Because hormonal birth control methods are often prescribed for things OTHER than preventing pregnancy, like ovarian cysts and hormonal imbalances. An ex-girlfriend of mine, for example, had an ovarian cyst that caused her black-out level pain if she went off the pill and as a student she could not afford the incredibly invasive surgery to have it removed.
And how about cases of rape? If a woman’s on birth control, wouldn’t that help her not get pregnant? Are you so privileged that you can’t see that not every time a woman has unprotected sex it is consensual?
No one is asking for the government to pay for birth control. They are asking insurance providers to cover it. And frankly, unless you’re a doctor, I’d avoid talking about what should or shouldn’t be covered by insurance as “medically necessary.” Erectile dysfunction may be a medical condition, but it has no effect on a man’s life but his ability to have sex. It’s not a medical condition that requires any treatment in order to prevent serious health issues or death. Stop acting like it’s a critical condition in need of immediate treatment. You can easily choose not to have sex if you can’t afford the pills or your insurance doesn’t cover them. That’s exactly what you’re telling women they should be okay with regarding birth control pills.
In addition to all of this: pregnancy IS a medical condition. Birth control prevents it.
What part of that is so hard to understand?
Oh, wait, I know: common-sense-repelling anti-feminists.
I hate anti-feminists. Look. Here’s a contrast.
Major effects of erectile dysfunction:
can cause lack of sexual drive or ability
can cause embarrassment
Major effects of lack of birth control:
Uncontrolled periods, which depending on preexisting conditions (eg ovarian cysts) can be cripplingly painful and put someone out of action for 1 out of every 4 weeks
as well as making it difficult to have sex for 1 out of every 4 weeks since that is so important to you as a medical issue
and pregnancy, the side effects of which can include
Crippling pain from around the second trimester as the pelvis and hips shift and the back comes under pressure
Hormonal shifts exacerbating depression and other mental disorders
Severe nausea/vomiting lasting ~16 weeks
Dizziness
Exhaustion
Sleep deprivation
Loss of balance
Inability to work
Malnutrition
and that’s if all goes according to plan. let’s talk about miscarriage, which some people are heavily inclined to and therefore unable to carry a pregnancy, wanted or not, to term
Psychologically incredibly traumatic and scarring
Extreme pain, worse the later stage the miscarriage comes, both uterine and muscular, as the uterus is tearing itself up and the body goes into something like a miniature labour
Internal haemorrhaging and loss of large quantities of blood
High risk of potentially fatal infection
and let’s say now that we take this unwanted pregnancy as far as childbirth
increasing rate of maternal death in the US since 2004
up to three full days of excruciating, difficult-to-treat muscular pain
vaginal tearing
blood loss
infection (again, high risk of potentially fatal infection)
permanent pelvic damage
fistula
internal damage leading to incontinence, infection and, oh hey, major sexual dysfunction
postpartum depression
lasting high blood pressure
But of course, pregnancy and gynocological dysfunction aren’t medical issues that need treating, unlike not being able to get it up. It’s not like people die around the world daily from complications arising from these issues. It’s not like anyone’s prevented from working by the crippling pain of their period. It’s not like pregnancy takes vast amounts of expensive hospital visits, scans, a hospital bed, a team of medical staff and so forth. Nope. Pregnancy is just the natural order of things, even if you are incapable of carrying it to term, or are carrying a child you don’t want and can’t care for, or can’t afford the extensive hospital bills and long time of being unable to work. Silly women, quit your whining.
But if Carmela is a good Catholic who disapproves of sexual intercourse that isn’t for the purposes of procreation, then why does she still like it when Tony gives her cunnilingus once per year?
