The Pill Destroys Relationships?

Crossposted at EvilSlutopia.com
As promised, here’s our next blog about The Pill Kills Women . Our first installment focused on the medical flaws in their argument (particularly, how the campaign exaggerates the risks of hormonal contraception as a scare tactic).
This time we’re going to take a quick look at some of their other ridiculous claims . Under "Side Effects" they list the damage that using the birth control pill can do to a relationship.

Ways in which the pill destroys relationships:

  • It easily opens the door for marital infidelity;
  • it especially opens the door for temptation to youth;
  • "a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and… reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection."

Um… what!? Seriously, this one is more hilarious than any of the ridiculous claims about how the pill will kill you. How exactly does the pill open the door for marital infidelity? And what do they mean by that anyway? Does it mean that the pill will cause women to cheat on their husbands or does it mean that men will be tempted to cheat on their wives with women who take the pill?
Either way, it’s a stupid claim to make. Contraception does not cause infidelity. If birth control inspires you to commit adultery, all that means is that you are the type of person who would commit adultery. Maybe the pill makes it more convenient for you to cheat, but if you can’t remain faithful just because a convenient opportunity presents itself, that’s your problem. It’s not the pill’s fault; it’s your fault.
As for the second point, again I’m not quite sure what they mean. Are they saying that birth control pills make young people have sex? Or are they suggesting that the pill tempts people to have sex with young people? Either way, again, it’s a stupid argument, because it puts all the power into the pills. Look, they’re birth control pills. They’re not magic temptation sex pills! They’re not mind-control pills! The pills do not control actions. As we already know, a lack of contraception does not necessarily stop teens from having sex . If young people want to have sex, they’re going to have sex. Maybe access to contraception does make it easier for them, but it also makes it easier for them to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

And finally, the last point is the most comical of all. I don’t see any way to even remotely make the connection between use of contraceptive methods and forgetting the reverence due to a woman. If a man thinks of his wife as a mere instrument for his satisfaction, then that’s how he’s going to feel whether she’s on the pill or not. And what of her satisfaction? You could make the same argument that not using contraception reduces a woman to being a mere instrument for procreation.

The good old American Life League is still pretending that they give a shit about women. Oh no! We must protect poor defenseless women from the pill! It will kill them! It will make their men cheat on them and use them! It’s pretty obvious that their only concerns are controlling women’s sexuality and preventing people from having any kind of enjoyable sex outside of baby-making.

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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