The Washington Post has been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2023/10/11/washington-post-buyouts-metro-cuts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hemorrhaging</a> subscribers and web traffic for years. Late last year, the paper <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/business/media/washington-post-job-cuts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted</a> yet another round of layoffs, impacting hundreds of employees.
Jeff Bezos purchased the paper for $250 million a decade ago, and last year alone, it managed to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2023/10/11/washington-post-buyouts-metro-cuts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lose</a> roughly $100 million. This is not a profitable venture, and in normal circumstances, businesses that lose this much money don&#8217;t stay around very long. But the Washington Post has stuck around. Jeff Bezos has kept it on life support to fulfill a specific mission, which is to harangue and censor independent voices on behalf of Jeff Bezos&#8217; donors in the Democratic Party.
A couple of days ago, that mission was on full display.
On March 21st, The Washington Post published an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/03/21/stopping-birth-control-misinformation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> entitled, &#8220;Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion.&#8221; The Daily Beast ran a <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/explosion-of-women-ditching-birth-control-amid-misinformation-blitz-docs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar story</a>, warning ominously of an &#8220;explosion&#8221; of women who are ditching birth control amid a &#8220;misinformation blitz.&#8221;
First of all, it needs to be said that any time the media collectively decides to label something &#8220;misinformation,&#8221; they really mean &#8220;information that we find personally or politically inconvenient.&#8221; They&#8217;re not interested in proving you wrong, they&#8217;re interested in shutting you up. And that&#8217;s exactly what&#8217;s happening here.
As the Washington Post piece says: &#8220;Brett Cooper, a media commentator for the conservative Daily Wire, argued in a viral TikTok clip that birth control can impact fertility, cause women to gain weight and even alter whom they are attracted to. It racked up over 219,000 &#8216;likes&#8217; before TikTok removed it following The Post’s inquiry.&#8221; The piece goes on to describe other similar videos that the Post also wants to be deleted from the internet. 
For example, this one, from Ben Shapiro&#8217;s show a year ago:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Is the Birth Control Pill Wrecking Your Health?" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ErrWNrFDcqI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
It&#8217;s hard to imagine a more anodyne clip than that. This is not a woman making up crazy, unhinged conspiracy theories about birth control. She&#8217;s not expressing some dangerous, unscientific opinion. She doesn&#8217;t even appear to be political. She&#8217;s just articulating a very reasonable, increasingly common concern, which is that taking unnatural hormones might have some unexpected and unwanted effects on the human body. Even if you don&#8217;t know anything about the scientific data on this point, that&#8217;s not a crazy thing to believe.
But as that clip goes on, they do talk about some of the research on this point. None of this is quack science. It&#8217;s widely accepted in medical literature.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1332-the-media-panics-as-more-and-more-women-choose-to-dump-their-birth-control-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
For example, a recent <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6193788/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> out of Denmark, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that, &#8220;hormonal contraception use doubles the risk of suicide attempt, and triples the risk of suicide.&#8221; The study specifically found that &#8220;the association between hormonal contraception and primary outcomes peaked at 2 months, but continued even after the cessation of hormonal contraception for some years.&#8221; The researchers also reported that hormonal contraceptives were connected with a 70% increase in rates of depression.
Before I get into the specifics of what other studies have found, it&#8217;s important to pause here and take another look at how the Washington Post is framing this story. Here&#8217;s the first paragraph: 
<blockquote>Search for &#8216;birth control&#8217; on TikTok or Instagram and a cascade of misleading videos vilifying hormonal contraception appear: Young women blaming their weight gain on the pill. Right-wing commentators claiming that some birth control can lead to infertility. Testimonials complaining of depression and anxiety. &#8230; Physicians say they’re seeing an explosion of birth-control misinformation online targeting a vulnerable demographic.</blockquote>
The implication of what the Post wrote is that it&#8217;s &#8220;misinformation&#8221; to say that birth control is related to &#8220;depression and anxiety.&#8221; But that&#8217;s not true. At no point in the Washington Post&#8217;s article did they debunk the study from Denmark. They don&#8217;t even mention it. Instead, they simply state, as a matter of fact, that you&#8217;re crazy if you link birth control to weight gain, infertility, or depression. They claim the only significant side effects of birth control medication are blood clots. But they&#8217;re wrong, on all counts.
One of the main reasons they&#8217;re wrong is that hormonal birth control inhibits the body&#8217;s natural reaction to stress. As a UCLA Health study put it late <a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/news/study-shows-how-birth-control-pills-affect-womens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last year</a>:
<blockquote> Researchers at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences’ Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research found contraceptive users and non-users processed stress differently at the molecular level, with contraceptive users also reporting a more negative psychological response to stress compared to non-users.</blockquote>
Is it possible that disrupting the body&#8217;s natural stress response might lead to weight gain, given that weight gain is one of the most common symptoms of stress? The Washington Post thinks you&#8217;re a science denier if you even suggest that. They&#8217;ll have you pulled off TikTok if you even mention the possibility. And that&#8217;s weird, because less than a year ago, NBC News ran this report, in which their medical experts explain that weight gain and hair loss are among the symptoms of hormonal birth control. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Why some women are quitting hormonal birth control" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u3Z-1JXyIvA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I guess we&#8217;re expected to believe that at some point between May and this week, the science changed. But actually, it didn&#8217;t. Going back to the UCLA study, researchers confirmed existing research which found that: 
<blockquote>hormonal contraceptive pills may increase women’s risk for chronically elevated inflammation, which carries the long-term risk of developing illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders, as well as potential mood disorders, including depression.</blockquote>
The lead author at UCLA added: 
<blockquote>Cortisol gets a bad rap, but increases in cortisol in response to stress help the body manage stressful situations. &#8230; If women on the pill are having these increases in cortisol but their mood is getting worse, it could mean that the pill is preventing their bodies and minds from returning to normal following stress.</blockquote>
The truth is that hormonal birth control does come with all kinds of risks and side effects. All drugs do. Drugs that suppress the normal, healthy functions of the body are always especially risky. And that includes potential impacts on fertility, as much as the Washington Post doesn&#8217;t want to admit it. Right now, if you go to the Planned Parenthood <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-shot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, you&#8217;ll find that they recommend a method of hormonal birth control known as &#8220;the Depo shot.&#8221; 
<blockquote>The depo shot (AKA Depo-Provera) is an injection you get once every 3 months. It’s a safe, convenient, and private birth control method that works really well if you always get it on time.</blockquote>
What Planned Parenthood doesn&#8217;t mention on their website is that the &#8220;depo shot&#8221; has clear and proven impacts on fertility. This is from the WebMD website, which on most days, the Washington Post agrees is a <a href="https://www.webmd.com/baby/get-pregnant-after-birth-control">reliable source</a>: 
<blockquote>Injectable birth control (Depo-Provera): Unlike other forms of hormonal birth control, it may be harder to get pregnant after you stop getting these shots. It may take 10 months or more before you ovulate again. For some women, it will take up to 18 months for periods to start again.</blockquote>
So this is a method of hormonal birth control that does impact fertility after you stop taking it. In fact, it can make women infertile for a very long time. This isn&#8217;t some conspiracy theory — and neither is the idea that hormonal birth control can contribute to weight gain, depression and suicide. The same sources that the Left tells us to trust at every opportunity — established medical researchers — are very clear on this. But the &#8220;trust the science&#8221; crowd has suddenly become very distrusting of science.
And that&#8217;s not the only platitude they&#8217;re abandoning in order to censor anyone who speaks critically about birth control. Remember &#8220;my body, my choice?&#8221; If these people really believed in the &#8220;my body my choice&#8221; mantra, they would celebrate, or at least accept, that an increasing number of young women are choosing to forgo birth control. But birth control is central to their cultural agenda.
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With fewer women on the pill, more women will become mothers, and some of them will drop out of the workforce and discover fulfillment and happiness as wives and homemakers. This is the real crisis that the Washington Post and the other Left wing rags are worried about. The last thing that the elites want to see is a movement of women fully embracing their own womanhood, and men fully embracing their manhood. A move back towards the family, away from materialism and self-preoccupation and towards marriage and parenthood. These people have been waging a war on the family for decades, and the birth control pill is their nuclear bomb. The family is the greatest threat to them. And a society full of families — of intact, happy families, with attentive mothers and strong fathers — that is a society that has rendered these people powerless. That is their fear. And they fear it like they fear nothing else.
And politically, of course we know that unhappy career middle managers at Citibank are one of the core constituencies of the Democratic Party. If they rebel, Democrats will have real trouble winning another election. And they&#8217;re willing to do anything — including lying to women about the serious and even fatal drug side effects of birth control, and so many other drugs — to prevent that from happening.

