Dear Hobby Lobby and its supporters,

I’d like to try to have a civil conversation with you regarding the recent ruling by the Supreme Court.  I have a lot of family that are evangelical Christians and I understand that you believe that an IUD and the morning after pill are abortefascients.  I am not going to get in to an argument here about the scientific evidence to the contrary because I am going to assume that your belief in this particular case is similar to your belief in evolution, it’s based on your faith.  While I disagree with you, your faith is your right.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I am a 40 year old woman who has severe endometriosis.  I have had two abdominal surgeries over the past 15 years, one major & one minor.  I will need at least one more.  I have adhesions all over my abdomen, my bladder and intestines.  I frequently produce endometrial cysts that are extremely painful.  The one treatment (other than surgeries) that has given me some relief is various forms of birth control.

I can not tell you the exact number of different birth control prescriptions that my doctors have prescribed for me over the years.  I know it’s a lot.  I have worked for 3 employers over the past 17 years and each employer has required me to prove medical necessity for EACH prescription I have tried.  My current employer (until the ACA) covered medically necessary birth control at the highest tier of copayment.  That was $75/month.  And yes, I know there are very cheap options out there, but they don’t work for me and they don’t work for a lot of women.  So please don’t comment about $9 birth control.  Let me put it another way, if I had chronic kidney stones, my medicine to treat my condition would have been covered at the lowest tier.  However, because the medicine that helps treat my condition happens to be birth control, insurance companies and my employer were able to severely limit what they cover AND force me to prove medical necessity every time.

A couple of years ago, I was placed on Mirena (an IUD) by doctor.  If my insurance company had refused to cover it, it would have cost me over $1000 out of pocket.  I was placed on the Mirena because my body can no longer tolerate any estrogen and Mirena has been shown to help control endometriosis.  Unfortunately, Mirena didn’t work for me, so I am trying one last option.  My next option is a hysterectomy.  I will not be able to have children.

I understand your actions are rooted in your faith and in your belief that your religious freedom is being infringed upon.  I am trying to walk in your shoes and understand your reasons for your lawsuit.  I am only asking that you try and walk in my shoes.  Imagine a woman trying desperately to keep the adhesions at bay, to stop the endometrial cysts and above all, maintaining my fertility.  Imagine this woman having to battle the insurance companies over covering a medicine that treats a medical condition for almost 20 years.

I know a lot of your supporters are just happy for any blow struck to Obamacare.  There are a lot of potential unintended consequences to this ruling.  Everyone is celebrating the fact that a company’s deeply held religious beliefs were upheld.  Again, I ask you to walk in someone else’s shoes.  A lot of Americans have religious beliefs that don’t align with yours. Your religious beliefs tell you that an IUD is an abortefascient, mine tell me that it is not. I would never have used it if I did.  Freedom of religion means freedom for all.  What about the freedoms of those that don’t believe as you do?  Aren’t their beliefs just as important as yours?  Why does your religious belief trump my doctor’s medical advice?  Why should one trump the other?  Isn’t there a better way?

I don’t know the answer.  I do know that this lawsuit and this ruling is not the way.  I know that yelling at each other is not the way.  I know that disrespecting each others beliefs and values is not the way. 

And I do know this; I am tired of having to fight to get my medicine covered by insurance companies. I am tired of feeling that because I am a woman, my health concerns and beliefs matter less than those of a corporation.  And most of all, I am tired of those that spread misinformation about the cost of birth control, those that demean a woman for wanting to use birth control and those that would seek to over rule medical advice given by a doctor.   

Sincerely.

Me