Some thoughts about sex, poverty, and birth control:
I've heard people say, "well, if you can't afford birth control, don't have sex" (which is its own kettle of value-judgement fish but whatev, I'll deal with that later), but it's not that simple, especially for poor women.
A lot of sex is transactional in nature. It's not used in those words very much, and usually only to refer to prostitution, but it also means the millions of shades of transaction, reciprocity, and coercion that we all have in our lives and relationships.
What if you're a single parent, and your new partner is willing to help you pay for your kids, but doesn't want a non-sexual relationship? Sex might be the currency you use to procure stability for your kids.
What if your partner is abusive? Sex might be a way to keep them appeased for your own physical of mental safety.
What if you're facing probable sexual assault? It's often much safer to not fight back so as not to risk escalating the situation and putting yourself at greater risk.
What if you have a loving, caring partner, and you don't have a lot of money or free time but you want to show appreciation and share intimacy? This kind of sex is also transactional. Transactional isn't always bad; it can simply mean there's a give and take, and all relationships have this on some level.
___
___
The transactional nature of sex means that sex often is a tool that poor and less-powerful women without access to birth control have to use to try and reach physical and psychological goals.
Poverty is the biggest factor in a population's unplanned pregnancy rate, followed by education and access to affordable birth control. Reducing poverty gives women more options and lets women choose whether or not to have sex. Better access to birth control and better education means that both those who choose to have sex and those who resort to sex as a tool are able to be safer, and are less likely to suffer negative outcomes.
No comments:
Post a Comment