Keep your laws off my body!

I know I shouldn't be surprised by this, but of course, I am. I was browsing The Daily Cardinal, a student-run newspaper at UW-Madison. I should make it clear that I was only looking at it because I was interviewed for a story and I wanted to see if my words were twisted (they weren't).

Anyway, I came across today's main news story: Rising "Price of Pill Hard to Swallow for Students." It's about a federal law which recently went into effect that prevents UW's University Health Services from charging discounted rates for birth control.

As a policy matter, I'm not quite sure how I feel. On one hand, I really don't want my tax dollars being spent to subsidize college students' ability to have multiple sex partners with no repercussions. On the other hand, I'm a big fan of federalism and this seems like a possibly unnecessary intrusion of the federal government. Ideally, I'd like the state to pass a law like this. The bottom line is that I really don't know enough about it to make an informed opinion.

The policy is beside the point. What I found somewhat surprising - and more disappointing - was the cavalier way the girls quoted in this story talked about birth control. One called the pill "Something you have to have" and the increase "another monthly bill I don't need." Another girl, a freshman, said "This is another way for the government to legislate my body."

Really? You NEED birth control? And I should pay for your significant discounts? If I don't give you heavily discounted birth control, I'm "legislating your body," whatever that means? Have you ever considered that these discounts are just "legislating my morality"?

Maybe, just maybe, you could reconsider your sexual habits. If sex has been so commoditized to the point that birth control is just another bill you have to pay each month-no different than rent or utilities-your priorities might be in need of reevaluation.