November 15 is Thanks, Birth Control Day.
A day that is celebrated by people reflecting on and sharing what in their lives have been made possible because of contraceptives.
Moving Toward Gender Equality
Many of the opportunities that are now available to people who can get pregnant are due to the increased accessibility of contraceptives.
Because birth control allows individuals to decide if and when they are ready to have children, increased access to contraceptive methods has resulted in a sharp increase in wages and educational levels among those who can get pregnant.
Eisenstadt v. Baird
Before the 1970s, only married couples could access birth control methods. Not only were contraceptive methods severely restricted in availability, but also, receiving information about them was illegal at the time under obscenity laws.
It wasn’t until the Supreme Court ruling on Eisenstaedt v. Baird in 1972 that unmarried individuals were legally allowed to use contraceptives.
Reproductive Justice
Reproductive Justice was coined in 1994 by a group of Black women known as “Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice.”
As defined by SisterSong, Reproductive Justice is “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”
Access to contraceptives is an essential part of Reproductive Justice because it allows people to plan if and when they want to have children.
More than Pregnancy Prevention
Most of the conversation surrounding birth control focuses on its role in family planning, but that’s not its sole purpose.
Birth control can also assist in regulating a person’s menstrual cycle, including reducing pain during menstruation, preventing migraines, treating PMS and PMDD, and regulating menstruation. Additional contraceptive uses include acne treatment, managing PCOS, addressing Endometriosis, and even reducing the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers.
Join the celebration by sharing the impact that birth control has had on you using the hashtag #ThnxBirthControl on social media.
And don’t forget – you can take control of your health, including any contraceptive needs, by locating one of our healthcare providers near you!
