Two for women – and by extension, for everyone

According to the headlines on Democracy Now!:

The Obama administration has ordered health-insurance plans to begin covering birth control without copays as part of a broader expansion of women’s preventive healthcare.

Breast pumps, an annual physical exam and domestic violence counseling will also be included. The rules follow a July report from the U.S. Institute of Medicine, which said all government-approved birth control methods should be included in the U.S. list of preventive health services. The new mandate includes an exemption for religious organizations that morally oppose contraception. Critics argue the exemption may force thousands of women employed by religious institutions to continue paying for birth control out of pocket. The new benefits take effect next year.

At the other end of the sexual health spectrum, the Portland Phoenix reported last month that the Department of Veterans affairs is finally making it a little easier for survivors of military sexual assault and rape to get the benefits they deserve. The move comes as a result of pressure by US Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. One of the hurdles to these soldiers receiving benefits has been the requirement to provide “documentation,” which does not always exist in such cases. The Phoenix reported, “The VA’s new undersecretary for benefits, retired Air Force general Allison Hickey, sent a memo on June 27 to VA employees reiterating that sexual-assault disability claims may be more nebulous — backed up with less evidence — than other cases. ‘Employees should not expect to see evidence in most military sexual assault cases’, the memo said.” Repulican Senator Susan Collins (Maine) and Democrat John Kerry (Massachusetts) have also co-sponsored a bill addressing some of the issues surrounding military sexual-assault victims.

Unfortunately, the ‘war on women’ discussed on Planet Waves is still rampant, and the health care bill and changes in the VA are not perfect. But these recent developments in awareness and access to resources in the realm of sexual health can be celebrated, protected and built upon.