Olympia Snowe: “this year well over 6 million pregnancies will occur in America. The challenge of raising healthy children and preparing…”

“this year well over 6 million pregnancies will occur in America. The challenge of raising healthy children and preparing them for a changing world is a staggering one indeed. This is even more so when so frequently both parents are working. So it is tragic that half of all pregnancies today are unplanned. In too many cases, this means that the necessary financial, emotional and other resources for parenting are simply not present. I think we certainly share a broad consensus that every child should be wanted, and that parents should have the resources to ensure their child's health and success. This week we have commemorated the 40th anniversary of a landmark Supreme Court decision, that of Griswold v. Connecticut, in which the right of married couples to contraceptives and family planning counseling was recognized. Yet less than a decade ago, when we examined the state of contraceptive coverage by insurance plans, it certainly was discouraging. While many health plans included coverage for prescription drugs, nearly half did not cover even oral contraceptives. Needless to say, many other contraceptive options for women, such as the diaphragm, implants, and injectable methods were covered even less frequently. This is disturbing, as contraception is so vital to a woman's health. Most women will spend just a few years attempting to conceive, with the average woman desiring two children.…”