~ The Sopranos S06E21 “Made in America” - (re-run)
The fact that all “countries” are threatened by low birthrates only proves that women are not citizens. You think this does not concern you, but it does. When they start complaining about “birthrates” they’re complaining about YOU. And they’re looking for a way to turn YOU into a heifer to produce fuel for the war machine, babies, AKA meat shields. *You* are not a part of the nation, you’re the object violated to produce subjects; the “nations” that go on to form “countries”. Abortion bans, birth control restrictions, plan b suddenly becoming inaccessible are only symptoms of this. You can not change this system, because this is what all nations need to survive. No woman can be free under a flag. All nations are dictatorships against all female people.
Birthrates go down when women don’t have husbands who can rape babies into them and when women go after their human aspirations & follow their dreams. Any politician complaining about birthrates is complaining about your humanity.
Following the recent, horrendous Hobby Lobby decision, I’ve been seeing a spate of articles talking about why so many women need birth control not for controlling birth but for medical issues like irregular periods.
I find this argument not only irritating but detrimental. I think the argument that birth control is not just birth control but medicine SUCKS as an argument. Why should it matter…
Maybe you’re thinking about getting birth control for the first time, or maybe you’re ready for a change. Either way, there are some great resources out there!
To get the most out of your birth control, generally speaking, the more methods you use, the more effective it is. NO, that doesn’t mean using multiple condoms at once! It means using condoms along with the pill, or the IUD along with pulling out, or maybe a diaphragm along with Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (not having sex when you’re most likely to get pregnant). There are tons of methods and combinations, so if one doesn’t work the first time, keep at it!
If you’re not sure where to start, Planned Parenthood and Bedsider have tools to help you decide:
As my follower count grows, so do the amount of questions (especially repeats) - that’s my fault, since I don’t have any sort of FAQ. But that’s changing! Hopefully this post will be a good starter to guide for anything you may need.
Resources:
Resource post - Information on pregnancy, abortion, adoption, parenting, etc.
Hi friends! I’m Kendra and I run this popsicle stand. I’m 21 and I’m attending Georgia Southern University for Anthropology, Religious Studies, and German. I look like this. I’m a Christian (United Methodist) so you’ll hear me talk about that when it’s relevant. I have not had an abortion, nor have I ever been pregnant, but if you want to speak with someone who has had either experience, I would be happy to point you in the right direction.
Small fun facts: I love animals, especially dogs and marine life. I enjoy traveling and photography. If I could live off one food for the rest of my life, it would be fruit. I can’t whistle and I can’t snap using my right hand. My favorite TV shows are Criminal Minds, King of the Hill, and The Night Shift. I also like watching things like Ghost Stories and A Haunting. And Jeopardy. Lots of Jeopardy.
Feel free to ask me anything - if I don’t know the answer, I’ll either find it or send you to someone who does. And as always, personal experiences with abortion, adoption, parenting, and pregnancy are always welcome.
To start off Birth Control Appreciation Day, I decided to make an informative masterpost on contraceptives! I hope this helps anyone who may want more information on their birth control or someone trying to decide what kind of birth control is best for themselves! Happy (birth control) hunting! - Paige
If you believe birth control, LGBTQ rights, economic equality, and freedom from violence should be no-brainers, take the Unstoppable pledge. A better world is possible. Together, we can build it.
that feeling when you get kicked off of your parent’s insurance for the sin of turning 26 so you have to buy new insurance but literally no insurance provided by your pcp will cover your birth control so you have to pay for it out of pocket, which with your parent’s insurance was only $15 for a three month supply, but now with this new insurance it’s over $800 but you don’t find that out until you get to the pharmacy so naturally you break down crying right here in the CVS with a line of people behind you and you can’t even complain about it because if you even imply that you wish we had free healthcare you get labeled a fucking communist.
