Birth control, quite simply, has always been an issue. Nevertheless, many women continue to endure it for the sake of having a choice.

Women have found ways to prevent pregnancies since the Egyptians when they would shove “mystical” crocodile dung inside themselves as a primitive spermicide. Over time, we evolved from animal dung to beaver-testicle-infused-moonshine in the 16th century. Women began inserting scooped-out lemon halves into their vaginas to block sperm during the 18th century. As recently as the 1950s, women used Coca-Cola as a douche after sex to flush out and ‘destroy’ sperm.

One thing all of these contraceptives had in common was extreme discomfort for women alone, a pattern that seems to continue today.

We live in an era where, fortunately, there are many types of birth control available to us. There are hormonal birth control pills, long-lasting IUDs, arm implants, patches, birth control shots and more. While these options are better than Coca-Cola douches or animal dung suppositories, they still come with a plethora of side effects that impact the lives of those who use them.

Why? We have had almost 4,000 years to perfect birth control, and yet avoidable side effects persist. The simple answer is, you guessed it, sexism.

While woman-controlled contraceptives faced immense pushback and were looked down upon for centuries, the ‘pull-out’ method and condoms were widely accepted. While painful side effects were less common and advanced science wasn’t as necessary for these methods, we should consider another reason why these techniques were praised.

They allowed men to be fully in control.

Men could decide when to put a condom on or when to pull out and could have sex recklessly because women’s bodies, not their own, suffered the consequences. Control is why marital rape was legal in the U.S. until 1993. It is why some doctors still require women to get their husband’s or father’s consent before getting their tubes tied. Female-controlled contraceptives were suppressed because they helped to even the playing field, which angered men. 

That is why the birth control pill, which became available for purchase in 1960, was so revolutionary for women. It gave them autonomy over their bodies and, for nearly the first time, gave them the choice of pregnancy without needing consent from a man.

Men continued to find ways to prevent modern birth control for women through legislation and religion. One example is the Comstock Act passed in the U.S. in 1873. It banned the interstate mailing and receiving of “any article or thing designed or intended for the prevention of conception or procuring an abortion,” according to the Free Speech Center. It significantly limited women’s ability to learn about their healthcare options until 1936.

The four to seven inactive sugar pills put into each birth control packet were added in an attempt to appease the pope. These pills contain no hormones and are meant to trigger a false period, known as withdrawal bleeding, at the end of each cycle to give the pill a more ‘natural’ feel. You need neither withdrawal bleeding nor regular periods for health, according to the Mayo Clinic.

As it turns out, the pope didn’t care, and in 1968 he declared all forms of ‘artificial’ contraception to be against church doctrine, according to PBS. In fact, Pope Paul VI declared that “man, growing used to contraceptive practices, may lose respect for the woman and come to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment, and no longer as his respected and beloved companion.” Ironic.

I am not against getting my period while taking birth control, but I think I deserve a choice. For many, periods are a reassuring sign they are not actually pregnant. For others, they are on the pill simply to regulate their periods so the consistency is a welcomed change. My issue is that, as consumers, we are generally ill-informed about our birth control options and their side effects.

In 2025, I should be able to prevent unwanted pregnancy without the threat of weight gain, depression, decreased libido, changes in eye shape, nausea, acne, cancer, etc. I should be able to choose birth control that was not invented by, or altered for, a man.

Women are used to enduring pain for any semblance of control over their bodies. Women douched with Lysol, bashed their stomachs with rocks, and drank lead cocktails to avoid pregnancy in the past.

Why though, must we still sacrifice personal health to avoid getting pregnant? Women should be angrier about the constant sacrifices we have to make to adhere to men’s lack of responsibility. It’s time for a change. I say we pass the birth control torch to men, and I don’t mean condoms. Any takers?

I didn’t think so.