Convictions

Today, SCOTUS made the decision that corporations could deny paying for birth control if they had a religious objection to it. Basically, the rights of corporations are more important than the women who work in them. It was a bad decision, handed down by old men who are all religious, people who would never be directly affected by this decision.

As a woman who diagnosed with uterine cancer, I am directly affected by it.

Back in January, when I had my massive bleeding happen, the only thing that stopped it was getting on birth control. It suppressed my ovaries enough to allow for the bleeding to subside. Past that, when I found out I had cancer, I was told that the birth control I was taking would insure the cancer didn't spread while I waited for things to line up so I could have my hysterectomy. So in two ways here, birth control assisted in saving my life.

Now that this decision has happened, every woman who is in the same situation I was in who happens to work at one of these places may not be so lucky. Oh, they can purchase birth control themselves, but let's face it, most companies don't pay a living wage as it is. Between everything else going on, they might not have the funds to get on some kind of chemical birth control. Their most likely option will be to just rely on condoms. Condoms should be used anyway, as they help prevent the spread of a lot of STDs, but they do nothing to regulate anyone's hormones. So that risk of cancer will still be there.

I have some strong convictions about things in life, opinions about what I choose to do and not to do. But whenever it comes to my convictions and they way they would touch the life of someone else, I always ask myself if my truths are more important than their well being. If my stance is going to impact someone in a negative way . . . if it will put their lives in danger or their future in jeopardy . . . then perhaps it is best if I take the back seat and let what is better for them be the way of things. Maybe it would be nice if others did that. It might mean some unwanted kids aren't born to a life of resentment. It might mean some people don't die of cancer.