Despite the progress made in sexual equality and the constant talk about sex in the world today, double standards continue to harm women. Women are unfairly thought of as being promiscuous for using any form of birth control and, as a result, are deterred from easy access or usage of contraceptives because of their methods of availability. The fact that women have to be forced through such a difficult and unfair process in order to gain access to basic medication is outrageous. One major step forward for gender equality comes in the form of making contraceptives widely available and eliminating the stigma behind contraceptives.

Female birth control comes in several different forms: the most popular kinds are the pills taken everyday day, a shot that can last up to three months, and a birth-control implant that can last up to three years. None of the options are cheap. The price of a value-100 pack of condoms can cost someone around $20. The average birth control pill packet consisting of 30 pills can cost up to $50 every time it is picked up at the pharmacy. The birth-control shot can cost up to $715. This leaves the implant which, according to Sex Info Online, is dependant on one’s insurance. It can cost up to $800 just for insertion, and the removal prices can cost up to $300. The prices of contraceptives for women are high due to the corrupt pharmaceutical industry. According to News Medical, big pharmaceutical companies have been charging health-care programs much more than necessary, thus costing taxpayers billions.

As well as costing more than most can afford, birth control is extremely difficult to come by. Women who are on the birth-control pill must pick up a prescription every 30 days. Those who take the shot must. have it administered by a professional, and the same goes for birth-control implants. For men, however, all that is needed is a quick jaunt to the nearest liquor store and their birth control shopping is done at a very low price. Birth control options are just simply too time-consuming and inconvenient because of the various steps that women need to go through just to get simple treatments.

Many people fail to realize that these contraceptives are not just for the prevention of pregnancy, but for common health problems as well. Birth control is usually given to young women to regulate their menstrual cycle, to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps, and to treat chronic acne. According to The National Cancer Institute, when oral contraceptives are present, the risks of endometrial and ovarian cancer appear to be reduced. Not only does birth control give women greater freedom, it provides necessary health benefits as well.

The unreasonably high prices and the difficult obtainment process of birth control for women has to be changed. Pharmaceutical companies need to make birth control as easy to pick up as condoms and make the prices reasonable. The stigma that a woman is sexually active all the time because she is using a contraceptive needs to be eliminated.

Doing this would mean that women could live freely with the fact that they want to lead a life with no children for as long as they want to, regular menstrual cycles, and clear skin, and women should be able to do just that. To deny women the opportunity to easily obtain birth control, would be to deny them the opportunity to an actual life.