Emergency contraception is birth control. Take it and don’t get preggers. Visit BackUpYourBirthControl.org (Via ecequalsbc)
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A question of who should be allowed access to a safe form of contraception is at its root a question of how badly we want to, or believe that we can, police young women’s sexuality. When Obama is talking about his daughters, we know he’s not really basing his opinion on an anxiety that they might suffer the adverse effects of drinking a whole jug of Pepto-Bismol or swallowing 50 Advil, things that any 11-year-old who walks into a CVS with a wad of cash could theoretically do. When he says that he wants to “apply common sense” to questions of young women’s access to emergency contraception, he is telegraphing his discomfort with the idea of young women’s sexual agency, or more simply, with the idea of them having sex lives at all. This discomfort might be comprehensible from an emotional, parental point of view. But these are not familial discussions; this is a public-health policy debate, and at a time when “16 and Pregnant” airs on MTV, the fact that a daddy feels funny about his little girls becoming grown-ups has no place in a discussion of healthcare options for America’s young women. It is also nearly impossible to imagine a similar use of language or logic to justify a ban of condom sales.
Moreover, Obama’s invocation of his role as a father is an insult to the commitments and priorities of those on the other side of this issue. Are we to believe that those who support the increased availability of emergency contraception do not have daughters? That if they do, they care less about those daughters than Barack Obama does about his? And that if they do not, they cannot possibly know better than a father of daughters what is best for young women? Why should we be asked to believe that Obama’s paternity imbues him with more moral authority on the subject of women’s health and reproductive lives than the investments of doctors, researchers and advocates who – regardless of their parental status – have dedicated their lives to working on behalf of increased reproductive health options. This line of argument is no better than the Mama Grizzly argument developed by Sarah Palin during 2010′s midterm elections, in which she asserted that her band of super-conservative mothers were qualified for office because “moms just know when there’s something wrong.”
— Rebecca Traister on Obama’s paternalistic attitude about over-the-counter access to emergency contraception.
Laugh to keep from crying with frustration.
“A woman’s health decisions are a private matter between her priest and her husband.”
“ I am opposed to providing condoms to someone. If you want to have a party, have a party, but don’t ask me to pay for it.
— The anti-contraception movement is getting so bold that public officials, such as New Hampshire executive councilor Raymond Wieczorek, actually say shit like this to justify their opposition to funding family planning.
Some thoughts on slut-shaming and truth-telling on this Back Up Your Birth Control Day
I helped create the “Why The Fuck Should I Use Emergency Contraception?” website which is part of this year’s Back Up Your Birth Control campaign. While most folks seem to like it, some have criticized the site as “condescending, sexist, and slut-shaming.” This criticism, it appears, stems mainly from the reasons that focus on women who need EC because they’ve had unprotected and/or drunk sex.
Now, I know that this is a provocative site that not everyone is going to think is as funny as I do. And maybe some folks object to using humor at all in a campaign about unintended pregnancy. I can respect that. But can we talk about slut-shaming for a sec? Because that’s a serious charge—and one that I absolutely 100% reject.
Sometimes women have drunk sex. Sometimes they don’t use any birth control. Sometimes they aren’t sure if they did. Sometimes they fuck up their birth control. Sometimes they are knowingly “irresponsible.” This may not speak to every single woman’s experience, but it is not some sexist stereotype dreamed up out of thin air.
It is simply a real thing that happens in the world. In fact, many of the reasons featured on the site are humorous variations on experiences my colleagues and I have actually had.
It is not sexist to acknowledge that this happens. And it is not slut-shaming to remind women that they should use EC if this happens and they don’t want to become pregnant.
But you know what sounds more than a little bit slut-shame-y to me? Writing a whole post being outraged that this campaign would dare imply that you might be one of those “drunken sluts” who does that kind of thing. Being deeply insulted because you think the site portrays young women as “flippant, self-centered and irresponsible” while you see yourself as a responsible young person who is “organizing for social justice.”
Believe it or not, it is possible to be a woman who spends a lot of time organizing for social justice AND ALSO watches bad tv marathons and has had drunk, unprotected sex. I have done it. And acting as if these are two mutually exclusive categories of women and claiming that we shouldn’t acknowledge the experiences of the latter—that to do so is, in fact, automatically sexist—is pretty much just a spruced-up, self-righteous “feminist” version of slut-shaming in my book.
I don’t claim to “represent the feminist movement”. But my feminism is about truth-telling. Even when the truths aren’t that pretty. Even when they support uncomfortable stereotypes. Even when they don’t reflect every other woman’s truth.
So in honor of the 10th anniversary on the Back Up Your Birth Control campaign—when far too many women still don’t know they can prevent pregnancy after sex—here are some REAL LIFE reasons to use EC. Taken from my lived experiences or those of my friends.
Because the condom broke last night and you continued to have sex into the morning since, at that point, the damage was already done.
Because, in the moment, it actually seemed easier to just swing by the pharmacy in the morning and get EC than to find a condom.
Because you were having sex with a stranger on ecstasy and the condom broke.
Because you are pretty sure there were no condom mishaps but you also know that you were drunk enough that it is probably better to be safe than sorry.
Because the condoms were so far away and there was no way you were gonna pass up the opportunity to have sex right then in the middle of the woods.
These things happen. It’s ok. Take EC.
See Nadja’s comment and miss polk’s comment for further reading.
New MTV campaign says: “Sex is not an accident! Always use a condom.” But damn if those don’t look like super fun “sexidents” to have!
