Can we just take a minute to remember how lucky we are to have access to birth control?

I, personally, have taken it for granted from time to time, but I try to remember that women only a few decades ago did not have this luxury to make choices about their reproductive health like we do. Never forget that young American women in the 1950’s and 60’s were:

-not taught about sex or birth control in school, and often told nothing about it at home. They were denied that knowledge. I’ve read accounts of young women getting pregnant and not even understanding where the baby would exit her body!

-often shamed by their families, doctors, and clergy, and/or kept hidden or sent away if they became pregnant for fear of bringing shame upon their families.

-often kicked out of school if they became pregnant, stripping them of their right to education. Many companies would not hire a pregnant woman at the time.

All of these factors had huge consequences on young women. Read the book called “The Girls Who Went Away” to dive more deeply into this topic.

So the next time we reach for that condom or complain about being on a pill, let’s remember what the lives of the women of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations were like. We have so many more choices than they did when it comes to our reproductive health! We are so lucky.