This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In response to another letter writer regarding companies that are trying to avoid paying for contraception coverage, D. James Croft ("Employers can have rights, beliefs, too," June 11) unfortunately gets it wrong. Contraception is not a moral issue. It's a health issue, and, as such, companies should not be making exceptions in their policies.
First, pregnancy and childbirth are not a walk in the park. According to the CDC, the current pregnancy-related death rate in the U.S. is 18 women per 100,000 births. Second, some contraceptives are used for treating poly-cystic ovary syndrome or the very painful endometriosis, among other conditions. Third, there are medical issues that preclude a woman getting pregnant: diabetes, heart conditions, cancer treatments, post-partum psychosis, to name a few.
Leaving aside the medical considerations, it's dangerous to let a company reject certain forms of treatment. What if you worked for a company owned by Jehovah's Witnesses (no blood transfusions), Scientologists (no antidepressants or psychological treatments), or Christian Scientists (no medical treatment at all, as prayer should be sufficient)?
Finally, who gets to be the arbiter of morality in these cases? While there are some people who believe that contraception is immoral, there are those of us who think it's immoral to deny women access to birth control, thus forcing them to have more children than they can financially, physically and mentally sustain.
(In the interest of full disclosure, Jim Croft is my uncle.)
Amy S. Kelly
Salt Lake City