TOM COTTON, PHYLLIS SCHAFLEY, AND WOMAN HATIN’: TOMMY AIMS TO PLEASE
By Jane X
Tom Cotton has recently pushed a group called “Women for Cotton.” Talk about an oxymoron. Truly baffled, I wonder how and why any woman who actually knows the truth about Tom Cotton and his views about women would vote for him. Anyone … Anyone … I say in my retrofitted Ferris Bueller voice. He has repeatedly voted against us at every turn and has earned a big fat zero concerning everything that affects us women folk and just as important, our families. Honestly, let’s look at his voting record: he voted against the Violence Against Women Act, not once, but twice, he voted against the farm bill which included food assistance for us single moms who need help to feed our kids, he voted against the student loan bill that would help those sisters who are trying to educate themselves, he was against changing the form of military justice that allows twenty six thousand rapes a year in the military to go unchecked with only 238 convictions, he voted against immigration reform which helps keep families intact, and he voted for a government shutdown which had a detrimental effect on female government employees and of course those “stay at home moms” who are married to said employees, costing American taxpayers 26 billion dollars, and to top it all off, he voted against equal pay for women cause you know, we should be pleasing our husbands and frying chicken barefoot and pregnant to put it nicely.
If that isn’t enough, we can look to his patronizing comments about women in the military and his writings at Harvard which are just beyond all explanation. How any honorable man can blame women’s equality for the fall and great demise of modern society is just … bizarre. Mind you, Tom Cotton wants to force every woman in America to give birth to children no matter the circumstance including rape, incest, fetal anomalies, and even when the mother’s health is in jeopardy as he supports “personhood.” For those of you who don’t know what that means, let me explain. Personhood would give a zygote more rights than a living breathing woman and would be disastrous for women’s health and to be more accurate, endangers the very lives of pregnant women. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU2BZN_GRhI
It would also stop stem cell research for those suffering from diseases with no cure and in-vitro for those women who have trouble conceiving. It would even lead to a ban on any type of hormonal contraception. Think about that. Ninety-nine percent of all American women have used birth control during their lives, yet Tom Cotton either doesn’t realize this or doesn’t care. I vote for the latter. Even more disturbing is his connection to Phyllis Schlafly’s doctrine of thought. Both Schlafly and Cotton even used the same phrasing, “perverse incentives” to describe women who have used food stamps to feed their children. Remember, she believes that if women just got married, they would not be at risk of being raped. It is Mind boggling, ancient, and quite frankly, a disgusting belief system. To begin the comparisons between Schlalfly and Cotton, let’s start with the similarities in their comments on women in the military.
The epidemic of rape and domestic abuse doesn’t seem to faze Ms. Schlafly, but apparently, even a fictitious military flick is hard for her to stomach: “G.I. Jane proves that women can take a beating as well as a man, but so what? The movie shows that she lacks the upper body strength to pull herself out of the water into a boat, a rather elementary test for anyone seeking to be a Navy Seal. The pretense that G.I. Jane could do everything the Seals do is a Hollywood fiction created with trick photography, make-up, and a stand-in for the star. It’s all as make-believe as the scene where her Seal commander talks to her in the shower and somehow doesn’t notice that she’s nude,”
Now, let’s look at Tom Cotton’s statement about women serving in the military which he made on the Laura Ingram show: “To have women serving in infantry, though, could impair the mission-essential tasks of those units [showering in the nude]. And that’s been proven in study after study, it’s nature, upper body strength, and physical movements, and speed, and endurance, and so forth.” And what exactly does he mean by our “nature?” Obviously he has never seen a woman give birth, or witnessed a woman protect her children. Would not these same traits be beneficial in the arena we call war? Fierce and deadly protection of the “family” unconsciously or willingly without a second thought of sacrificing life and limb, and the ability to endure extreme pain might prove beneficial. No? It’s astounding when you compare the two statements between Cotton and Schlafly: nature, upper body strength, and apparently the belief that male soldiers should not be held accountable for their innate “manly desires.” In my humble opinion, men that rape their own comrades are the ones who are detrimental to the mission and the men who allow that to occur and protect the criminality of soldiers and allow them to remain in the military are the threats. Not women. “That be” you Tom Cotton. And who does he sound like? Do their words sound similar? It should. You can read more about that interview here: http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/01/08/1418451/gop-congressman-womens-nature-means-they-should-be-banned-from-infantry/