contraceptive pill

The Media Panics As More And More Women Choose To Dump Their Birth Control

Birth Control

Brett Cooper

Drugs

Jeff Bezos

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Readers Pass

Washington Post

Women

Billionaire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-sits-down-with-elon-musk-for-exclusive-wide-ranging-discussion-on-dei-space-religion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> posted about the side effects of hormonal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-greenlights-first-birth-control-pill-with-no-prescription" target="_blank" rel="noopener">birth control</a> pills on Friday, setting off a host of women to reply to the post with their own negative experiences from taking the contraceptive.
Hormonal contraceptive, a.k.a &#8220;the pill,&#8221; is extremely <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db327.htm#section_4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">common</a> among women and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/safe-medicine-younger-girls-starting-birth-control/story?id=14116032#:~:text=Today%2C%20one%20in%20five%20American,is%20getting%20younger%20and%20younger.">girls</a>, and is sometimes even recommended for youths for something as benign as acne. However, side effects from the pill are hardly talked about, though some women in recent years have spoken out about <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/30/young-women-abandoning-birth-control-pills-for-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ditching the pill</a> following such side effects.
&#8220;Hormonal birth control makes you fat, doubles risk of depression &amp; triples risk of suicide,&#8221; Musk posted to X. &#8220;This is the clear scientific consensus, but very few people seem to know it.&#8221;
The post has already been viewed more than 37 million times.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hormonal birth control makes you fat, doubles risk of depression &amp; triples risk of suicide.
This is the clear scientific consensus, but very few people seem to know it.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1758569518442701250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The SpaceX CEO followed up with a link to a Time magazine <a href="https://time.com/5030447/birth-control-side-effects-suicide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> highlighting the increased risk of suicide associated with the pill. He also linked to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29145752/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study in the American Journal of Psychiatry</a> that found hormonal contraception to double the risk of suicide attempts, and triple the risk of suicide.
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<a href="https://t.co/2R8TgggrRg">https://t.co/2R8TgggrRg</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1758569948153344504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The responses to the post included women lauding Musk for bringing attention to the issue, and sharing their own stories.
Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director-turned-pro-life advocate, responded: &#8220;Hormonal birth control gave me pseudotumor cerebri, which causes debilitating headaches and if untreated, blindness,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;I will have to be on medication for my entire life or otherwise lose my sight.&#8221;
&#8220;Fertility is a sign of HEALTH!!!,&#8221; Johnson stressed. &#8220;Don’t take a pill to break something that is working! I’m so thankful to have gotten off that crap and now have 8 beautiful children.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hormonal birth control gave me pseudotumor cerebri, which causes debilitating headaches and if untreated, blindness. I will have to be on medication for my entire life or otherwise lose my sight. Fertility is a sign of HEALTH!!! Don’t take a pill to break something that is…
&mdash; Dr. Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AbbyJohnson/status/1758898799387566484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Ashley St. Clair of The Babylon Bee recounted her experience after being on the pill for nearly a decade, starting at age 14.
&#8220;I was placed on the pill at just 14 years old for acne. A few months later, I saw my first-ever therapist despite no prior history of depression,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;Shortly after that, I was placed on an SSRI. Each time I would talk to my doctors about my deteriorating mental health, not a single one in nearly a decade of being on the pill suggested that it may in fact be the hormones I was taking every single day. Not one.&#8221;
&#8220;In retrospect, after being on birth control for nearly a decade, being placed on the pill for &#8216;acne&#8217; was akin to killing a mouse with a rocket launcher,&#8221; St. Clair continued. &#8220;Hundreds of thousands of women across the United States and the world have had a similar experience to mine — feeling completely out of their mind on a pill their doctor told them was relatively &#8216;harmless.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I was placed on the pill at just 14 years old for acne. A few months later, I saw my first-ever therapist despite no prior history of depression. Shortly after that, I was placed on an SSRI. 
Each time I would talk to my doctors about my deteriorating mental health, not a single… <a href="https://t.co/Fj4hOj4qQQ">https://t.co/Fj4hOj4qQQ</a>
&mdash; Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) <a href="https://twitter.com/stclairashley/status/1758570914432659527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I’ve been (wrongfully) slandered time and time again as an anti-science conspiracy theorist for pointing out all the legitimate reasons why we shouldn’t shut off our natural hormonal functioning,&#8221; writer Andrea Mew posted, captioning screenshots of her columns on the topic published at Evie magazine. &#8220;Is the tide finally turning for mainstream opinions on hormonal birth control?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’ve been (wrongfully) slandered time and time again as an anti-science conspiracy theorist for pointing out all the legitimate reasons why we shouldn’t shut off our natural hormonal functioning.
Is the tide finally turning for mainstream opinions on hormonal birth control? <a href="https://t.co/TZumHdReg4">https://t.co/TZumHdReg4</a> <a href="https://t.co/bHmvhgfvXU">pic.twitter.com/bHmvhgfvXU</a>
&mdash; Andrea Mew (@andreajmew) <a href="https://twitter.com/andreajmew/status/1758633220055466078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I CAN VOUCH FOR the weight gain and mood swings, etc. I took this stuff for about 2 years as a very young wife,&#8221; another woman <a href="https://twitter.com/lsfletcher21/status/1758852523690000795" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Musk. &#8220;Hated the way it made me feel, and stopped taking it. I&#8217;m a grandmother now &#8230; never regretted getting off the pill. I feel the same way about many modern meds. Be careful folks and listen to your body.&#8221;
Other women discussed the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased risks</a> of both <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/certain-birth-control-pills-increase-risk-of-breast-cancer-by-up-to-30-university-of-oxford-researchers-find">breast cancer</a> and cervical cancer associated with the pill.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/certain-birth-control-pills-increase-risk-of-breast-cancer-by-up-to-30-university-of-oxford-researchers-find" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Certain Birth Control Pills Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer By Up To 30%, University Of Oxford Researchers Find</a>

