Oh boy, do I love me some women’s rights. You know, the usual: let us vote, pay us the same as men, let us use birth control. Just the basics! It’s honestly laughable how hard women have had to fight just to earn these basic rights. And honestly, we’re still fighting to earn them in a lot of cases. I mean, women still get paid only 79 cents to the man’s dollar–hilarious, isn’t it? 

Birth control is a continuous issue in the United States. Politicians discuss whether or not women can use it, whether it should be covered by insurance, and more recently, whether or not birth control should be offered over the counter. All of these questions come down to a single answer: whatever we can do to make birth control more accessible is what we should do. Every. Single. Time. 

The question of whether or not birth control should be offered over the counter retrieves a resounding “yes!” from just about everyone you could ask! When asked if over the counter birth control is a good thing, ⅔ of all people (from each political party) agreed that it is. 

And experts across the country also agree that birth control is a safe and needed medication that should be offered without a prescription. Specifically, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has come out to say that they strongly believe that oral contraception should be offered over the counter. 

For oral contraception to go over the counter, the FDA would have to approve the medication as capable of being used safely without a doctor’s advice, and it also has to be non-addictive. It is very clear that oral contraceptive easily passes these requirements, especially in a time when protective information can be accessed easily on the internet. 

Besides, women around the globe are already living with over-the-counter birth control. Less than ⅓ of countries worldwide actually require a prescription for birth control, and 13 states already let women purchase these pills without a prescription. So clearly, women’s safety is not the issue here. 

And this is an issue that affects all of us, especially teenage girls.

Birth control is meant to help women who need the medication, but often the women who need it the most are the women who aren’t getting access to it in today’s society. Young women are some of the people most at risk from unwanted pregnancies, and with our current system, it is almost impossible for an adolescent girl to get this protection without a parent’s approval. And by having prescription-based birth control, we are effectively cutting off a very essential part of women’s, and especially young women’s, health care. 

So let’s go, girls! Women across the world are telling us how much they want this right, so what’s holding us back? I know, I know, we want to restrict women’s rights as much as possible. But I think it’s time we give a little.

So keep your 79 cents on the dollar, but we want our birth control! (Actually… pay us equal too, geez).