Pregnancy: Not a disease but still a health risk

摘要

In a landmark decision to advance public health, the Obama Administration accepted an Institute of Medicine recommendation to include contraceptive care as a critical preventive service in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [1]. Private health insurance plans in the US are now required to include contraceptive care without out-of-pocket costs. This requirement has incited controversy, with some opponents arguing that contraceptive care is not a preventive service because pregnancy is not a disease. Yet, the promotion of public health addresses many conditions that are not diseases, including pregnancy and childbirth, because they entail substantial health risks. Contraceptives are not without risk, but they are far safer than pregnancy and childbirth and are fundamental to protecting the health of women and infants.