Billionaire Elon Musk at Paris Viva Tech Fair

Elon Musk’s Post On Hormonal Birth Control Goes Viral; Women Respond With Their Negative Experiences

Elon Musk Draws Attention To Side Effects Of Hormonal Birth Control; Women Unload With Their Negative Experiences

Depression

Elon Musk

Suicide

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fda">The Food and Drug Administration</a> on Thursday approved the first daily birth control pill that does not require a prescription.
The over-the-counter birth control pill is a progestin-only pill called Opill that is produced by French drugmaker HRA Pharma.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States,&#8221; Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA&#8217;s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said Thursday in a statement.
&#8220;When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy,&#8221; Cavazzoni said.
Opill is expected to become available sometime early next year at convenience stores, grocery stores, and for sale online. Opill was <a href="https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2023/05/10/fda-panel-votes-in-favor-of-the-first-ever-over-the-counter-birth-control-pill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> decades ago by the FDA, but up until now patients needed a prescription to get it.
In May, an independent FDA advisory panel voted unanimously to dub the over-the-counter birth control drug safe for most people.
Opill uses only progestin, a synthetic hormone that mimics progesterone, but other birth control pills use both estrogen and progestin, which <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601050.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">work</a> to stop ovulation. The progestin-only pill, sometimes called the &#8220;minipill,&#8221; does <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/minipill/about/pac-20388306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not always</a> stop ovulation.
About two thirds of adult American women under 50 use some kind of contraception, and a third of those women use birth control pills, <a class="zZyg UbGl iFzk qdXb WCDh DbOX tqUt " href="https://www.kff.org/report-section/contraception-in-the-united-states-a-closer-look-at-experiences-preferences-and-coverage-findings/" data-testid="prism-linkbase">according</a> to a 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation survey.
However, over the last few years some women have spoken out about how they feel hormonal birth control damaged their health, particularly the kind that includes estrogen as well. Women have reported depression, anxiety, mood swings, and even <a href="https://theweek.com/articles/656761/how-birth-control-almost-ruined-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their hair</a> falling out as a result of hormonal birth control.
A 2016 Danish <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2552796" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found that hormonal birth control was associated with depression, especially among teenagers.
Some OB-GYNs have even <a href="https://www.zrtlab.com/blog/archive/obgyn-not-prescribing-the-birth-control-pill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they refuse to prescribe hormonal birth control because it comes with too many health risks.
However, some doctors say the progestin-only pill <a href="https://familydoctor.org/progestin-only-birth-control-pills/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comes</a> with fewer risks, even though it still disrupts a woman&#8217;s natural hormone cycle with synthetic hormones.
The FDA advisers <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/fda-approves-1st-birth-control-pill-prescription/story?id=101210924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> concerns about people, especially young teenagers, being able to pick up their birth control pills as easily as if they were picking up ibuprofen. In the end though, the FDA advisory panel decided the benefits of avoiding unwanted pregnancies outweighed the risks.
In its announcement Thursday, the FDA said the most common side effects of Opill include irregular bleeding, headaches, dizziness, nausea, increased appetite, abdominal pain, cramps, and bloating.
The FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-nonprescription-daily-oral-contraceptive">said</a> making the pill available without a prescription may help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and their &#8220;potential negative impacts,&#8221; noting that the U.S. has 6.1 million unintended pregnancies per year.
&#8220;Unintended pregnancies have been linked to negative maternal and perinatal outcomes, including reduced likelihood of receiving early prenatal care and increased risk of preterm delivery, with associated adverse neonatal, developmental and child health outcomes,&#8221; the FDA said.
Opill should be taken at the same time every day to make sure it is effective, the FDA said.

