By Debra L. Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families

August marked the beginning of a new era for American women when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that beginning next August, women will have access to all approved contraceptive methods without co-pays or added cost under the Affordable Care Act.

This exciting news confirms what American women already know: that birth control is basic preventive care.

But beyond the considerable health benefits for tens of millions of women who have struggled to afford birth control or gone without, the decision has significant implications for working women and mothers.  That’s because the ability to control our reproduction is essential to women’s ability to care for our families, hold jobs and compete in the workforce, and function as equal participants in our society.

In July, based on the overwhelming scientific evidence, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that all FDA-approved contraceptives be covered by insurance, free of fees and co-pays. We’re thrilled that the Obama administration agreed.  It’s the right thing to do, for women and for the country – and it’s especially meaningful that employer-sponsored plans will no longer treat these basic women’s health services differently than other important preventive health services.

Birth control is essential health care for women.  On average, women spend at least 30 years being sexually active while trying to avoid pregnancy. For working women, the ability to control their fertility has been integral to achieving personal, educational and professional goals. The ability to plan or delay pregnancy has allowed women to attain their educational goals, care for their families and pursue careers that would have been unthinkable only a few decades ago. The opposite is true as well; unplanned pregnancies dramatically increase a woman’s risk of failing to complete her education, living in poverty and experiencing a host of other significant challenges.

With 30 years of fertility, of course, comes 30 years of expensive contraception – and studies show that even minimal co-pays deter women from obtaining the care they need. In fact, one study found that low-income Americans reduced their use of effective health care by 44 percent when required to make co-pays. In 2008, 36 million women ­-- more than half of women of reproductive age --­ needed contraceptive services and supplies. Of that group, 17.4 million needed publicly funded contraception. Eliminating expensive co-pays is the key to giving women access to the care they need.

That’s why this was a monumentally important announcement for women.  It will help millions more of us care for our families, pursue our education, and succeed in the workforce.  It’s about time. 

Debra L. Ness is the President of the National Partnership for Women & Families (www.nationalpartnership.org), a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, access to quality health care and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family. 

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