I read this book several years ago, ‘Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the meaning of Liberty’ by Dorothy Roberts. This book changed my life in so many ways, it had a profound impact on how I see birth control and truly led me to take charge of my reproductive health and freedom.

The book specifically addresses ways in which black women have been denied reproductive freedom including forced sterilizations. Forced abortions, and most recently forced birth control. For example she writes of poor, young, black women on welfare who received free birth control implants paid by through Medicaid, but when they experienced bad side effects, including serious life-threatening effects, Medicaid refused to pay to have it taken out. They were required to come up with the money, usually several hundreds of dollars, to have this birth control removed. Most did not have the resources to do so so were stuck with this birth control for 5 YEARS. Roberts writes of women so physically sick from this medication they tried cutting the Norplant out themselves. I suggest this book to any woman regardless of race because the information about birth control is an eye opener, and the historical information about race and reproductive rights will have a profound impact in how you view the women’s movement and racial equality in the states in general.

I am cognizant and respectful of the fact that people fought so hard to get birth control legal but I am also cognizant of the fact that all these pills, shots, implants, patches, etc., pose a serious health risk. The production of similar products for men have failed not because they’re not able to come up with any, but because men aren’t going to go for the side effects. Like decreased sex desire, increased risk of cancer, negative effect on moods/emotional health, increased risks of genital irritation, etc. Sound familiar? Those risks are what we are willing to accept, what they are selling to us!

There are natural ways to control how many children you have. I have not used any artificial birth control in nearly 10 years, when I decided to continue giving my youngest breast milk. He will be 10 this November and I have not had a pregnancy since he was born. 10 years. No artificial hormones. This is the longest I have ever gone without a pregnancy, even when I was taking those horrible birth control drugs. I actually got pregnant with my oldest son while on the Depo Provera shot! Should my husband and I decide to have more children, we both are aware of my cycle and signs of ovulation so could easily plan when to get pregnant.

The sad thing about American culture is, in order to truly have a safe natural birth control experience, a woman MUST have a partner who is willing to engage with this 100%. He must be able to practice self-control. He must be willing to not have intercourse during her fertile time. He must be aware of her cycle. Sadly, even in the USA where we women have so many rights, many women cannot control when they are going to have sex due to the demands of their husband or boyfriend. And even when the man is not forceful or insistent, many women still feel it is their obligation to give in and have sex whenever their husband or boyfriend wants it. Knowing this helps me to understand why so many women are willing to risk blood clots, stroke, heart attack, bad mood swings, depression, and even death to avoid having pregnancies they don’t want.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.