With much of the East Coast enthralled by the visit of Pope Francis, let’s review an issue that pits – perhaps – the pontiff’s enduring commitment to the disenfranchised against his religious beliefs: More than 50 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Griswold v Connecticut that women have a constitutional right to birth control. Even with the right granted by the court, many women have had a hard time accessing contraception. Lack of health insurance, limits to coverage, and hefty co-pays have been obstacles keeping women from fully enjoying this right. Things have gotten better, however, since enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires free preventive health-care services for women. The law mandates that health insurers offer an employee and her dependents the full range of FDA-approved contraceptives – including the more costly injectables and IUDs – without any cost-sharing such as a co-pay. Access to reproductive healthcare is critical in allowing women to lead full lives. A comprehensive review of more than 60 research studies by the …