November 16, 2016 marked the 4th annual “Thanks, Birth Control” day! There’s a lot to celebrate around birth control: The ability to plan, prevent, and space pregnancies is directly linked to more educational and economic opportunities, healthier babies, more stable families, and a reduced taxpayer burden.
Some interesting facts about birth control:
- Many of the gains women have made since 1965 — in timing and spacing children, obtaining education, entering the workforce, and moving closer to pay equity — are the direct result of access to birth control.
- Birth control was named one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- 99% of sexually active American women have used birth control. It’s a normal part of women’s lives and should not be a taboo topic or the subject of political posturing.
- According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy, 8 in 10 adults agree that if more people were comfortable discussing birth control, more people would use it.
- Long-acting reversible contraception methods like the IUD are the most cost-effective methods of birth control—they can provide coverage for up to 12 years.
Birth control is basic health care for women; the average woman will spend about 30 years of her life trying to avoid pregnancy. Planned Parenthood offers women education on the full range of birth control options, to help them make informed decisions about which contraceptive method is best for them.
Keep in mind:
- No single birth control method is right for all women at all times. Women’s reproductive needs change throughout their lives, and their birth control should match those needs.
- Planned Parenthood provides patients with information about the benefits and risks of any specific birth control method to help them make informed decisions.
- For women who want to know about their birth control options, PlannedParenthood.org is a good place to start.
For over 100 years, Planned Parenthood has worked to continually enhance birth control access in this country through education and services to over 3.5 million people. As the nation’s leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood knows the transformative effect birth control has on women’s lives — we see it every day in our patients and supporters. Thanks, Birth Control shines a spotlight on the many ways that birth control dramatically improves the lives of women and families, as well as the U.S. economy at large.
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