Dear male politicians, birth control saves lives.

Yes, birth control has the amazing ability to prevent contraception, but in the recent wave of the government overturning Roe v Wade and moving the discussion to birth control, do male politicians understand that birth control has the ability to combat other women’s health issues. 

 I personally know this as I suffer from endometriosis, a disease that causes the uterine lining to abnormally grow on the outside, causing extremely painful periods, heavy periods, depression, and painful sex. I have struggled for years, assuming I just got “bad periods” and that I was one of the unlucky ones when it comes to menstruation. Once I reached the point of experiencing “episodes” during my period of not being able to function, passing out, and throwing up, my mother and I finally decided it was time for me to talk with my doctor.

After I explained my symptoms and sufferings to my physician she immediately said that it was most likely endometriosis. She told me not to worry and that I would start birth control that was tailored to give me little to no period during my time of the month and that the pills would also get rid of my symptoms. The relief of knowing what I was suffering through was not normal and that there was an accessible solution was amazing and I knew my years of monthly pain would finally come to an end. Now that I have been on that birth control for six months my period isn’t a hindrance to daily activities and I can live without extreme pain. I used to hate my body for doing something that’s healthy and natural because I didn’t understand why that natural part of womanhood hurt me so bad. Birth control has been life changing not only for my mental health but my physical health as well.

I am one of many women who share the same need of using birth control for more than just a contraception medication. Endometriosis is one of the health issues that can be aided by taking birth control. Other health issues that birth control aids include anemia, acne, hair growth, migraines, cancer prevention, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), hormonal imbalance, premenstrual syndrome, and primary ovarian insufficiency.

In the recent events over the summer with the overturning of Roe v Wade, women’s reproductive rights have been the center of debate and discussion. Once the supreme court overruled Roe v Wade, abortion rights were controlled at the state level, and many states, primarily Southern voted to ban and restrict access to abortion regardless of a woman’s age or if her pregnancy was a result of rape. Now that abortion rights are controlled and restricted, the new topic of conversation between male politicians (being the majority of the US government) was the possible restrictions for access to birth control. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote following the overturning of Roe v Wade that the voted cases of same-sex marriage, contraception, and interracial marriage should be reconsidered in the future. Women having birth control restricted as a contraception is already a violation of rights since every woman has a right to use it in order to avoid pregnancy, but birth control is often only looked at as a contraception. Its other abilities are often disregarded in the discussion of reproductive health and especially in the discussion that occurs in the legislative and judicial houses of the US government.

I know I can not live without birth control. I know many other women endure the same experience and rely on birth control to relieve whatever symptoms they may experience. I know women can not live without having birth control to prevent them from conceiving and enduring the nightmare that is trying to get an abortion today. I know men and politicians with no knowledge on the subject have no right to determine the access to the lifesaver that is birth control.