Today, President Obama signed the FY 2009 omnibus appropriations act, which included a long overdue fix to a law passed more than two years ago that made the price of birth control skyrocket across the country.

In nerdspeak, an unintended consequence of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 altered the Nominal Pricing Exception, excluding university health centers and safety net clinics from a program that allowed them to purchase deeply discounted drugs - including oral contraceptives - from pharmaceutical companies. In plain English, Congress made a mistake, the price of birth control went up 900% for some college students and low-income women, and it stinks to have to choose between buying groceries for your kids and being faced with an unplanned pregnancy.

We know that access to affordable contraception is a key piece of helping women and families prevent and plan their pregnancies, and we applaud Congress and the President for checking this off the nation's To Do List.

How about that Super Bowl huh? Definitely one of the five best SBs of all time don't you think? The nation now faces our APOG (Annual Period of Gloom) as the long, empty, sports-less days extend before us as far as the eye can see. (Hockey and non-playoff NBA action don't count and I simply will not abide arguments to the contrary. Sure, NCAA b-ball is great but thin gruel for the long winter months to be sure.) The light at the end of the tunnel is a distant one—the dulcet tones of "play ball" that will ring from major league ballparks in April. Tom Boswell was right; time does begin on Opening Day.

But I digress. Truth is I will do nearly anything to avoid getting back into the nation's most tiresome non-debate that pits abstinence versus contraception. Snooze. But back in I must...

Yet another survey—this one conducted for the National Women's Law Center and the YWCA USA by our friends at Public Strategies, Inc.—underscores that the American public wants teens to be encouraged to delay sexual activity and to be given information about contraception. Not either/or. The NWLC/YWCA survey notes that 76% of Independents and 62% of Republicans believe the government should support sex education programs that include information about abstinence and contraception. Not either/or.

Friend's here's my simple point. There really is precious little disagreement among the American public about abstinence, contraception, and what teens should be taught. Liberals, conservatives, Obamaists, parents of teens, old folks, Welsh cardigan corgis, teens themselves, all agree—in one public opinion poll after another—that teens should be encouraged to delay sex and be provided with information about contraception. Not either/or.

Simple right? What am I missing? I am, as always, waiting to be enlightened.

People all over the country are getting together to discuss ways to improve our health care system, and we want to make sure that the issues we care about most are a part of this dialogue.

This is a priority for us. And not just because it's our job. It's because deciding whether and  when to become pregnant and have children is one of the most important decisions many of us will make in our lives. We think women, men, and families will do better if they have the opportunity to prevent pregnancy and plan families affordably, in consultation with the best medical professionals, and without barriers.

We've asked some of our friends to share some of the challenges they've faced seeking care, and we hope you'll share your stories by leaving comments on this blog post.

"I switched jobs and therefore my insurance plan changed. I went from paying $7 for a month's supply of birth control to more than 4 times as much for the exact same prescription."

"I was having trouble getting pregnant, and did some research on what might be causing my particular issues. I read about a hormone that might help, but my doctor at the time wasn't very familiar with it. He agreed to administer it, but wanted to test for it in my blood after a few weeks. This was impossible, because that particular hormone doesn't show up in your blood. I switched to an OBGYN who knew about the hormone and understood my issues, and shortly after receiving the treatment I was pregnant with my first daughter."

"I decided I wanted an IUD. I had been seeing an OBGYN at a hospital that doesn't do IUD's. I called four different doctors in the area, and no doctors do them. Finally I found a doctor a long way from my house who said she did them, so I made an appointment. I finally saw the woman and she gave me an exam then told me that she would not recommend an IUD --  because I hadn't had a baby, and because she had so little faith in her own ability to insert one properly. I was super excited that I'd taken off an afternoon to drive out to the middle of nowhere for that." 

"When I changed pills based on advice from my doctor to try anther type, the new ones ended up costing me over $50/month (with insurance paying about $5). On other pills, I'd paid $10 -- $15 month, with insurance paying the balance."

"I had been having reproductive health issues for years, and when doctors ruled out endometriosis, fibroids, and cancer, we decided that a hysterectomy would be the best course of action. Since I am done having children, I agreed. After a few more weeks of tests, exams, and follow-up visits, I received a bill from my insurance company for almost $1,000 -- all this on top of my $20 co-pay I was dishing out for every office visit. When I called my doctor to straighten this out, it was explained to me that on top of a $750 deductible for my plan, I have to pay 20% of all the costs beyond that. The good news is that I had met my high deductible for the year. The bad news: my surgery is scheduled for next year."

As our new leaders and the American public begin to think about how to address the inefficiencies in this nation's health care system, we have an opportunity to ensure that the issues we care about are front and center in this national discussion.

The new Administration wants to know what's important to you, and they're encouraging people throughout the country to host or attend community discussions on health reform over the next few weeks.

We want our elected leaders to know: Any changes to improve the health care system must include ways to help teens and young adults avoid too-early or unplanned pregnancy.

But how do we do it? We have some ideas, but we want to hear from you. We hope you'll take a few seconds to let us know your thoughts by leaving comments on this blog post, and we'll make sure that the new Administration gets the message loud and clear.