDs. This topic affects women, unborn babies, daughters, mothers, wives, myself and more. The Colorado State Legislature isn’t taking away a woman’s right to choose by any means, but the purpose of this research is to decide whether or not I believe that removing government funding for IUDs would benefit or hurt women in the state of Colorado.

           I read an article that shared some interesting points. In the peer-reviewed scholarly article, “Adverse Birth Outcomes in Colorado: Assessing the Impact of a Statewide Initiative to Prevent Unintended Pregnancy,” featured in the American Journal of Health, the topics of risks and effects of unintended pregnancies, the Colorado Family Planning Initiative, long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), and the association between having access to family planning and the outcome of births.  I read in the article that there are higher risks of low birth weight (LBW) and pre-term birth (PTB) when there is an unintended pregnancy. I wonder if other studies have been done that show results from a different standpoint, such as negative effects of birth control. It is stated in the article that there is a large number of unintended pregnancies that lead to live births. I am curious to hear more about these statistics and how unintended pregnancies can be prevented. As discussed by the authors, the Colorado Family Planning Initiative has the goals to have more women access family planning and also to have more women engage in the use of LARCs. According to this source, increasing the use of LARCs may be important in the future.  

            After reading this article, I am left wondering how many studies have been completed that link pre-term birth and other risk factors with unintended pregnancies. The article discusses how long-acting reversible contraceptives are safe and effective, so why would the government want to remove funding for this? What may be some arguments against funding for LARCs? I am wondering if there is already high access to family planning centers in the state of Colorado. Finally, I am left questioning whether or not long-term birth control is the only effective birth control, or if there are other options that would work as well.

Sources

Goldthwaite, Lisa M. “Adverse Birth Outcomes in Colorado: Assessing the Impact of a

Statewide Initiative to Prevent Unintended Pregnancy.” American Journal of Public

Health 105.9 (2015): 60-65. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.