If belittling female soldiers isn’t enough, let’s move on to the Violence Against Women Act. One of the aspects of this act is to help quell help domestic abuse and help rape victims. Interestingly enough, Schlafly and Cotton want to change divorce laws. They both think no fault divorce laws destroyed the institution of marriage. Let’s compare the comments made by Cotton and Schlafly. She says, “The recent PBS program called “Breaking the Silence” is an example of feminist propaganda that men are batterers and women are victims. Among the falsehoods in the film was the assertion that ‘one-third of mothers lose custody [of their children] to abusive husbands’ and that if a divorcing father seeks any form of child custody, he’s most likely a wife-beater.“ Shaking my head. Yeah, she said that. http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2005/nov05/05-11-09.html
She goes on to say that, “Because of perverse incentives a so called "no fault divorce” is often followed by a bitter child custody dispute with bogus allegations of domestic violence or child abuse, and the winner can get a huge child support windfall. Usually the family court judge cannot tell who is telling the truth.“ Now read what Tom Cotton wrote in his Harvard Crimson article, “Promises and Covenants.” "For example, liberals wanted to help the poor, especially poor children, so they created a welfare system with perverse incentives that encouraged the birth of children into poverty.” He also stated that feminists should hail the covenant marriages as it doesn’t allow men to dump their old hag wives for new bustier prettier versions. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1997/10/3/promises-and-covenants-pmen-are-simple/
On his the “truth” about Cotton website, he had this to say about the VAWA: “This law spends $660 million, much of which goes to fund liberal organizations to carry out an ideological agenda without effective results in reducing violence against women. This law is poorly and too broadly written. It unconstitutionally surrenders the rights of Americans who are not Native Americans to racially exclusive tribal courts, potentially violating the 4th Amendment Constitutional rights of American citizens to due process.”
Unfortunately, he is serious folks, but again, I wonder who he holds dear to his heart when espousing such nonsense about the “liberal agenda” and what not. Oh look what Phyllis Schlafly had to say on the subject in 2011: “The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), now up for reauthorization, is in major need of revision. Its billion-dollar-a-year price tag spent by the radical feminists to pursue their ideology and goals (known as feminist pork) … VAWA should be subject to rigorous auditing procedures in order to curb waste and fraud and to establish accountability.” http://townhall.com/columnists/phyllisschlafly/2011/07/12/violence_against_women_act_must_be_rewritten/page/full
I’ll give you a hint—feminism and liberal are interchangeable in Tommy’s book of games. Just ask him and watch him run like a “little girl” cause’ he knows I am right. I dare say, my five year old “female” child has more kahunas than him.
Here are a few examples of the VAWA really does:
VAWA has improved the criminal justice response to violence against women by:
• holding rapists accountable for their crimes by strengthening federal penalties for repeat sex offenders and creating a federal “rape shield law,” which is intended to prevent offenders from using victims’ past sexual conduct against them during a rape trial; • mandating that victims, no matter their income levels, are not forced to bear the expense of their own rape exams or for service of a protection order; • keeping victims safe by requiring that a victim’s protection order will be recognized and enforced in all state, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions within the United States; • increasing rates of prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of offenders by helping communities develop dedicated law enforcement and prosecution units and domestic violence dockets; (Factsheet: The Violence Against Women Act)
I have to ask. Does any of that sound like a “liberal” agenda to you? How about feminist pork?
