Just a Lost Soul Swimmin' in a Fish Bowl

Women’s Writes – Taking Control May 5, 2010

When the Criminal Homicide and Abortion Amendments bill passed in Utah at the beginning of March, both Shine and Marie reached the end of their rope when it came to women’s rights and issues consistently being pushed backwards rather than moving forwards. They decided create Women’s Writes, the fifth day of every month in which any blogger could write about women’s rights and issues and bring them to the forefront so that we could speak up and make all of our voices heard.

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When I began writing for this month’s Women’s Writes, I was originally going to talk about birth control and the difficulties of getting it whilst one is in attendance at an all women’s Catholic College.

But I figured that’s kind of a no-brainer, right? So instead I am going to write about (dramatic pause)….

Condoms!*

“But, Jeney… Condoms? Isn’t that a guy thing? Why talk about jimmy hats for Women’s Writes?”

Well, I could be completely off base about this, but it seems that there is still a stigma on women who purchase, carry around, or otherwise have condoms in their possession. Frankly, I still feel a small twinge of embarrassment when I buy condoms myself and have to avert my eyes from the cashier.

You’ve seen The Pregnancy Pact**, remember the scene when the one girl in the group who wasn’t pregnant was embarrassed to buy condoms? So Thora Birch’s character offered to do it with her to show the girls that there was no need to be ashamed of it?

That is exactly what I am talking about here.

Why is it I feel like Suzy McCashier is judging me? There is absolutely no reason to be embarrassed of taking control of your right to manage what happens to your uterus. After all, if we as women are expected to be on the pill, patch, shot, ring, IUD, etc., to prevent pregnancy, shouldn’t we be able to take charge on the condom thing too?

Because let’s face it, guys aren’t always going to be cooperative when it comes to wrapping it up.

Don’t be ashamed of buying condoms. Don’t be afraid to stash some in your purse when you go out for the night. It doesn’t mean you are a slut or easy – it means you’re an intelligent woman who is in command of of her reproductive rights.

* Of course there are other forms of non-hormonal birth control like female condoms and diaphragms, but as those are considered “female” forms of contraception they may not hold the same social discomfort as male condoms.

** Don’t lie to me. I know you did.