The Weekly Dose
Everything that happened this week in the world of birth control (July 20-26)
Hello fellow cat ladies!
For a long time I’ve had a google news alert for anything birth control/pregnancy/childless cat lady related and I feel like I’m absorbing all these articles and pop culture references and they’re just stewing in my brain and not going anywhere. So I’m trying this new thing where every week (or maybe 2 weeks or maybe months depending on how much is happening) I’m going to round up these articles and give you a little weekly digest so you too can stay up to date on the world of birth control and childfree-ness. This is my first one so if you love this idea (or if you hate it) please let me know!
JULY 20-26TH, 2025
💊 Male birth control passes human trials!
Get ready for a new era of male ally-ship! Or maybe even an era where men take one single ounce of responsibility for getting a woman pregnant! I dream of a day where single women can go on a first date with men and ask THEM “are you on birth control?” I’ve been waiting for male birth control for what seems like forever.
I actually think male birth control is going to be so much more better than female birth control. Take vasectomies for example- it’s a million times simpler to get snipped than to get your tubes tied. Take it from someone who had just one of her ovary taken out 2 months ago and is still very slowly recovering. The reason for this is that we know and understand the male body much more than we do the female body. For literally hundreds and thousands of years of western society, men were the only ones who were respected and allowed to be anatomists, doctors, researchers, psychologists, philosophers, etc. In scientific terms, the female body was just treated as a male body but slightly different, and we have done so much less research on what makes women tick. Just a few months ago, we finally noticed that there were HUNDREDS more peer reviewed studies on erectile dysfunction (a condition that affects less than 20% of men) than there were MANY conditions that effect women like PCOS, endometriosis, and premenstrual syndrome (conditions that at LEAST 90% of women will deal with at some point in their lives). So, when male birth control finally comes out, I’m sure it will be simpler and less harmful to men’s bodies than it ever has been for us women. Their side effect pages aren’t going to be the size of a small elephant. It will be studied harder and optimized better than any options for women, you can quote me on that.
Women take birth control DESPITE the effects it has on our bodies. Men will take birth control only because of the effects and convenience it will give them.
The non-hormonal pill for men could be available by the end of the decade. I’ll be waiting with bated breath and you can be sure my boyfriend will be the first one to try it.
💊 Birth control pills spotted in a behind-the-scenes look at The Summer I Turned Pretty
I don’t watch this show, but I keep up with it from the sidelines purely because they often use Taylor Swift’s music in the episodes and as a marketing tactic. Jenny Han, the writer/producer of the show, posted a BTS photo dump of the creation of the first 2 episodes to her instagram, and one of the slides includes a photo of the main character’s vanity, which has birth control pills placed among various other beauty items.
The photo is mostly thinly veiled product placement and all those other products are most definitely sponsored and probably funding the entire show, but it’s nice to see birth control among them anyway. And from what I’ve seen of the boys Belly is dating, I’m glad to know she’s on birth control. Again, I don’t watch the show and I know nothing about it except she was just proposed to by the guy no one seems to like and the ring was TINY. Keep taking those pills, girl.
🤰According to new data, U.S. fertility fell to a record low in 2024
The average number of babies fell 1% last year from 54.5 births per 1,000 women to 53.8. Since 2007, the fertility rate has dropped 22%. My impact, perhaps?
In all seriousness, the reason for this drop is increased access to birth control, rising costs of childcare, and women deciding to wait longer to have children (or not have them at all!). This past March, a report from the CDC found that there are more babies being born to women over 40 years old than to teenagers!! Huge news! Less teenagers getting pregnant on accident, more adult women getting pregnant on purpose, at a time in their lives when they are ready for it and have probably been thinking about it for a long time.
The men in power always flip the F*CK out when they hear about fertility rates dropping. No one has ever been louder about their desire for the birth rate to go up than men like Elon Musk and JD Vance. Like I always say, anything that makes the billionaires in power angry is probably a net positive for humanity. Women having children when and how they want after becoming informed and educated?? Sounds to me like nature is healing.
I love it when the fertility rate drops. If the men are worried about it, they have the power to make changes to society to make giving birth more appealing for women. Lower the cost of childcare. Increase maternity leave. Give every woman a million dollars. Just a few ideas.
🐣Trisha Paytas has her tubes removed after the birth of her third child
Apparently after a traumatic C-section, a nurse came in to Trisha Paytas’s hospital room and asked if Trisha was going to have a FOURTH BABY. A woman can have a newborn in her arms literally open on the operating table and people will still ask when she’s having more kids. Ridiculous.
After sharing this story on her podcast, Trisha opened up about how after a 3rd traumatic birth, she had her tubes removed. She has 3 beautiful babies now, and her third will be her last.
😞Trump budget cuts close 5 Planned Parenthood locations in California
Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be a birth control newsletter without more devastating news about women losing access to health care. A federal spending bill eliminated Medicare funding for medical services provided by organizations that provide abortions. Because of this, thousands of patients no longer have access to preventative health care services. Planned Parenthood does so much more than provide abortions. They also provide STD testing, pre-natal care, birth control, and so much more. I got my first ever birth control, a Nexplanon implant, from planned parenthood. I was able to get it for free 6 years ago without insurance. It is devastating to me that other girls won’t have access to that same care.
If you live near a Planned Parenthood location that is closing, you can still access services like gender-affirming hormone care, pregnancy counseling, and HIV services through telehealth video visits with a doctor. Appointments and scheduling can be made here: Planned Parenthood
This was great I would love this every week!