Tom Cotton and Phyllis Schlafly are so similar in their thinking, writing, and actions, I suggest we play a little game. Can the reader tell who wrote what? Was it Cotton? Was it Schlafly? Who knows! They sound the same don’t ya think? “Feminists who allegedly speak for women should attack divorce, not its effects. If men have easy access to divorce, many will choose it thoughtlessly. Being married makes a man care more about his family’s expectations and future because he sees his family as enduring. It also makes him more faithful and committed to his partner. It’s true that women who have found men who are already better partners are more likely to marry them, but it’s also true that marriage settles men down.They may not gain true happiness with their new trophy wives, but they certainly will not slide into the material indigence and emotional misery that awaits most divorced women. If restrained, however, men can fulfill women’s deepest hopes.” (Ms. Tommy Schlafly)
Oh shucks, I would tell you, but I’ll just let this stew for a bit, while I await my knight and shining armor to arrive, so he can fulfill all my hope and dreams while beating me to a bloody pulp because there is now a ban on no fault divorce laws. Likewise, Ms. Schlafly most recently enlightened us all in regards on how not to get raped: GET MARRIED. But wouldn’t you know. Cotton suggests the same. If only women would stay in bad marriages enduring psychological and physical abuse they could avoid the pitfalls of poverty because divorce is the root of our money shortage. Not that women are paid less, not that some men do not pay their child support, not that high paying, truly, family friendly employment doesn’t exist, not that our country is the only industrialized nation not to offer maternity leave, not that women lack quality access to affordable childcare, not that women lack access to affordable birth control so they can control their reproductive lives, not that they are burdened with tremendous student loan debt, not that rape, domestic abuse and patriarchal hammers beat women down, and not that the top one percent is robbing our country and our sisters blind. Nope. None of that has anything to do with the poverty level of single women.
And much to my chagrin, Cotton’s voting record does not reflect a solution for any of the aforementioned problems. Instead, he recommends that women “defend these men against feminism, but also demand that all other men accept the lifelong nature of marriage.” The audacity is overpowering isn’t it, and the uncanny similarity to Ms. Schlafly is in fact, nauseating, although Tommy “know nothin’ bout’ women” creates the same symptoms for me—frequently.
Further, and on a different note, if one wants to get technical about plagiarism, I must explain that if a writer uses more than three words in a row, the author must put quotes around it and give credit to the writer, but there is also another rule. When one bases their entire article around the premise of another person’s intellectual property, the writer must credit that author. When reading “Promises and Covenants,” it is quite clear where Cotton got his material, so not only does he not respect women, but he steals from them while telling them to stay at home, make babies, and clean house. How is that for gallantry? Please take the time to read this tom-foolery, not pun intended. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1997/10/3/promises-and-covenants-pmen-are-simple/
Now, besides the intellectual theft issue, there is that sick notion that Tom Cotton actually believes that women have babies in order to receive SNAP benefits. Single mothers everywhere understand what an utter joke this is, but it isn’t funny. Not. One. Bit. And quite frankly, Tom Cotton should be ashamed of himself for ever writing such a monstrous and untrue statement, yet he is eerily quiet on the subject and when a columnist at the Democratic Gazette asked for a comment regarding all these “brilliant” essays, his communications manager brushed him off with a shameful but joking tone. “Like,” what Cotton wrote in college was irrelevant, but actually it isn’t. In fact, it reflects his voting record of today. Therefore, it would be nice, if Justin Brasell would answer the question. Why does Cotton vote the same way today as what he wrote of yesteryear? And just how much money did Ms. Schlafly’s organization donate to Tommy’s campaign or does she “just” endorse him? I wonder if he has the ovaries to answer, but somehow, I doubt it.
Happy Method Monday! In honor of back to school, we decided to go back in time to look at some vintage methods that are still in use (mostly) today. Since they share many characteristics, the cervical cap, the diaphragm, and the sponge will share the spotlight this week.
The best thing about these methods is that they’re totally hormone-free, which is important to some women for health reasons or because of personal preference. The not-so-great thing? These methods aren’t as effective as methods like the implant, the IUD, the shot, the pill, the patch, or the ring. The non-hormonal ParaGard IUD, which is made out of copper and plastic and lasts for up to 12 years (!), might be a better option if you don’t want hormones and are looking for super-effective birth control.
