This question has bounced around my mind since I was first prescribed birth control. Because of the negative connotation surrounding "The Pill," I was strongly against being prescribed birth control at the age of 16, especially as a virgin. My OB/GYN diagnosed me with PCOS, otherwise known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. To go into more detail, this diagnosis meant that I occasionally developed cysts on my ovaries that caused great pain and discomfort and, should they continue and the PCOS become worse, could drastically alter my chances of becoming pregnant and/or carrying children to full term. After my experiences with birth control and the way it has saved me from pain and has given me a regular menstruation cycle, I'm even more confused now as to where the negative stigma originated from.

The popular belief of a woman on B.C is that she is on "The Pill" simply because she wants to have sex and not get pregnant. I've heard people from generations before mine say that a woman on birth control is not accepting the consequences of her actions rather than praising her for taking control of her body and of her future. What these judgmental bigots refuse to see is this: I am not taking birth control because I don't want to get pregnant. I'm taking birth control because, one day, I DO want to get pregnant.

Many people do not realize that birth control is often used for other purposes than just decreasing the chances of pregnancy. For women like me, "The Pill" can save lives. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Endometriosis. Irregular/Nonexistent menstrual cycles. Cramps. PMS. All of these issues are often helped by, you guessed it, birth control So, by restricting access to birth control, you not only increase the chances of teen pregnancy and therefore decrease graduation rates, you also take MEDICINE away from women who genuinely need it. You give fear to a woman struggling with PCOS or Endometriosis who may never be able to have children without "The Pill." You enrage a woman who has no menstrual cycle without "The Pill." So, whether or not you think women should restrict their fertility and control their bodies, please realize that "The Pill" has so many more uses than what you may think. Even so, what a woman uses it for or does to/with her body is no one's concern but her own.