Recently, women seeking birth control at family planning clinics have come up against an obstacle: President Donald Trump.
Metaphorically, of course. 
The measures the government is implementing are trending more and more toward the exclusive use of natural birth control methods, which are less effective at preventing pregnancy.
Religious conservatives say that clinics offering natural methods only (never condoms) are the future of sexual health care for women in the United States.
Defenders of a greater variety of pregnancy prevention options call these “contraceptive deserts.”
For decades, birth control had extensive bipartisan support. But since the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) was passed in 2010, religious conservatives have aimed their anger at the law’s birth control requirements. And the war still isn’t over.
Unfortunately, natural methods, which are based on women keeping a record of their periods and abstaining from sexual relations when they are most fertile, are 76% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In comparison, other hormonal and barrier methods generally exceed 90% effectiveness.
The new rules set by the Trump administration, grouped under the name “Protect Life Rule,” aim not only to change the concept of family planning, but also reduce women’s access to clinics that are associated with or refer patients to facilities that offer abortion services.
For this reason, it’s best to have health insurance, because politics have not yet taken over the private insurance sphere.
These are complicated times, where some health rules are heading in a new direction. While birth control must be provided free of charge to women under the ACA, this could change.
If you don’t want to rely on natural methods alone, Planned Parenthood’s health center search can help you find a place that offers a greater range of birth control options.
If you have health insurance, your primary care physician or gynecologist are best positioned to guide you.
