Many things have happened in 50 years. Most people would agree that our society has changed dramatically in many ways. 50 years ago, we were still watching television in black and white. But over time, society became more colorful and multifaceted. It was an era that introduced opportunities many people had never experienced before, including a form of liberation for women — in the United States, Denmark, and beyond – and it changed the reality.
This liberation was the introduction of birth control, “the pill.” At the time, it was promoted as a groundbreaking invention for women’s freedom and autonomy. The pill was not just a hormonal method of preventing pregnancy; it represented a broader shift in takes on pleasure, life choices, and purpose, offering women an alternative to the traditional view of reproduction as their primary role and function in life. The pill was a political normbreaker… a game changer.
However, over the years, the discourse around hormonal birth control has evolved, especially among younger women in Denmark and other parts of the world. New fundamental questions are asked: Is the pill as liberating as it was once thought to be? Can it still be regarded as “a feminist win”? With new research uncovering more potential side effects, the conversation is becoming increasingly complex, because are we really protecting and liberating women when they take on all the consequences? For example, the Minerva IUD was recently in the news in Denmark after a study suggested it could increase the risk of breast cancer. The many headlines about new side effects can be a hard pill to swallow, especially as many underage girls and young women continue to be prescribed hormonal contraception without being provided with proper information about the risks – and the headlines just keep coming. Even though it feels good to finally get the information we need to protect our bodies, it can seem overwhelming and scary that this development is still going on 65 years after the pill was introduced.
It is essential to acknowledge that hormonal birth control has significant advantages for many women. But it is equally important to consider a broader context: historically, women’s health has been deprioritized compared to their male counterparts. For example, research on male birth control methods has been rejected due to side effects that are relatively minor compared to those many women experience daily. Maybe this point, among others, is worth considering next time we claim that we (men and women) are considered equals in Denmark. One thing is for sure: We need to do something about it, we need to take female healthcare seriously. It is demanded by law, so let us translate it into action.
Some may wonder: why not simply stop using these methods? The reality is more nuanced. Stories often emerge of women visiting doctors for unrelated concerns, like a simple headache, and then they leave the doctor’s office with a prescription for birth control. Additionally, cultural and social dynamics can place the responsibility of contraception on women. The consequences lay on the women, why the responsibilities are placed here without asking further questions about the potentially severe side effects.
In Denmark, having access to “a choice” in contraception is, unfortunately, a privilege. Maybe it’s time to reflect on a more balanced approach to healthcare and women’s needs – also in countries like Denmark. Women’s bodies are influenced by social and political agendas and have always been. To illustrate my point, try to name a single law that specifically seeks to control men’s bodies.
Some people claim that the birth control we use would never be approved for women if they were invented today… well – that is a statement that can be debated. Because do we really hold up women’s health up to the standard of men? Have you ever heard of a man going to the doctor with a headache and arriving home with a hormonal pill?
These days, the subject of women’s health and reproductive rights is more relevant than ever… in the States, in Europe, in Denmark, and in all over the world. Because one thing is the debate regarding the severe side effects of birth control in Denmark, another debate happens among those who are losing their right to even protect themselves and make the choice. I think the recent US election gave a lot of people, especially women, some food for thought. When Roe vs Wade was overturned, we entered a new era where reproductive rights again weren’t a given – and the re-election of Donald Trump confirmed the people’s support for the policies, or at least confirmed the resistance against this change was not powerful enough compared to other issues.
Some may say that this is a US issue, but the case is, that it is not. First of all, the US is not only a military and financial big power state in the world, but it has also, for many years, been the promoter of liberal values. In The UN Global Goals, under point 5.6, we find the right to universal access to reproductive health. When we limit women’s rights somewhere in the world, it affects us all, especially when it happens in a state such as the US.
The major part of the overturn is, of course, the limitations on abortion, but there are debates among far-right-conservatives regarding taking it further: Making women who get an abortion allegeable for a murder conviction, limiting free travel over state lines, and also banning birth control. These legislative proposals are not about “saving lives” – it is about controlling women and directly against UN values.
Everything is related, really. Women’s bodies have as long as I can remember been a political battleground. Women’s bodies are no longer just women’s bodies, they are so much more. At least in Denmark, you can choose for yourself if you want to take birth control or if you want to get an abortion. In many ways, in Denmark, you have the option to just live your life how you want to as a human being. That is unfortunately not the case everywhere – and the world is changing.