Shayla Pierce of xoJane reflects on the struggle to afford contraception and how health insurance matters for the American dream.

All this happened because I had the audacity to want to go to grad school. To make that happen, I had to put my grown-up life on hold and live in the back room of my mom's house until I got my fancy pants master’s degree. Having a kid in that situation would be beyond inconvenient …

After a convincing sales pitch, I decide to buy three rings for less than the price of what Planned Parenthood charged me for one. Ruwanda even throws in a free ring, part of her new customer promotion. Before we part, Ruwanda grabs a satchel out of her steamy trunk. It's filled with packets of Plan B pills. Apparently, they sell like hot cakes at the barbershop next door.

It's six months later and my lady parts are still vacant, save for the NuvaRing. Meanwhile, a bunch of white guys in Congress, none of who will probably ever get pregnant, are trying to make it even harder for me to get the birth control that's keeping my life plan on track. I guess to keep me from screwing half the county on the taxpayers’ dime when all I want to do is NOT have a baby before I have a grown up house, a grown-up job and all the other means to take care of one.

Read Shayla Pierce's entire piece at xoJane.

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