Stop The Birth Control Shame | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Stop The Birth Control Shame

My prescription tells you nothing about my personal life.

65
Stop The Birth Control Shame
Wayne Women's Clinic

I am 21 and on birth control.

PAUSE.

I know many readers are already reaching for the tiny "x" on their browser, but please give me the benefit of the doubt.

I don't get personal often, well, with really anyone, so here we go.

I, a Jesus-following, abstinent, engaged woman, have been on birth control since I was thirteen years old. For the longest time, I felt ashamed, like I had done something wrong, like the rest of the world would stone me to death if they knew the truth.

For myself, for every woman out there taking birth control for medical reasons, I have to shed the cloak of shame. I have to stop pretending that birth control makes me anything less than I was created. If we don't speak out for the rest of the ladies in the world relying on birth control to carry out their daily lives, we will lose that right completely.

That is why we must end the stigma surrounding birth control. A recent study showed that 14% of all U.S. women on "the pill" use it for SOLELY non-contraceptive reasons, a total of 1.5 million women nationwide. Yet, despite the slew of reasons that we use "the pill," we are still subjected to slut-shaming and the government interfering with our health.

I, like many other women, am getting really tired of being told by people with no knowledge of gynecology that I do not "need" my medication. We deserve to carry out our normal lives, free from the debilitating symptoms of PCOS, endometriosis, and dysmenorrhea, among other afflictions.

Stop shaming. Start educating.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

355
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Lessons I Learned My Freshman Year

The first year of college opens your eyes to so many new experiences.

59
johnson hall
Samantha Sigsworth

Recently I completed my freshman year of college, and boy, what an experience. It was a completely new learning environment and I can't believe how much I learned. In an effort to save time, here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from my first year of college.

1. Everyone is in the same boat

For me, the scariest part of starting school was that I was alone, that I wouldn't be able to make any friends and that I would stick out. Despite being told time and time again that everyone had these same feelings, it didn't really click until the first day when I saw all the other freshman looking as uneasy and uncomfortable as me. Therefore, I cannot stress this enough, everyone is feeling as nervous as you.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments