We recently told you guys how to set an alarm on your phone that will vibrate, but not make a sound, so nobody knows you’re about to take your birth control pill. Because, look, we get thatsomewomen feel embarrassed about taking their birth control pill.
Many women take the pill for health reasons such as acne, heavy periods and endometriosis, and they don’t feel like it’snecessary to advertise theirhealth issues to the world. Women who aren’t taking the pillfor health reasons know it’s NOT VERY LADYLIKEtoimply, whether directly or indirectly, they’rehaving sex. Or something like that.
So, thesewomendiscreetlyreach into theirpurses to pop out a pill,quickly slip saidpill into theirmouths andsip water in a way that makes it seem like theywere just thirsty.
I, on the other hand, am completely unapologetic in the way I take my birth control pill. Also, I am not embarrassed to announce I exclusively take the pill because I want to have sex without getting pregnant.
Every morning at 10:30 am, after my cell phone alarm vibrates loudly (I’d like to give props to my co-worker Candice, whose birth control alarm loudly blares “White Houses” by Vanessa Carlton at 11 am), I place my bag on my desk. Then, I very obviouslytake outmy blue pack, very obviously put the pill in my mouth and very, very obviously guzzle downwater.
It’s not that I’m purposely making a big show of all of this; I just don’t care enough to hide what I’m doing. My other co-worker Zara once praised me for how “unapologetic” I am when I take my birth control.I’ve taken my pillat work meetings, when talking to co-workers and at restaurants for brunch.
Back when I was incollege, my alarm was set to 9 pm. I took my pillduring late-night dinners with friends and guys I was dating, at pre-games and parties (chasing it with beer) and while having dessert with myextended family at my grandparents’ house.
I literally donot care what ishappening around me.I will take my birth control, and you will probably seeme do it. No public sphere is safe.
When I take my birth control, I’m implicitly admitting I’m taking control of my sexual health. You don’t know whether I’m taking it purely because I want to have sex or because I have health problems. But, whether I’m taking it to have safe sex or to cure my horrible cramps shouldn’t matter. Both reasons are equallyas legitimate.
Women deserve to bein control of managing theirsex lives in the same way they deserve to be in control of managing theirhealth. It’s all part of thesame body, after all.
I believe taking my birth control tomake sure I don’t get pregnant is similar totaking my multivitamin to make sureI don’t get a cold. The strong pro-choicer in me sees a premature pregnancy as a health problem thatcould and should be prevented. There’s no reason I should hide fromthefact I’m not ready to be a mother yet. I mean, I’m 22! I’m not ready. And I’m forever thankful for birth control for letting me spend my adolescence exploring my sexuality without turning into a mother. Dramaticallytaking my birth control pill in as public of a place as possible is my way of thanking it for its existence.
Perhaps, in a way, I viewtakingbirth control asa political stance, and that inspires me to feel less embarrassed when I take it. I hope that by not hiding when I take my birth control, I can inspire other women to feel less ashamed of their sexualityand their decision to delay motherhood, too.
Thisneed tohide when wetake ourbirthcontrol pill is just another way our societyhas policedwomen’s bodies and stopped us fromhaving control over them. And well, I say fuck that.
Ladies, takeyour birth control whenever you want! Announce it to theworld! Loudly pop that packand aggressively swallow that pill, knowing full well you are making the world a better, safer place for women when you do.
source http://allofbeer.com/2017/11/02/ladies-its-time-to-stop-being-discreet-about-taking-your-birth-control/
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