US-HEALTH-JUSTICE-ABORTION-POLITICS

FDA Greenlights First Birth Control Pill With No Prescription

Abortion

Health Care

Hormonal contraceptives come with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford.
The study, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in PLOS Medicine on Tuesday, showed an increased risk of around 20-30% in breast cancer linked to current or even recent use of hormonal birth control pills, including combined oestrogen and progestogen birth control pills and progestagen-only contraceptives.
The study&#8217;s abstract said the findings show that &#8220;current or recent use of progestagen-only contraceptives is associated with a slight increase in breast cancer risk,&#8221; which is &#8220;similar in magnitude to that associated with combined hormonal contraceptives.&#8221; Notably, progestagen-only contraceptive use has substantially increased in recent years.
Researchers also found that the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women taking these forms of birth control increased with age. &#8220;Given that the underlying risk of breast cancer increases with advancing age, the absolute excess risk associated with use of either type of oral contraceptive is estimated to be smaller in women who use it at younger rather than at older ages,&#8221; the paper said.
The new findings, combined with past research on hormonal contraceptives, &#8220;suggest that the 15-year absolute excess risk of breast cancer associated with use of oral contraceptives ranges from 8 per 100,000 users for use from age 16 to 20 to about 265 per 100,000 users for use from age 35 to 39.&#8221;
This heightened risk is found to gradually decrease in the years after women stop taking the contraceptives.
Researchers based their findings on data from nearly 30,000 women — 9,498 women who developed invasive breast cancer between the ages 20 and 49, and 18,171 women without breast cancer of similar age.
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Despite the risks associated with hormonal contraceptives, Claire Knight of Cancer Research U.K., which funded the study, seemed to shy away from outright discouraging its use.
“Women who are most likely to be using contraception are under the age of 50, where the risk of breast cancer is even lower,&#8221; Knight said, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/21/all-hormonal-contraceptives-carry-small-increased-risk-breast-cancer?CMP=share_btn_tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Guardian. &#8220;For anyone looking to lower their cancer risk, not smoking, eating a healthy balanced diet, drinking less alcohol, and keeping a healthy weight will have the most impact.&#8221;
“There are lots of possible benefits to using contraception, as well as other risks not related to cancer,&#8221; she added. &#8220;That’s why deciding to take them is a personal choice and should be done after speaking to your doctor so you can make a decision that is right for you.&#8221;
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion and contraception activists have been rallying for increased &#8220;access&#8221; to both abortion and birth control measures. Back in July, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received its first application for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fda-receives-first-application-for-over-the-counter-birth-control-pill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over-the-counter birth control</a> pill from HRA Pharma, a company that praised the move as a step toward &#8220;reproductive equity.&#8221;
“This historic application marks a groundbreaking moment in contraceptive access and reproductive equity in the U.S.,” <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perrigos-hra-pharma-submits-application-to-fda-for-first-ever-otc-birth-control-pill-301583602.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Frédérique Welgryn, Chief Strategic Operations and Innovation Officer at HRA Pharma, in a statement. “More than 60 years ago, prescription birth control pills in the U.S. empowered women to plan if and when they want to get pregnant. Moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers.”
The <a href="https://www.hra-pharma.com/articles/perrigos-hra-pharma-submits-application-to-fda-for-first-ever-otc-birth-control-pill-66" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contraceptive</a> from HRA Pharma is a daily progestin-only pill, sometimes known as the &#8220;mini pill.&#8221; Progestins are synthetic forms of the hormone progesterone.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-federal-judge-rules-against-title-x-allowing-teens-to-get-birth-control-without-telling-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Federal Judge Rules Against Title X Allowing Teens To Get Birth Control Without Telling Parents</a>

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

Certain Birth Control Pills Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer By Up To 30%, University Of Oxford Researchers Find

Health

World

A judge in Texas <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/12/21/texas-title-x-teens-birth-control/#:~:text=U.S.%20District%20Judge%20Matthew%20Kacsmaryk%20ruled%20that%20Title%20X%2C%20a,and%20state%20and%20federal%20law." target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> Tuesday against a program that allowed teenagers to get birth control without telling their parents. 
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued a ruling stating that the Title X program violates the rights of parents, as well as state code. Kacsmaryk used to work as a religious liberty lawyer who assisted in litigating cases looking to get rid of contraception protections, the Texas Tribune <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/12/21/texas-title-x-teens-birth-control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Jonathan Mitchell, the former Texas solicitor general, brought the case forward on behalf of Alexander Deanda. Deanda has three children and is “raising each of his daughters in accordance with Christian teaching on matters of sexuality, which requires unmarried children to practice abstinence and refrain from sexual intercourse until marriage,” the complaint reportedly noted.
Deanda claimed that the clause regarding confidentiality in Title X goes against the power of parents and the Texas Family Code. 
Deanda <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3784122-federal-judge-rules-against-hhs-program-allowing-teens-confidential-birth-control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that he “wishes to be informed if any of his children are accessing or attempting to access prescription contraception and other family-planning services. And he does not want his children to obtain or use these drugs or services unless he consents.”
Kacsmaryk ruled that Title X goes against the father’s rights per the code, as well as the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, and it doesn’t allow him to have the “fundamental right to control and direct the upbringing of his minor children.” He also <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/family-planning-services-limited-after-parental-rights-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the government didn&#8217;t have a compelling reason to violate the father&#8217;s rights.
Kacsmaryk’s ruling sets apart the confidentiality section of the Title X law. The judge did not put forward an injunction banning clinics from giving out birth control to minors without the consent of parents. An appeal is <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/family-planning-services-limited-after-parental-rights-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anticipated</a> and the Title X administrator in the state reportedly said it is waiting to get more information from the Department of Health and Human Services about how to move forward. The effects of the ruling remain to be seen. 
On December 8, Kacsmaryk <a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/DeandavBecerraetalDocketNo220cv00092NDTexApr102020CourtDocket/3?doc_id=X7VK4BPU0TI971A385NTH61B573" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> the motion of the plaintiff and rendered summary judgment. In a conclusion of that order, the judge noted that &#8220;[d]efendants&#8217; administration of the Title X program violates the constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children and Texas Family Code.&#8221;
Organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association both spoke out against the decision. 
“Despite the fact that the right to contraceptive access is protected by the U.S. Constitution for all, including adolescents, this ruling seeks to lay the foundation to undo that right,” Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, said in a statement.
“Title X-funded providers are considered highly trusted sources of health care information for their patients, and not being able to access confidential care will block a critical pathway to essential health services for young people,” she stated. 
“Opponents of reproductive rights are not satisfied with overturning Roe–they want to take away birth control from young people, and restrict access to essential sexual and reproductive health care wherever they can,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood, said.
According to the <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/grant-programs/title-x-service-grants/about-title-x-service-grants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Office of Population Affairs under the Department of Health and Human Services</a>, “Title X recipients provide a broad range of medically approved Family planning services.&#8221; This involves natural family planning procedures, as well as contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The services include “[p]regnancy prevention and birth spacing,” “[p]regnancy testing and counseling,” “[o]ther preconception health services,” and more. 
It added that the services of Title X are “voluntary, confidential, and provided regardless” of whether or not someone can pay for them.

8357912F-1B33-4DB0-A0BD-CC0CEDED3B00_1_105_c

Texas Federal Judge Rules Against Title X Allowing Teens To Get Birth Control Without Telling Parents

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk Rules Against Title X Allowing Teens To Get Birth Control Without Telling Parents

Courts

Parenting

Texas

U.S.

