The Importance of

Women’s Healthcare
Rachel Mckell Starley
Tampon Tax

“the tax should nevertheless

be repealed both because
menstrual hygiene products
are necessities and because
the tax is discriminatory” (Ooi,
2018). The tax on feminine
hygiene products are called
discriminatory because only
women need these. It begs
the question, should
something be taxed that is a
necessity? Many people think
it shouldn’t.
STD Testing

Women’s healthcare doesn’t

mean just breast exams and
birth control. It also means
getting necessary testing to
make sure you are safe. Clinics
such as planned parenthood
and other community centers
are what these women need.
Especially if they don’t have the
means to go to a clinic that may
cost a lot.
 Planned Parenthood

“Planned Parenthood, which provides 2.7 million women, men and young
people with healthcare every year, including affordable birth control and
family planning counseling, lifesaving cancer screenings and well-woman
exams” (Smith, 2015). There is controversy around planned parenthood,
because many don’t realize that it is not just a place for abortions. They
provide many services to those in need.
 Homelessness and Healthcare

“In 2012, 79 percent of

Planned Parenthood
patients were living at or
below 150 percent of the
federal poverty level, or
about $18,500 annually”
(Berstein, 2018). Planned
Parenthood can be very
helpful to those who are
homeless and struggling. It
gives them a chance to
get the necessary medical
attention they need.
The Wait

For some the wait is the issue.

Women are waiting for the services
they need while they could have
serious issue. We need to make it a
priority to women, and everyone for
that matter, the healthcare they
need in the time they deserve.
Healthcare should not be about
waiting for results, but doing
something to fix whatever problem
there might be.
Birth Control

As you know if you read my information effect, birth control is not just
to prevent pregnancy. It is also very helpful to regulating periods and
controlling pain from cramps. For some women it is very important to
have birth control, otherwise they could be in a lot of pain with
extremely heavy periods.
Teen Pregnancy
Teen pregnancy is
starting to become a
very big issue. An
aspect of healthcare is
also education. It is
important that young
people are educated
on the dangers, and
how to prevent
problems such as teen
pregnancy. It is also
important that in many
different situations you
show your loved ones
support.
Feminine Products

“Access to health care influences the economy at large. Access to

healthcare is linked with socio-economic status and
disproportionately affects women” (Utah Women and Leadership,
2018). With this in mind we need to remember that feminine products
can be very expensive, especially when they are one time use
products. Women need these products and hopefully something
can be done for them to have better access to them.
Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can be a
controversial topic when it
comes to breastfeeding in
public. The fact is that it is natural
and babies need the nutrients.
When we are denying women
the right and comfort to
breastfeed in public we are
denying a baby its food. When it
comes to healthcare we need to
be open minded and helping.
Postpartum Depression

After a women has a baby

she has the chance of
having postpartum
depression. This is a serious
issue for a lot of women, and
a big part of the problem is
society's judgement on
these new mothers. Instead
of judging these mothers for
their struggle to take care of
their child, we need to
support them and help
anyway we can.
Works Cited

 Utah Women's Access to Health Care strategies identified. (2018, June 15).
Retrieved from http://www.utahwomenandleadership.org/utah-womens-
access-to-health-care/
 Berstein, S. (2018). Funding Planned Parenthood. Nursing News, 43(1), 14–15.
Retrieved from
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire
ct=true&db=ccm&AN=134361454&site=eds-live
 Ooi, J. (2018). Bleeding Women Dry: Tampon Taxes and Menstrual Inequity.
Northwestern University Law Review, 113(1), 111–155. Retrieved from
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire
ct=true&db=asn&AN=131600829&site=eds-live
 SMITH, B. (2015). Planned Parenthood is essential to NH. New Hampshire Business
Review, 37(19), 23. Retrieved from
https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire
ct=true&db=b9h&AN=109372624&site=eds-live