There are a number of public health issues facing the country in the near future. One of the most important is the debate surrounding birth control. With the election coming up, the issue of birth control has been thrust into the spotlight once again. Many people are wondering how this debate is going to influence birth control in 2020 and beyond.
One of the most important issues surrounding birth control is whether or not the Supreme Court is going to hear a challenge to the landmark case Roe vs. Wade. For those who might not know, this is the Supreme Court case that dictated many of the abortion policies that exist throughout the country today. Recently, the conservative arm of the country has placed a few new judges on the bench. This leads many people to believe that this might be an opportunity to overturn abortion legislation. This has the potential to impact women across the country, limiting their access to viable reproductive health options.
Another major development in the world of birth control this year is the development of an option for male birth control. Right now, the only male options for birth control are condoms and a procedure known as a vasectomy (which is permanent). Now, there might be a shot that is going to be released that can provide couples with another birth control option. This shot impacts the rate at which men produce sperm, helping to control pregnancy rates. It will be interesting to watch this option continue to progress through testing. It might reach the open market soon.
Finally, there have been improvements made to improve the access of underserved people to birth control everywhere. While there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the closure of Planned Parenthood clinics across the country, other options are popping up to take the place of these clinics. One of the biggest advances in the healthcare field recently has been the growth of something called telehealth. This is the ability of patients to see doctors in the virtual setting. This started as an option for mental health services; however, many experts predict that telehealth is going to become popular for other fields of medicine as well. It will be interesting to see if telehealth options include birth control.
These are only a few of the many changes that are going to come to birth control in 2020 and beyond. These changes are going to set the stage for birth control in the coming years as well. Public health access, legislation, and research are going to define access to reproductive health in the future. Reproductive health services are one of the cornerstones of public health.