First and foremost, before we even get into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-63-the-dangers-of-birth-control-and-the-brazilian-butt-lift-epidemic-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the topic of birth control</a>, I believe there’s a natural guide inside of us, a spiritual discernment, that says this is probably just not a good idea. Right?
You don&#8217;t have a study to back it up.
You don&#8217;t necessarily need the facts laid bare in front of you. But something is already telling you ‘red flag, red flag, red flag.’
I had this same exact feeling when I was a kid and doctors were trying to get me to take birth control.
If you are a girl, you know what I&#8217;m talking about. At around the age of 13, every time you go to the gynecologist, no matter what you say is wrong with you — maybe I&#8217;m being slightly hyperbolic — they just offer you birth control. At least that’s how I remember it.
You go in to the doctor and you say, “My tooth hurts.” They say, “Have you tried birth control?”
You say, “I&#8217;m a little tired.” They say, “OK, have you tried birth control? It could help with that.”
You say, “I&#8217;m getting these migraines. “ And they say, “Birth control can help with that.”
And I remember thinking, ‘How is it possible that birth control is just the catchall for everything?’ It just fixes everything that is possibly wrong with you. That makes entirely no sense to me.
And yet I went on birth control for three months when I was 16 years-old because it became like the culturally cool thing to do.
Now, at around the age of 16 you&#8217;re taking health classes and you kind of have that systematic brainwash happening at that level of education.
They&#8217;re saying to you, ‘Oh, it&#8217;s cool. Everybody&#8217;s having sex.’ &#8216;The cool girls are the ones who are on birth control and their moms even go and pick it up for them.&#8217;
You do it to fit in. And that&#8217;s what I did. I felt like I did it to fit in. 
But after three months of being on birth control, I can tell you, it was horrendous.
I hated every second of it. I felt different. I&#8217;m very I&#8217;ve always been very in tune with my body. I just felt off. And so I stopped taking it.
Listen, I can’t whip out the manual and tell you all the reasons why birth control is bad for you. But obviously, a low-level of hormone ingested into your body every single day for decades is probably not a good thing long-term.
Do you really need a doctor to tell you that? Do you really need a study to tell you that?
Do you really believe what doctors tell you? No impact whatsoever? Really? It’s good for you, they say, because you’ll have the peace of mind knowing you&#8217;re not going to get pregnant. 
It was the same with vaccines. Did you really believe the COVID vaccine was perfectly safe and effective even though it was rushed? Yet, they suddenly wanted every single person to believe it.
That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m talking about when I say spiritual discernment.
I&#8217;m bringing this up today because the BBC recently published a story about <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63863088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women in Greenland who unknowingly had birth control devices placed in their bodies</a>. As the BBC reports:
<blockquote>Thousands of women in Greenland, including some as young as 12, had a contraceptive device implanted in their womb — often without consent — as part of a Danish campaign to control Greenland&#8217;s growing Inuit population in the 60s and 70s.</blockquote>
So, there&#8217;s this podcast called the Coil Campaign. They found records indicating that around 4,500 Greenlandic women and girls were fitted for this ‘coil’ which, by the way, is probably just an IUD — a copper coil they inserted into certain women.
Today, women in America are opting into the same thing and it terrifies me. How could you possibly think that it’s good to have something inserted into your body long-term? 
4,500 women in Greenland — that was about half of the 9,000 women of fertile age living in the country at the time. One woman shared how shocked she was to find she already had a coil in her:
<blockquote>I remember the tears rolling down my cheeks, and I told them that I couldn&#8217;t understand how I already had a coil in me … How could I not remember when I had it put in?</blockquote>
She believes it must have been inserted back when she had an abortion at the age of 16 — which is terrifying.
The entire birth control industry is so in our faces. It&#8217;s truly birth ‘control.’ We have a ton of women now struggling to get pregnant after decades and decades of being on birth control. Now they want to have a kid. Do we not think that by inserting devices and ingesting pills designed to trick our bodies into believing that they&#8217;re not supposed to have a child that there won&#8217;t be problems? That it can now have a child?
Just from a common sense perspective, there have to be more severe implications here.
And I know I&#8217;m going to get hate mail because I&#8217;m coming for your contraceptives. But girls, ladies, I just have to tell you what is in my heart.
So, no, I don&#8217;t believe in taking any of this stuff. No, I am not a doctor. And I should say, for safety, that you should consult your doctor and have him or her explain why it&#8217;s perfectly safe for you to put a copper coil inside of your body and to leave it there.
Or you could consult yourself and use common sense.

Candace_416x9 copy 22 (4)

Why Birth Control Is A Terrible Idea

Candace Owens

Social Issues

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alexandria-ocasio-cortez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> (D-NY) claimed during a House hearing Thursday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abortion</a> was an economic issue because if women are not allowed to have an abortion, then parents are effectively &#8220;conscripted&#8221; to work against their will.
AOC made the remarks during a House Oversight Committee hearing about abortion where she also decided to disclose what she uses for birth control.
&#8220;Abortion is an economic issue,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez claimed. &#8220;Forcing poor and working-class people to give birth against their will, against their consent, against their ability to provide for themselves or a child, is a profound economic issue and it’s certainly a way to keep a workforce basically conscripted to large-scale employers and to employers to work more against their will, to take second and third jobs against their desire and their own autonomy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argues that abortion is a part of the class struggle and that pro-lifers want to help corporations maintain a large workforce. <a href="https://t.co/sViQegSWRr">pic.twitter.com/sViQegSWRr</a>
&mdash; Catch Up (@CatchUpNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatchUpNetwork/status/1575579765402382336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ocasio-Cortez also decided to disclose during the hearing that she uses an intrauterine device, or IUD.
&#8220;I, for example, since Republicans are forcing this conversation in uncomfortable ways, then I will meet them to it,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez said. &#8220;I have an IUD. I’ve had one for years.&#8221;
During the hearing, a medical doctor for Planned Parenthood falsely claimed that men can get pregnant and have babies.
In response to a question from Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Kumar, medical director for primary and trans care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast claimed, “Men can have pregnancies, especially trans men.”
“Somebody with a uterus may have the capability of becoming pregnant, whether they’re a woman or a man,” Kumar claimed. “That doesn’t make a difference.”
“OK, we’re done,” Clyde replied.
“Not every person with a uterus has the ability to become pregnant,” Kumar said. “This is medicine.”
“I can’t believe it’s necessary to say this, but men cannot get pregnant and cannot give birth, regardless of how they identify themselves,” Clyde said. “Why in the world would Democrats have brought in a person whose title is ‘director of trans care’ for an abortion hearing when only biological women can become pregnant?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Asked if biological men can get pregnant and give birth, a democrat witness testifies: “Men can have pregnancies.” <a href="https://t.co/l7YVzKN87t">pic.twitter.com/l7YVzKN87t</a>
&mdash; Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArthurSchwartz/status/1575582574637813760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senate Majority Leader Schumer And Representative Ocasio-Cortez Hold Press Conference

