SO. ANNOYED.
I consider myself a very responsible adult. There are certain choices I make as a responsible adult, and certain precautions I take in order to follow through on my choices. Choices I made, because of a particularly desired (or undesired) result.
Right now, I am annoyed to no end that there is a particular system in place, a set of rules, a series of obstacles and such that almost seem to work against me and my free will to exercise my choices to their desired ends.
Let’s talk about birth control. And insurance coverage. And being a woman. Shall we??
First let’s review a short time line of events:
February 2005 -
Contacted primary care doctor to get referral to OB/GYN for tubal ligation.
March 2005 - Attend appointment to get “referral” which turned out to be a fucking phone number. Why did I have to take time out of my workday and pay a copay so she could give me a fucking phone number?! Call number and schedule for May 2005 for “consultation.” By the way - May was the first available appointment.
May 2005 - Meet with the doctor for the consultation. His questions asked and answered. My questions asked and answered. Reviewed procedure. I was put on the list and told I would be contacted when there was availability in his surgery schedule. Hear nothing from them for more than 10 weeks.
July 2005 - Yippee! I got a new job. Which means insurance will be expiring at the end of the month. Find out from pharmacy that cash price of current birth control pills will be a fabulous $50/month. Call doctor to find out if there’s ANY way to schedule surgery before the end of the month (there isn’t). Ask about getting IUD before insurance expires so at least I don’t have to keep paying $50 a month until new insurance kicks in and I can go through the whole referral/consult/wait-wait-wait process AGAIN. Find out woohoo! They have an opening to do that! In August. Which is - if you do the quick math… AFTER my fucking insurance expires. There is no one and no way anyone can do it sooner. Of course!
Fuck. Let me tantrum a bit now.
So. Basically here are my options:
1. Pay $50 a month for birth control pills.
-Advantage: still on birth control! Decidedly much higher chance of protection against pregnancy than if I’m not.
-Disadvantages: definite failure rate if you forget to take them, and as evidence by my almost 7-year-old, sometimes I do. Having to shell out $50 a month - while obviously much less than alternatives - well, I don’t like it but I’ll damn sure do it.
2. Opt for Cobra coverage and get the IUD in August.
-Advantage: No monthly cost. One copay and it’s done. Very effective form of birth control. No more artificial hormones involved/required.
-Disadvantage: Cost of Cobra unknown, although I know it is at the very least EX.PEN.SIVE.
3. Pay cash for IUD.
-Advantage: same as #2
-Disadvantage: Cost - $460.00 Possibly less than Cobra for a month, possibly more but I’m not sure. Either way - expensive. Just a mention: the cost for an abortion is LESS. How totally fucked up and wrong is THAT?!
The worst case scenarios in all of this are:
A) Get pregnant, have another child.
B) Get pregnant, NOT have another child.
C) Stop having sex.
Can I get a big “WTF? NO, and Fuck NO!” to A, B, and C above?
The whole idea was to avoid A or B, and why should I have to resort to option C? Like I said - I am a responsible adult. As an adult, self-sufficient, and independent woman I should have a few more options other than facing unwanted pregnancy or just not having sex.
I’m so fucking annoyed. This is utterly fucking stupid. It is indicative of the breeder society influence when the options for promoting conception - wanted or not - are more readily available than the methods for preventing conception.
**Update***
YES - I know I know I can still use condoms. SHADDUP, this is my rant, ok?!
