Did you know in 2016, women of reproductive age (18 to 44) were most familiar with birth control pills and condoms; only 31 percent of those women had heard a lot about two more-effective methods, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants.[1]

Did you know about 4 in 10 women of reproductive age viewed sterilization, the rhythm method, and withdrawal as very safe. [1]

This is Zaya and in this blog I will be talking about uniting people with different experiences about reproductive rights.

What is it?

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Reproductive rights are the right to choose what to do with your own body. What does it mean to have these rights? They help make abortions safe, contraception available and help normalized family planning on your own terms. Some young men and women do not know anything about reproductive rights at all due to the lack of the Birds and the Bees talk from their parents as well as little information and few sex education classes available in their area.

Reason to Know

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One of the reasons why Reproductive rights information should be widely available is to provide better information to all people. One day my thirteen-year-old sister came in to the living room and started singing “I just had an abortion” while doing the floss dance. I had to explain to her what an abortion was because her mom never gave her talk the Birds and the Bees talk,  like my own mom gave me when I was her age. She stopped singing that song and walked away mortified. I think I ruined her childhood. Also, there is a picture going around on the net where young women are asking their boyfriends what an IUD is, and their boyfriends’ responses are sad and uninformed.  Women are laughing at their men. What if your man did not know about condoms and somehow you got pregnant?

Should Know

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I believe young men and women should know what an IUD is as well as other contraceptives methods in detail. Some methods have a 10% fail rate and not all contraceptives will work with your body in the same way. Your friend might tell you her implant helps her lose weight while someone else’s implant might make them bleed for weeks on end. It is different for everybody. This information is something many young women and men do not know, because they are not informed by the school or their parents.

The Stakes

Most young people hear bad things about Reproductive rights because they have been given a bad rap in the media, thanks to the government making those rights a political issue. It should instead be an issue between you and your doctor and not the government. Your body;your rules.  If young people do not know what Reproductive Rights are, the consequences are unwanted pregnancies, STD’s spreading, and unhealthy relationships.

 

[1] Shartzer, Adele, et al. “Knowledge Gaps and Misinformation about Birth Control Methods Persist in 2016.” Urban Institute, 4 May 2020, www.urban.org/research/publication/knowledge-gaps-and-misinformation-about-birth-control-methods-persist-2016.