AOC: Abortion ‘An Economic Issue’ Because If Women Must Give Birth, Parents Are ‘Conscripted’ To Work ‘Against Their Will’

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Congress

Economy

A 19-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikToker</a> posted a video last month about suffering a blood clot that traveled to her brain, which she was told was caused by her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/birth-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener">birth control pills</a>.
Young women in recent years have <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/why-women-are-going-off-birth-control-pills.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started to question hormonal birth control</a> over the effects of the pill, sparking viral hashtags like <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/discover/gettingoffbirthcontrol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#GettingOffBirthControl</a>.
“Find out I have a blood clot in my brain from the birth control I’ve been taking for two years,&#8221; Sydney Marshall <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/tiktok-birth-control-blood-clots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a TikTok video, which appears to have been taken from inside a hospital.
Marshall outlined her medical struggle, which she said started with a &#8220;slight headache.&#8221; Then, after trying medications like Tylenol and Excedrin, what became a &#8220;pounding migraine&#8221; wouldn&#8217;t go away.
The 19-year-old said the migraine lasted for &#8220;five days straight&#8221; before she went to urgent care, where the teen was given a Cortisone shot.
Marshall said the shot helped for the night, but in the morning she woke up with another migraine and went to an emergency room.
After getting blood work and CT and MRI scans, the TikToker said she found out she had a blood clot in her brain &#8220;from the birth control I’ve been taking for two years.” 
With the recent interest in birth control pill effects, the video went viral, racking up more than 12 million views since last month.
<blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@sydneymarshall/video/7128944429263490346" data-video-id="7128944429263490346" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" >
<section> <a target="_blank" title="@sydneymarshall" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sydneymarshall?refer=embed">@sydneymarshall</a> 
Been an amazing week 😘😘
 <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - TheQuiteFranklyShow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6934089820268464902?refer=embed">♬ original sound &#8211; TheQuiteFranklyShow</a> </section>
</blockquote>
 <script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
Model Hailey Bieber in May told young women to have a dialogue with their doctors before getting on birth control pills. Notably, the 25-year-old wife of superstar Justin Bieber suffered a blood clot in her brain, bringing on stroke-like symptoms back in April.
“I had just recently started birth control pills, which I should’ve never been on because I am someone who suffers from migraines anyway, and I just did not talk to my doctor about this,” Mrs. Bieber <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/hailey-bieber-birth-control-migraine-stroke-risk-5270711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> her followers.
“So, ladies, if you suffer from bad migraines and you plan on being on birth control pills make sure you tell your doctor, because having a stroke is a potential side effect,&#8221; she added.
Verywell Health <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/hailey-bieber-birth-control-migraine-stroke-risk-5270711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that people with migraine with aura have a slightly elevated risk of clots and stroke, especially if they take birth control pills or smoke.
<div id="mntl-sc-block_1-0-11" class="comp theme-explainer mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-callout mntl-block" data-tracking-id="mntl-sc-block-callout" data-tracking-container="true">
“It really can change the game on whether there is a relative risk between an oral contraceptive that has estrogen in it, and whether or not you have aura,” explained Jessica Shepherd, Verywell’s chief medical officer and a certified obstetrician-gynecologist.
</div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hailey-bieber-details-terrifying-life-altering-mini-stroke-she-suffered-and-procedure-to-close-hole-in-her-heart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hailey Bieber Details Terrifying ‘Life-Altering’ Mini-Stroke She Suffered And Procedure To Close Hole In Her Heart</a>

19-Year-Old TikTok Star Says She Was Hospitalized For A Blood Clot To Her Brain, Caused By Her Birth Control

19-Year-Old TikTok Star Says She Was Hospitalized For A Blood Clot To Her Brain From Her Birth Control

