Protected

There’s never been a more important time to care about birth control.

Birth control is the silent workhorse in our lives. It’s also something most of us take for granted. But being able to get birth control has always been too hard—and it’s getting harder. We shouldn’t accept that. Birth control is simply too important for us not to be talking about.

Protected explores questions such as: How has birth control changed over the years? Will there ever be a birth control pill for men? Why is birth control so politically controversial? Why do many Black women choose methods that don’t require a doctor visit? Are the hormones in birth control safe? Will the overturning of Roe v. Wade affect access to birth control? What does religion really say about it?

Birth control changes lives. It might mean finishing school before starting a family or providing better pain management that makes daily life more bearable. When societies have greater access to birth control, women obtain more education, get better jobs, and earn higher wages. Greater economic mobility for women contributes to a more gender-equal society. Societies need birth control. We need birth control.

Protected tells the story of birth control, it's past, present, and future, with the goal that after you read it, you will help spread the word about the essential role of birth control in empowering individuals and shaping society.