It's scary to think about access to birth control becoming more restricted than it already is. I'm not saying that this is going to happen; however, I think there are some facts that everyone needs to know. Vice President-elect Mike Pence introduced the first federal measure to defund Planned Parenthood. Pence believes that condoms provide poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases. He also believes that using condoms to protect against STDs is "too modern." This is (as Donald Trump would say) WRONG. Condoms provide the best and most reliable protection against sexually transmitted diseases.

Pence has also created and sponsored numerous pieces of legislation that restrict access to abortion. One of these laws was the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, which required women to receive an ultrasound before they got an abortion. He has also passed a bill which requires an abortion to provide women with the "remains" of the fetus (which usually just resembles a heavy period). Both of these pieces of legislation are a clear attempt to make women feel guilty for following through with an abortion.

The future for women's reproductive health is unclear. But the one thing that is clear to me is that millions of women across the world need safe, legal outlets to receive birth control and abortions. Women are not going to stop using birth control or getting abortions if access becomes restricted. They are just going to find unsafe, illegal methods of receiving them which will create a huge public health problem.

This is not a sex issue. This is an issue of making sure that women receive proper health care. Birth control and abortion are not excuses for women to go out and have wild, unprotected sex with whoever they wish. It is a way for women to take care of their bodies in a way that only they can know best. I have been on birth control since my freshman year in high school because my periods used to be so terrible that I would have to miss school once or twice a month to manage the pain and vomiting that always accompanied my periods. Without birth control, those symptoms will reappear and I will have to resort to staying home and missing valuable days of school.

That is just my personal example; there are many women who have it much worse than I do, and are not lucky enough to have safe, reliable, affordable access to birth control on a monthly basis. I fear that the Trump/Pence presidency will only increase the number of women who do not have access to safe, reliable, affordable birth control.

Here are some resources you can check out to get more information about birth control and make the best decision for you and your body before access is restricted:

https://bedsider.org/

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-cont...

https://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publ...

http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/health-info/wher...