Hailey Bieber

TikTok

The cult classic NBC sitcom “Friends” wouldn’t be considered progressive by modern standards, but, then again, neither would any television series from the mid 90s.
Compared to contemporary sitcoms, “Friends” was full of burgeoning concepts of wokeness, which were edgy for the time. Some – like Ross being married to a lesbian and Chandler’s father being trans – were as subtle as a freight train. Others were a little harder to spot.
The series centered around six single twenty-somethings living in New York City. Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) were so close they were like family, which led to the first clever plot point writers used to paint a picture.
The concept for the “Friends” narrative was simple: chosen family, in other words a person’s peers, were more important than blood relations. These young adults were sleeping around and having fun, rather than getting married and starting families. This was all very intentional. Their parents were rarely around, having only a few cameos in their lives. 
“We never set out to try and capture a generation or anything like that,” series co-creator Martha Kauffman <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-te.to.friends06may06-story.html">told </a>The Baltimore Sun in 2004. “[Co-creator David Crane] and I, when we were in our 20s, lived in New York with a group of friends, and we just tried to fondly capture that feeling or time of your life when your friends are your family.”
One expert described this phenomenon as the “urban tribe.” It’s a concept that’s pervasive on television now, but really began with these carbon copy 90s sitcoms.
“‘Seinfeld’ was the innovator, ‘Friends’ the imitator when it comes to television and the urban tribe,” Robert J. Thompson, founder of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, told the publication. 
“But as more and more people in their 20s delayed marriage and traditional families during the 1990s, ‘Friends’ was the one that best reflected and celebrated that lifestyle &#8211; offering a utopian version of it. ‘Friends’ spoke to Generation X the way ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ did to their baby boomer parents.”
Friendships that replaced familial ties was just one way the Emmy-award winning sitcom normalized a certain way of life. Fans may not have noticed that while Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica on “Friends” did all have children, not one of them did so in the traditional family structure of husband and wife getting married and then starting families. Again, the women taking a road less traveled to motherhood was intentionally included so creators could normalize extramarital sex, surrogacy, and single parenting.
During the 2004 conversation with the Baltimore Sun, Crane said he initially feared audiences weren’t ready for those progressive storylines, especially after the backlash that “Murphy Brown” faced in 1992 with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. However, he claimed no one cared when Rachel had Ross’s baby when they technically weren’t even dating. 
“We were concerned initially that people were going to say, ‘Hey, what kind of a role model is that?’” Crane said. “But that didn&#8217;t happen. And I think it’s because there is so much love between the characters on the show and this baby is so loved &#8211; with Ross [the father] still in the picture. But we never got one letter.”
Public figures had already sounded the alarm on out-of-wedlock children going mainstream on television. On May 19, 1992, then-Vice President Dan Quayle delivered a family values speech that touched on “Murphy Brown” and the long-term effects of normalizing single parenthood.
“Bearing babies irresponsibly is simply wrong,” the vice president said, per <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/20-years-later-it-turns-out-dan-quayle-was-right-about-murphy-brown-and-unmarried-moms/2012/05/25/gJQAsNCJqU_story.html">The Washington Post</a>. “Failing to support children one has fathered is wrong. We must be unequivocal about this. It doesn’t help matters when prime-time TV has Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes today’s intelligent, highly paid professional woman, mocking the importance of fathers by bearing a child alone and calling it just another lifestyle choice.”
His words would prove prophetic as fatherless homes, especially in the black community, have skyrocketed in recent years. 
The moms on “Friends” additionally contributed to this change in their own way. First, Phoebe offers to be a surrogate for her brother when he and his wife have difficulty conceiving. She gives birth to triplets named Frank Jr. Jr., Leslie, and Chandler (who is a girl) in “The One Hundredth,” which aired on October 8, 1998.
Phoebe does touch on the raw emotion that comes with being a surrogate, though her move is seen as altruistic on the show. Just after giving birth, Phoebe has a serious talk with the newborns, telling them that she wishes she could see them every day but settles on being their favorite aunt instead. Then all four of them cry together. It’s a poignant portrait of the real emotions women go through after bonding and giving birth to babies they’ll never parent.
Meanwhile, Ross and Rachel have a notorious on-again, off-again relationship throughout the series. The pair have a one night stand and end up conceiving a daughter, Emma. Writers slide in a subtle PSA on safe sex when they confirm the couple used a condom when they had sex.
During the conversation where Rachel tells Ross  that she is pregnant, he argues with her that he couldn’t be the baby’s father. “I don’t understand how this happened,” Ross says, “We used a condom!”
“Condoms only work, like, 97% of the time,” Rachel responds.
Ross and Rachel attempt to live together while she’s pregnant and act like a family, but then during the birth, everything goes wrong.
First, Rachel feels rejected by Ross, and Janice helps convince her that he won’t be around to help raise their daughter if he falls in love with someone else. Then, while Joey is trying to comfort Rachel, he kneels down next to her hospital bed. An emotional Rachel says “yes” to what she thinks is a marriage proposal, for Joey has found and is holding a ring that Ross’s mother had given to Ross in the hopes that he would propose to Rachel. 
Ross and Rachel go through the ups and downs of co-parenting before finally deciding to get back together in the final season. However, most of Rachel’s early experiences as a mother happen while she is alone.
Chandler and Monica do get married, but they find out they are unable to conceive on their own. In Season 10, the couple decides to adopt and are matched with a woman named Erica who is seeking to give her baby up for adoption. Chandler and Monica also break the news to their friends that they’ll be leaving their Manhattan apartment for a home with more space in Westchester. 
Toward the end of the last season, Erica surprises everyone by giving birth to twins, and the couple adopts them.
It may seem trivial to worry about the relationships of fictional characters on television shows. However, “Friends” was just the gateway to a plethora of entertainment that glorified families and parenting in a non-traditional way. Unconventional families can be wonderful, and adoption is a beautiful gift. However, glorifying these situations in the media has likely contributed to the collapse of the family in America, which has been to the detriment of everyone.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Harding – TV Show ‘Friends’ and The Nuclear Family

Urban Tribes And Progressive Storylines: How ‘Friends’ Helped Undermine The Nuclear Family

Friends

Hollywood

Woke Culture

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sarcastically suggested Thursday that Democrats hold a session to teach Republicans about &#8220;the birds and the bees&#8221; in light of the current debate on contraception.
&#8220;Should we have a session on the birds and the bees?&#8221; asked the California Democrat.
&#8220;I wonder if some of my Republican colleagues understand the basics about birth control, family planning and what is happening in their own homes,&#8221; she added. &#8220;They want control — but we won’t give up our rights and we are not going back!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Should we have a session on the birds and the bees? I wonder if some of my Republican colleagues understand the basics about birth control, family planning and what is happening in their own homes. 
They want control — but we won’t give up our rights and we are not going back!
&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamPelosi/status/1550141047002603520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the aftermath of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Pelosi has repeatedly warned Americans that their &#8220;freedom to use contraception&#8221; or to &#8220;marry the person&#8221; they love is on the line.
Democrats are pushing the <a href="https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Right%20to%20Contraception%20Act%20FINAL.pdf">Right To Contraception Act</a>, legislation that would &#8220;protect a person’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception, and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.&#8221;
“It is outrageous—we keep using that word—60 years after Griswold was decided, 60 years after Griswold, women must again fight for our basic right to birth control against an extremist Republican Party,” Pelosi said Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/birth-control-access-bill-heads-to-house-vote-11658406600">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>. “Let us be clear: we are not going back. For our daughters, or granddaughters, we are not going back.”
The Right To Contraception Act would supersede the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
John McCormack with National Review notes: &#8220;The Democrats’ &#8216;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20220718/BILLS-117HR8373IH.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">Right to Contraception Act&#8217;</a> explicitly condemns (in one of its official findings) state conscience laws that protect health-care providers who refuse to offer contraception (a term that the bill says includes sterilization procedures).&#8221;
&#8220;By including <a href="https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1549160656984760326" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="standard-link">the same poison-pill language</a> about RFRA in their “Right to Contraception Act,” Democrats appear to be taking a page from their 2012 playbook,&#8221; McCormack notes, &#8220;picking a fight over religious liberty in order to portray Republicans as opposing the legal right to contraception.&#8221;
The House of Representatives passed the bill Thursday, which comes after the House passed a bill Tuesday that would codify same-sex and interracial marriages: The Respect for Marriage Act.

