Birth Control: A Fairy Tale Gone Wrong

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced free distribution of birth control pills. These plans are put in place by Insurance companies using government funding to cover women’s health costs for birth control pills; something that would otherwise be paid out of pocket. Are you the reader wondering the same question: Can easier access to birth control pills promote better health for women? I appreciate the effort the government is making to help women out with such an expensive necessity, but are they going about the plans for this new health care act positively and not just doing something to make themselves seem like they care for the people?


Our teenagers today are the ones who pick up on the latest trends and fashions which has me extremely worried about what will come of our future generation’s health. Will birth control be the next trend? What is going on with the world? Have mothers forgotten the long conversations with their daughters about waiting until marriage? I personally remember the fairytales about the princes and princesses that in the end fall in love and live happily-ever-after. Looking at the influences that such fairytales may have on us females, it is not hard to figure out that a good portion of our lives will be dedicated to finding that special person. No matter the least unexpected places where you may meet that person, it all comes down to that blast of excitement knowing that this guy might be the one that keeps the soul happy that women want. Are we too caught up with the physical aspects of a relationship that we forget about who the person is inside? Since when did sex become priority number one in a relationship? The bottom line is that mom means well when she stresses the idea of waiting until marriage.

The whole controversy behind birth control is that it is too accessible and the only logical idea of the reasons why so many women use the pill is because they are not aware of the life threatening risks. Since the introduction of the pill there has been an influx of women’s diseases and maladies like never before in the history of medicine. The pill contains two types of synthetic hormones: chemically altered estrogens and progestins much like the hormones made by a woman’s ovaries. PMS or premenstrual syndrome had been discovered only about 10 years ago and the problem is caused by the culprit, birth control pills. Why birth control pills? To the body, the pill is a foreign and toxic chemical from unnatural substances. The progestin chemical in particular causes the ovaries to shut down production of natural progesterone and causes overflooding of a synthetic variation of estrogen and progestin. When the estrogen levels are disrupted and skyrocket this is when diseases and illnesses can be formed.

Fairytale or not, birth control pills, as well as excessive use of them will not make a woman’s life any less complicated than it already is. Instead, women should treasure their lives free of worry about illnesses that could have been prevented with closer attention to the things we are putting in our bodies.

Citymeals-On-Wheels Delivers A Difference

          Giving back to the community is an experience that you remember for a lifetime. Putting smiles on people’s faces I consider to be my duty as a human being. Not all of our lives are “fresh cut roses.” We have to ask ourselves, “How can I help my community with the power I hold in my hands?” If you really want to see or make a difference in your community, you have to be the one person to come forth and show those who feel God and the rest of the world has given up on them that you are still there fighting for their futures.

            It’s a different feeling to volunteer because you have to, than to volunteer because you want to. A person that goes out of their way to help, no matter how small, is a person that influences others positively, as well as a person who outshines all others. Our communities are places we respect highly because we live there, share memories, gather with family and friends and discover who we are. Our communities make us who we are and we must take the time out of our busy schedules to give back to them as much as we can.

            Citymeals On-Wheels is one of the largest Meals-On-Wheels programs in the United States. Citymeals serves 1.8 million meals to over 16,500 elderly people in New York. In 2011, more than 1,200 volunteers spent about 42,000 hours giving back to the elderly. The volunteers are there to talk and serve meals to homebound seniors that are left alone on holidays or are not able to cook for themselves any longer. There are 31 community-based agencies in New York and all are 100% dedicated to giving their time to raising money, to eventually give it back in food preparation and meals to the elderly.

            Gael Greene and James Beard founded Citymeals-on-Wheels in 1981 after reading an article about homebound seniors who were home on weekends and holidays with nothing to eat. The program’s first effort dates back 30 years to when 6,000 senior citizens received meals due to the program’s volunteers, who raised enough government funding as well as private funding in order to keep the program running.

            I volunteered at one of the Meals-On-Wheels sites at an elementary school on Thanksgiving Day of 2011 in New York City. It was quite an experience because not only did I help host, I was also able to walk around and talk to people triple my age and realized that no matter what someone’s age is you can still have so much in common with them. The elderly told me stories of their lives when they were in their twenties and they told them with great enthusiasm. Some lived quiet responsible lives and others lived wild adventurous lives, but each time I heard a new story I couldn’t help but smile because I could see that all they needed was for someone to listen and be there for them when they were alone.

            You can make a difference if you choose to listen, and then act. Also, these types of service programs in local communities are not established overnight. They first start with a person or a group of people that are motivated and together are able to unite and develop something worth fighting for. For example, look at Citymeals On-Wheels the idea of it all comes from a regular day event of reading the newspaper which turned into a program that raises millions of dollars each year to feed the elderly. Just imagine if you put some thought into something like starting your own local service to help give back to your local community. It can start a breakthrough of an awareness that is most important to you and can capture your neighbors' attention as well.