I have anemia, horrible cramps, and other drastic hormonal changes from my menstrual cycles and have used hormonal birth control for the past seven years. It has absolutely changed my life and made each day livable again, instead of having to worry about where I will be when I have a terrible mood swing and how this could affect my personal relationships or performance at work.

It has also allowed me to push forward in a demanding career and allowed me to choose family planning instead of a pregnancy that would put me at a lot of medical risks due to other medical problems, not to mention the financial strain.

Fair, easy, and affordable access to oral contraceptive pills and, now, an intrauterine device, took something that was changing my life for the worse and turned it into living my life for the better. I am fortunate to have this experience, and I feel that the freedom of reproductive health is one of the most important things we have to protect and further advocate for.