The Real Life Need for Emergency Contraception
As a former domestic violence shelter advocate, I am proud to be a part of today’s eighth annual Back Up Your Birth Control Day of Action, a national initiative to raise awareness of and increase access to emergency contraception (EC). At the moment, far too many women are excluded from the opportunity to plan if or when they have children. On this Day of Action, I encourage you to step into the shoes of one of these women.
Imagine you are a recent immigrant who is terrified of getting pregnant by your abusive husband. Your limited English prevents you from verifying whether he, a citizen, can have you deported if you leave—so you don’t take the chance. A social worker has told you about EC, but once you work up the courage to ask for it, the local pharmacist refers you somewhere else “as a matter of principle.” As you walk away from her, you consider the possibility that maybe it is immoral to take EC at all. But you can’t get pregnant right now. If you take the bus to another pharmacy, you will need to ask your husband for more money later in the week. Your husband will question and possibly hurt you. Even if you are a woman residing in the
Why would anyone want to stop a woman from preventing an unwanted pregnancy? Despite bed shortages in domestic violence shelters across the country, some of us believe that most women are not the woman in this story. By extension, we do not worry about the difficulties women may face as a result of the 2006 FDA ruling that made EC available over-the-counter in pharmacies but only for women and men who are 18 or older, have government-issued identification, and can afford the $40-$70 price tag.
Misconceptions about domestic violence also prevent people from acknowledging and taking action against certain barriers to EC access. Some consider survivors responsible for any sexual contact with their abusers. However, it is important to acknowledge the constraints that make up many survivors’ lives. A survivor may rely on her abuser for financial support, lack transportation, speak little or no English, be unaware of American laws that define her husband’s abuse as a crime, and may be forced to seek help at a mainstream domestic violence shelter that cannot accommodate her religious and/or cultural way of life.
We need to acknowledge exactly how responsible the woman seeking EC in this story is. When critics cite fears of increased promiscuity in women following expanded access to EC, they are ignoring the reality of women’s lives. Women seeking EC take an honest look at their circumstances, make an educated decision, and pursue the means to make that decision a reality.
The question remains, then, are we interested in promoting responsible approaches to sexual and reproductive health, or are we more interested in ensuring that women are in some way punished for sexual contact?
By Rupali Sharma
March 25th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Thankyou for telling the truth about what women go through in their hellish lives if they are attached to a jerk and can’t get out. Who would want a child to grow up in an environment of violence? Who would want to BE that child? Let women decide at least regarding pregnancy if they have no choice whether or not their abusive husband’s body parts will treat them like a weapon! Get real America!!!!!