I read a really, really good point about the HL SCOTUS fallout today - one which I can't believe I've been missing all this time. (UPDATE: Thank you Village Vet for finding the original article: Women like sex. Stop making 'health' excuses for why we use birth control.)
So much of my outrage has been focused on the women's health aspect of BC pills and how they're used for so many reasons other than reproductive control. I myself took them to suppress symptoms of PCOS for a solid decade before I was ever sexually active. I've been using that approach because I was hoping to turn the focus of what it is the pills do and move the conversation in that direction. Maybe we should change the name, I thought. Call them hormone pills, or reproductive health pills. Maybe that would help.
But today, I read one simple sentence that pointed out the fallacy of my approach. As important as it is to have access to the pills for medical purposes, using that as the focus brings up a very good point: it diminishes the fact that women have sex for pleasure. Since that is what the other side is complaining about, what with all their talk about "recreational activities" and "consequence-free sex", we should be talking back. What, indeed, is wrong with women enjoying sex?
I'm gonna say that again, nice and loud:
THERE IS NOTHING WRING WITH WOMEN ENJOYING RECREATIONAL, NON-PROCREATIVE SEX.
I enjoy it, I know many women who enjoy it, I know many men who enjoy having it with women, and you know what? Not only is a pregnancy attempt not required to enjoy sex, but neither is a relationship! (Go on, get the smelling salts. I'll wait.)
As someone who has spent 20 years celebrating sexual freedom as a Rocky Horror cast member, and just over one year celebrating female sexuality as a burlesque dancer, I'm embarrassed it took me this long to realize what the argument should be. But here it is, once again: sex is a wonderful, enjoyable activity that consenting adults should be able to engage in without condemnation or "punishment". (Also: childfree I may be, but I don't think I could ever consider a pregnancy to be a consequence or punishment. Puzzling that the people who use those terms are the very ones going on about what a precious and sacred gift from Gawd human life is.)
There are so many reasons to give women full access to birth control and other reproductive health options. "Because enjoying sex is not a sin" is every bit as valid as the rest, and it's time this was acknowledged.