BURST Magazine Spring 2020

By Kathryn Coffey On October 9, 2019, Planned Parenthood held their annual condom bingo in the University Commons lobby. Attendees won prizes and learned more about Decatur’s branch of Planned Parenthood, and bingo participants could take the condoms and lubricant for free. Both items represent important tools for when partners engage in sexual relations. Although condoms are readily available, easily obtainable, and usually a free birth control solution, they apply specifically to men. Doctors and manufacturers provide multiple birth control choices to women as well, and knowing the range of options can assist them in making an informed decision about what works best for them.

Junior English education major Tillie Ann Boliard has explored the possibilities and identified the birth control suited for her. She now considers it an essential part of her life. She uses an intrauterine device (IUD) so she won’t worry about becoming pregnant from sex with her boyfriend. The use of birth control empowers her to accept and explore her sexuality. She believes people shouldn’t have to sacrifice their comfort and pleasure. “If I don’t want a baby, that shouldn’t mean I can’t have sex,” Boliard says.

Birth control is empowering. By helping women track menstruation cycles, control hormones that produce acne, and prevent pregnancy, birth control allows women take greater control of their bodies. Granting people the ability to regulate their own reproductive system gives them more authority over their lives.

I personally use Xulane,

a patch that helps track my periods. I don’t feel comfortable swallowing pills or permitting a doctor to implant an IUD in my uterus. Xulane empowers me because I’m in charge of my period. However, I will admit it wasn’t my first preference. I would rather 30