About two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a brunch event with Planned Parenthood and We All Grow Latina Network.

We had brunch while we were being educated about what, and how planned parenthood has and can help our Latino community.

When it comes to the sexual topics, and sexual health, the Hispanic community tends to go nuts about it.
Meaning, they do not want to discuss and almost make you feel like you’re committing the biggest sin, just by only talking or asking about it.

In better words, there is a massive taboo around this subject and Latinos.

One of the biggest taboo within the Latinas is birth control.

It seems that as Latinas, we are born to birth kid after kid and not actually even consider or even do a little more research about birth control. Judgment plays a huge role when it comes to birth control, the fact that if people see you take this pill, they may start questioning you about your sexual life, and honestly, this makes us uncomfortable.

Although birth control’s main usage is to prevent having kiddos, there are other great benefits, such as reducing acne, making your periods regular, and easing menstrual cramps.
Honestly, one of the best things about the pill is how it makes your period a breeze!

I recently started taking birth control, as you know, I have dealt with significant acne problems for the past two and a half years.
Honestly, this had helped me a lot, although when I started taking the pill, I was a bit afraid of what my family was going to say when I took it around them, or if I ever needed to!

These feelings were generated thanks to the taboo caused by our Latino gente!
I had to break through, and Latino chicas must break through this taboo and spread the word about the importance of these topics without feeling judged or scared about it.

Did you know that Planned Parent Hood has 500,000 Latino patients, and 425,000 of them go to Planned Parent Hood for family planning and contraception services!

As we all are aware, access to birth control is under attack under the Trump administration, and planned parenthood has launched a campaign #Fight4BirthControl, which includes tools and resources to help people from all walks of life to join the fight to protect access to birth control.

We must support affordable access to it, Latinas already have a hard time affording birth control.

A 2010 Hart Research poll, conducted before the ACA’s birth control provision went into effect, found that one in three women voters had struggled to afford prescription birth control, including 57 percent of young Latina women ages 18-34.

One-fifth of Hispanic women who live in poverty and 27% of Latinas ages 15–44 who rely on Medicaid.

For Latinas, many of whom remain uninsured, many are still paying out-of-pocket costs for birth control.
Despite the many strides the ACA made for access to health care, a greater percentage of Latinas (20 percent) are uninsured than women of any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S.

I invite you to fight for birth control!

Click below to find out more info and get involved.

https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/fight-for-birth-control 

Educational videos on birth control in English and Spanish

So what is your story?

Why do you use birth control?

Do you appreciate having insurance coverage of birth control without copays?

Use the hashtags below to show your support!

#ThxBirthControl  #Fight4BirthControl