Life
Today, for the fifth year in a row, we're celebrating Thanks, Birth Control Day. Originally started in 2012 by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the day was launched to celebrate not just the benefits of birth control, but the freedom it gives women in taking control of their bodies, letting them decide if and when they're ready to have a child. It is, for so many women out there, an essential option to have at her fingertips.
This year, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's poll of over 2,000 adults found that 85 percent of adults agree that access to birth control is an extremely important part of health care. The poll also found that 83 percent of adult would support making sure everyone who wants birth control has access to it, and 87 percent believe everyone absolutely deserves access to birth control.
But while the majority of Americans can see just how necessary birth control is to health care and women's reproductive rights, the government continues to attack insurance coverage, access to birth control and the Affordable Care Act, which gives 62 million women access to birth control. And, according to the Guttmacher Institute, the U.S. has the lowest unintended pregnancies in 30 years, as well as a historic low of unintended pregnancies among teens thanks to birth control access and more in-depth sex education.
So what do we do? We do what we did the day after Trump's inauguration: We raise our voices. And social media, considering we're living in a Twitter presidency, is a good place to start. Here are some the people (yes, some men, too!) on Twitter right now, who are sharing their stories and thanking birth control with the #ThxBirthControl hashtag.
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Thanks For Letting Us Be PMS-Free
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Thanks For Helping Us Have Kids Someday
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Thanks For Being One Of The Greatest Achievements
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Thanks For Keeping Us Healthy
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Thanks For Giving Us Control
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Thanks For Letting Us Follow Our Dreams
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Thanks For Giving Us A Future
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Thanks For Letting Both Partners Benefit
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Thanks For Peace Of Mind
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Thanks For Family Planning
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Thanks For Autonomy
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Thanks For No Menstrual Cramps
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Thanks For Easing Stress Over Ovarian Cancer
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Thanks For Financial Independence
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Thanks For Making Us Feel Powerful
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Thanks For Not Being A Mom But For Being An Aunt
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Thanks For Pain-Free Endometriosis
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Thanks For Saving Lives
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Thanks For Normal Cycles
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Thanks For Equality
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Thanks For Giving Us The Chance To Chase Their Dreams
If you want to show your appreciation and thanks to birth control, too, then get on Twitter, share your story, and use the #ThxBirthControl hashtag today. We definitely have a lot for which to be thankful.