Why Birth Control Matters for the American Dream

My TIME.com column today on birth control and the American dream:

Melinda Gates was lauded for her bravery last week in stating her unequivocal support for contraception, especially for women in developing countries. She’s right, of course, that family planning saves lives, but it’s odd that a public embrace of contraception still makes headlines when more than 98% of American women have used contraception at some point in their lives. The problem, unfortunately, is that many Americans aren’t using contraception at the right point in their lives, and this oversight is especially common in the people who need it most: women who want a piece of the American Dream.

This is dangerous ground. No one wants to suggest that certain women shouldn’t have babies. But the hard truth is that certain women shouldn’t have babies if they aspire to a middle-class life…

Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2012/07/17/why-birth-control-matters-for-the-american-dream/#ixzz20shnxcCL

About ErikaChristakis

Early childhood educator/public health advocate/Harvard College administrator/ journalist. Uncommon sense for the common good. Unmarketable bachelor’s degree (Harvard, anthropology) Semi-marketable graduate degrees (Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania…). Career at the intersection of family, society, and schools. (Including pop-culture diversions and long stint in parenting vortex.) Forging a new path to connect all of the above.
This entry was posted in Children/Teens/Young Adults, Education, Erika @ TIME.com, Public Policy, Women-related. Bookmark the permalink.

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