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Nancy Pelosi Proposes Teaching Republicans About ‘The Birds And The Bees’ Amid Democrat Posturing On Contraception

Nancy Pelosi Proposes Teaching Republicans About 'The Birds And The Bees' 

Contraception

Democratic Party

Nancy Pelosi

Republicans

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received its first application for an over-the-counter birth control pill on Monday.
The application comes just weeks after the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, which has some critics concerned about access to contraceptives.
The company behind the application, HRA Pharma, a Perrigo Company, seeks to become the first daily birth control pill available in the U.S. without a prescription.
&#8220;This historic application marks a groundbreaking moment in contraceptive access and reproductive equity in the U.S.,&#8221; <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perrigos-hra-pharma-submits-application-to-fda-for-first-ever-otc-birth-control-pill-301583602.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Frédérique Welgryn, Chief Strategic Operations and Innovation Officer at HRA Pharma, in a statement. &#8220;More than 60 years ago, prescription birth control pills in the U.S. empowered women to plan if and when they want to get pregnant. Moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers.&#8221;
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has supported the move to make birth control available over-the-counter in <a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2019/10/over-the-counter-access-to-hormonal-contraception" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its research</a>, citing barriers to access as a reason for inconsistent or non-use of birth control pills.
<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26666711/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to</a> the National Library of Medicine in a 2016 study, 29% of American women who had ever tried to get a prescription for birth control reported a problem with obtaining a prescription or refills of birth control pills. The percentage was higher among those who were uninsured and Spanish-speaking women in the study.
Despite the push by the company to provide the new over-the-counter option, experts don&#8217;t expect any change to occur immediately. Most FDA approvals take more than a year. In addition, if approved, the access would only include HRA Pharm&#8217;s Opill pill.
In March, more than 50 members of the House&#8217;s Pro-Choice Caucus also sent a letter urging the FDA to review over-the-counter applications for birth control pills right away.
“This is a critical issue for reproductive health, rights, and justice,” the lawmakers <a href="https://pressley.house.gov/sites/pressley.house.gov/files/PCC%20OTC%20letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in the letter led by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Judy Chu (D-CA). “We ask for your ongoing commitment to advance public health and follow the science and data in all decisions, including the timely review of the oral contraception applications.”
The push for increased options for birth control pills is one of the multiple areas of emphasis following the recent Supreme Court abortion ruling. Despite a push by some on the left that have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/activists-launch-panicked-social-media-campaign-after-roe-here-are-six-misconceptions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> conservatives will &#8220;go after&#8221; birth control next, the court&#8217;s ruling showed no evidence that this will be the case.
Instead, access to abortion pills has become a discussion for states seeking to further limit abortions following the court&#8217;s decision.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mississippi-governor-says-doctors-in-his-state-will-lose-their-medical-license-for-prescribing-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that doctors in his state would lose their medical licenses for prescribing abortion pills. Ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling, Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/louisiana-governor-signs-bill-outlawing-the-mailing-of-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a bill into law that will make mailing abortion pills a crime in his state.
In March, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/south-dakota-passes-governor-noems-bill-to-ban-abortion-by-telemedicine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a bill into law banning telemedicine abortion in her state.

birth control pills

FDA Receives First Application For Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pill

Unable to muster enough concern among constituents with questions on abortion, same-sex marriage, and sexual assault, Democrats focused Wednesday grilling judge Amy Coney Barrett about her feelings on birth control and specifically the 1965 Supreme Court case, Griswold v. Connecticut, where the Court found a &#8220;right to privacy&#8221; in the Constitution&#8217;s Bill of Rights for couples seeking to use birth control.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) laid into Barrett on the subject Wednesday afternoon, voicing concern that women who were watching Barrett&#8217;s Supreme Court nomination hearings could be &#8220;deterred&#8221; from using birth control over fears that Barrett might use her position on the Court to outlaw contraception.
&#8220;Barrett says she is able to express her opinion on Brown v Board of Education because she has made past comments about it, but Griswold she stays away from giving a legal position,&#8221; Fox News reported in their liveblog of the event. &#8220;Blumenthal, asking Barrett about her not giving an opinion on Griswold &#8212; which legalized contraception, suggests people may be deterred from using birth control.&#8221;
&#8220;I want you to keep in mind how many people are listening and watching because they may take a message from what you say, they may see what you say and be deterred from using contraceptives or feel a fear that it could be banned,&#8221; Blumenthal said.
Barrett responded with her now-trademark candor, telling Blumenthal that she would be &#8220;surprised&#8221; if people believed birth control &#8220;was going to be banned.&#8221;
Clearly, left-leaning activists are concerned that birth control could be banned as Twitter exploded in worry that Barrett&#8217;s non-answer meant she&#8217;d be open to reconsidering Griswold and potentially banning contraception.
&#8220;Under questioning from Sen. Blumenthal, Judge Barrett refuses to answer unequivocally whether Griswold was correctly decided. Griswold gave Americans the right to use contraception. This came right after Barrett said Brown v. the Board of Education was correctly decided,&#8221; MSNBC&#8217;s Kyle Griffin panicked on Twitter.
Griswold is, of course, more than a half-century old, and one of the foundational cases for &#8220;substantive due process&#8221; and introduced the concept of a &#8220;right to privacy&#8221; in the &#8220;penumbras and emanations&#8221; of several Constitutional amendments, including the 4th. It, arguably, led directly to the Court&#8217;s decision in Roe v. Wade, which extended the right to privacy in family planning decisions to procuring an abortion.
Barrett noted that it is unlikely that the issue would come before the court. Recent Supreme Court cases on birth control have centered around the Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act&#8217;s birth control mandate, which requires even religious employers to supply contraception to employees free of charge through their health insurance plans. The Supreme Court determined, in a split decision, that such a mandate violated the First Amendment&#8217;s guarantee of Free Exercise of religion. The Court did not consider any privacy concerns.
Although Democrats were studiously avoiding Barrett&#8217;s Catholic faith during the Tuesday question-and-answer portion of her confirmation hearings, Fox News notes that on Wednesday, &#8216;Democrats questioned Barrett about cases that they suggested might be at odds with her Catholic faith,&#8221; including cases about contraception, abortion, and gay rights.
Doubling down on his accusation following the Griswold exchange, Blumenthal suggested that Barrett might &#8220;criminalize&#8221; same-sex relationships, to which Barrett replied that, &#8220;[t]o suggest that&#8217;s the kind of America I want to create isn&#8217;t based on any facts in my record.&#8221;

amy coney barrett

Dems Panic That Amy Coney Barrett Hearings Could ‘Deter’ Women From Using Birth Control

Amy Coney Barrett

Supreme Court

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