Politics & Government

Men in poll say birth control doesn’t benefit them. Women say those men are ‘idiots’

By Kate Irby

kirby@mcclatchy.com

March 24, 2017 10:13 AM

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It was a poll that had a lot of women angry at 52 percent of men.

Women tweeted that 52 percent of men are “virgins,” “don’t know where babies come from,” and are “idiots.”

The poll – by PerryUndem, surveying more than 1,000 registered voters in the beginning of March – had a lot of findings on how voters view affordable birth control for women. But the one causing outrage was 52 percent of men saying they have not “benefited personally from any women in your life having access to affordable birth control.” Only 37 percent said they have benefited, with 9 percent saying “not sure” and the final 3 percent refusing to answer.

The men most likely to say they did not benefit were older than 60, while men most likely to say they did benefit were between 18 and 44.

The Republican bill advertised as the replacement to former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act strips funding for Planned Parenthood, and the Congressional Budget Office estimated that would result in about 15 percent of low-income women losing access to birth control. Republicans are voting on that bill Friday.

Asked how much they could pay out-of-pocket if they or a loved one needed birth control today, 33 percent of women ages 18-44 said they could only pay $10 or less.

The Planned Parenthood website says birth control pills can cost anywhere from nothing (if you have health insurance under Obamacare) to $50. But it currently requires a prescription, which means an appointment with a doctor, which Planned Parenthood says can cost between $35 and $250 – though Obamacare also mandates that most insurance plans must cover doctor’s visits related to birth control. The Republican replacement, known as Trumpcare, doesn’t make the same guarantee. Some states allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control.

Though a majority of men didn’t see the link between birth control and their benefit, a clear majority of both men and women surveyed did link access to affordable birth control to a woman’s happiness, equality, sexual freedom and personal freedom. And 71 percent of both sexes said women’s health is primarily seen as political by politicians, while only 25 percent thought the same about men’s health. And if men were the ones who had to deal with pregnancy instead of women, 75 percent said politicians would prioritize access to affordable birth control.

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