Posts Written by Lindsay

The Dirty Thing About Contraceptives

Did you hear the one about condom companies placing their products in the back of hot trucks, causing holes to form in the latex before they arrive on store shelves? How about the link between birth control pills and breast cancer? Then there’s the one about Intrauterine Devices causing abortions.

These are the myths abstinence-only programs convey to adolescents in public schools about contraceptives. Misconceptions about contraceptives are certainly not a new phenomenon as fairly recent medical advancements, offer new insight into birth control and condoms as methods of preventative health.

Before contraceptives were all about preventing unwanted pregnancies and diseases. Now, they may actually preserve fertility, prevent seizures and pain associated with conditions like Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Endometriosis.

However, despite these new advancements, antiquated misogynistic beliefs are unyielding regarding contraceptives. Morality is more prudent than empirical evidence and contraceptives are viewed as the weapons of the immorally bankrupt. These messages are funneled to adolescents who lack access to comprehensive information regarding contraceptives and are left to decode the subliminal messages provided within this current climate.