College signifies the freedom of adulthood and the opportunity to explore our identities without pressure from figures of the past. Naturally, we want to understand our sexuality and appreciate our bodies in their prime.
Unfortunately, an unexpected pregnancy is currently my biggest fear, and it’s many of my friends’ biggest fears. We all just gained our independence. We’re not ready to give that up and sacrifice our last bit of youth, first taste of adulthood or career potential to devote our lives to raising another human being.
So, how can women get the best of both worlds like so many men do? How can they maintain their freedom and explore their sexuality? The not-so-simple answer is birth control.
There’s the infamous pill, painful intrauterine devices or a literal implant in your arm. Although these methods allow women to enjoy sex without living in a state of fear until their next period and are absolutely crucial for many women who deal with hormonal issues, they can alter your mind. I wish I was being dramatic.
About two years ago, I began reading “This Is Your Brain on Birth Control” by Dr. Sarah Hill. I got about 100 pages in and had to put it down. At this point, I had already been on “the pill” for a month, and this book made me question a choice I had been sure I was ready to make.
I’ll admit I was naive. I thought birth control pills would fix my hormonal acne, help with my period cramps and level out my rollercoaster of moods during each cycle. Unfortunately, it did the opposite. But several months and two different pills later, I found one that worked! I finally reaped all of the positive side effects I hoped for.
Then, one summer day, I opened my package from Express Scripts to find that the pharmacy changed my pill without any warning. A nurse at my gynecologist’s office assured me that it was the same, just a different brand. A month later, as my acne flared up, I knew this couldn’t be true. The hormones and dosage were identical, but my current gynecologist confirmed that brands manufacture their pills differently, so they weren’t the same after all.
After consulting my doctor, I reluctantly quit the pill. I saw many women online say they effectively prevent pregnancy by tracking their menstrual cycle, so I figured I could try this. But, I still had many reasons to be nervous. Dr. Hill’s book shared anecdotes of women whose type in men completely changed after they stopped the pill, or who claimed they experienced their full range of emotions for the first time in years. What worried me most was the chapter devoted to pill users’ decreased response to cortisol spikes. I crossed my fingers that I could maintain my ability to manage stress.
Now, I have been off the pill for over a year without any desire to touch it. So, why am I talking about it again?
Remember my fear of unplanned pregnancy? Although “cycle tracking” is great in theory, it is only an option for women who have a consistent menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, this is a luxury up to 25% of women do not experience, and is even more unlikely for women who have recently taken oral contraceptives. It is one of the least effective methods of birth control. Some form of hormonal contraceptive is a necessity for most women who either don’t want to or aren’t ready to have children.
This reconsideration has stared me down like a creepy guy at a bus stop since Nov. 6, when Donald J. Trump was elected the next president of the United States. Although Trump vowed to leave abortion rights to the states, which means Pennsylvania citizens will hopefully retain their bodily autonomy in this regard, access to birth control across the nation remains a toss-up.
During Trump’s first term, he cut funding for effective teenage pregnancy prevention programs across the country, and his attacks on the Affordable Care Act put many low-income individuals at risk of losing their access to emergency contraceptives. His administration gave employers the right to deny insurance coverage for contraceptives and decreased funding for many health clinics that provide contraception.
His reentry to the White House brings about the possibility of these outcomes yet again. Without insurance coverage, an IUD could be $500 to $1300. Under the ACA, women are able to get an IUD at low or no cost. Amidst end-of-semester conversations about finals and study abroad, my friends and I wonder if we should set up appointments now in case the options aren’t as convenient after Trump’s inauguration in January.
Not only is Trump’s future administration setting women’s rights back, it takes us even further from scientific developments. Although hormonal birth control is extremely effective, it sucks. The pill can mess with a woman’s mind and body. Studies have found it increases the risk of suicide.
Due to my aversion towards the pill, I have learned IUD insertions are often only accompanied by ibuprofen, but are painful enough to make your vision dizzy, turn your stomach sick and leave you with intense uterine cramps that consume your entire day. It’s definitely not as simple as putting on a condom, although men still seem to mess that up more than they would like to admit.
As is every aspect of womanhood, birth control is nuanced and confusing. It is painful and risky and no policymaker seems to care enough to take substantial strides to improve our options. Currently, there are no developments for a long-term, non-invasive, non-hormonal option.
Over and over again, it is made clear that this is a man’s world. Even if they don’t take the necessary measures to prevent pregnancy, the consequences will likely not reroute their lives. Meanwhile, women are responsible for protecting themselves from pregnancy through potentially harmful methods, and if they do not do so, they are left to deal with the consequences.
But the birth control we have access to now is the closest we can be to true gender equality. No matter how many issues it may cause, it gives women the opportunity to make great strides in their careers and provides them the choice to become a mother, rather than the societally deemed destiny to become one.
It has never been easy to be a woman, despite what some men say, but we have yet to let that hold us back from doing everything we are told we cannot. Although the results of the election left many mothers and daughters feeling defeated, I know that none of the women in my life are willing to let yet another man tell them how to live their lives. So tell your man to wear a damn condom and call your gynecologist. The fight isn’t over yet.
Julianna loves to talk about all things womanhood. Email her at [email protected].
