Opinion

‘Free’ contraceptives is a misnomer

Posted November 08, 2012 4:00 am

Froma Harrop’s column in the Oct. 29 Daily Herald gave me much food for thought. She advocates for free birth control — “Access to birth control doesn’t count” — but fails to mention who is going to pay for the “free” birth control. She mentions that Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, runs a program that provides free contraceptives to women in impoverished countries. Why Melinda couldn’t provide this free service to American women is a mystery. Then I thought. Melinda could tie it to a Microsoft promotion: Buy a PC and get free lifetime supply of birth control pills. This would revive a floundering computer industry, and provide those free pills that Froma says is every woman’s right.

In reality, I don’t think Froma would be happy until not just pills but abortions, sex change operations, condoms, etc., are free (paid for by you and me).

Dennis Hickey

Arlington Heights

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