But back to the old-school barriers…
They’ve got a lot in common:
The diaphragm, the sponge, and the cervical cap work more or less the same way. You can get more detail about each method on Bedsider, but in a nutshell all three of these methods work with spermicide to block sperm from entering the uterus. For all three, you have to be comfortable with sticking your finger up there and possibly even doing some adjusting. This can take some getting used to, so these methods might be tricky if you’re drunk or in a hurry.
You should use them with spermicide and a condomto increase their effectiveness. If you’re not using a condom, make sure you and your partner have both been tested since spermicide can increase your risk for STIs including HIV. Veronica, a diaphragm user, backs it up with a condom just to make sure.
Your partner shouldn’t be able to feel them. While he may not be able to feel these methods during sex, you do have to insert them before sex (and take them out after), so your partner will probably eventually notice that the method is there. That being said, if you want something inconspicuous, any of these methods can be inserted hours before sex and stay put for 24-48 hours (depending on the method).
You have to leave them in place for at least 6 hours after sex to help ensure that the spermicide has done its thing.
There are side effects. These methods don’t cause the side effects sometimes associated with hormonal methods (or offer the healthbenefits), but they can sometimes cause vaginal irritation or UTIs (urinary tract infections). The biggest possible side effect? Pregnancy, since these methods are less effective on their own than hormonal methods or the non-hormonal IUD.
You shouldn’t use them when you have your period. If you’re planning on having sex while Aunt Flo is in town, you should use condoms or a different method during that time of the month.
There are a few differences too:
The diaphragm mayreduce the risk of a few nasty STIs (gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia), but it’s nothing compared to the protection of a condom. If you’re worried about STIs or want a back-up birth control method, condoms are definitely the way to go.
You should reapply spermicide if you inserted the diaphragm or the cervical cap a long time before sex. Same goes if you are using these methods for multiple rounds. You don’t have to worry about this with the sponge since the spermicide is already in there.
You can get the sponge without a prescription–it’s even available online. The cervical cap and the diaphragm, on the other hand, need to be fitted by a doctor.
The diaphragm is getting an upgrade. There is a new diaphragm, called Silks, making its way to the U.S. market. Silks is designed to be easier to put in and take out and may potentially be used to prevent HIV as well as pregnancy.
Liking the sound of these old-school options? Show your support by “liking” your favorites on our Facebook Method Explorer and/or tell us about your experience in the comments!
Once your IUD expires you’ll no longer be protected from pregnancy. So If your IUD is due to expire soon, make an appointment with your nurse or doctor as soon as possible to have it safely removed.
Your IUD expiration date depends on what kind of IUD you have and the exact date you had it inserted. Put your expiration date in your phone, set an alarm, or put a note in your wallet after it’s inserted to easily remember your removal date. You can also use our app, Spot On, which has handy birth controlreminders.
IUD replacement based on brand:
Paragard should be replaced after 12 years.
Mirena should be replaced after 7 years.
Liletta should be replaced after 7 years.
Kyleena should be replaced after 5 years.
Skyla should be replaced after 3 years.
Your fertility goes back to normal and protection from pregnancy ends immediately after your IUD is out or expires. If you don’t want to get pregnant once you get your IUD removed, use another method of birth control. You can schedule an appointment for IUD removal and replacement at your local Planned Parenthood.
I have never in my life been so angry at a commercial as I am at this commercial. Who invented this shit Mitch McConnell? Now we get to punish ourselves, before, during AND after we have that dirty dirty sex.
Word of advice: If you know you don’t want to/aren’t able to go through a pregnancy, and you live in the US, either arrange to get both main and backup contraception NOW for the long term, or talk to your doctor about surgical options.
Too many Gilead-wannabe states are moving to cut off your options starting the moment a sperm gets within six inches of your body.
Following the recent, horrendous Hobby Lobby decision, I’ve been seeing a spate of articles talking about why so many women need birth control not for controlling birth but for medical issues like irregular periods.
