"Doing the right things for the right reasons in the right ways," the institute's credo, also applies to the 22 state legislatures that require companies under their jurisdiction to cover contraceptives. Utah does not.
Sutherland, however, undoubtedly would not see the connection, and that is part of the problem. Ignoring sound medical and legal reasons for covering contraceptives, conservative legislators seem more influenced by religious tenets dictating that all sexual activity should have the potential to start a pregnancy. Basing public policy solely on religious doctrine isn't uncommon, but it isn't necessarily right.
The objections they cite in public - cost and a reluctance to "meddle" in private business matters - are groundless. Studies show that such coverage would cost employers less than $22 per employee per year. State and federal laws requiring health and safety practices and equal, fair treatment of workers are nothing new.
In the first federal case of its kind, Bartell Drug Co. was ordered in 2001 to include prescription contraceptive coverage in its health plan. The judge ruled that the company's policy of excluding coverage for prescription contraception from an otherwise comprehensive employee health plan constitutes sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Subsequent lawsuits have forced other companies to do the right thing. Planned Parenthood is rightly suing Utah-based Union Pacific Railroad, which refuses coverage of prescription contraceptives to rank-and-file workers but does cover them for female managers. It also pays for male employees' Viagra prescriptions.
It seems ironic that religious conservatives support forcing women covered by health insurance to pay for contraceptives or go without them, as half of all unintended pregnancies in this country end in abortion.
Birth control is a basic health-care need of 60 million American women who are of reproductive age. Besides the inherent health risks, unintended pregnancies carried to term result in a much higher rate of infant mortality and low-birth weight babies.
Utah should do the right thing and act to end this blatant, insupportable sex discrimination.
