How have contraceptives changed your life?

[Heddi]

3. They have allowed my husband and I to be together for 15 years, and still be child-free-by-choice

and live the child-free life that we wish to lead without the hassle of having to take monthly pregnancy tests, undergo unwanted and invasive medical procedures to terminate a pregnancy, and to not have to use imperfect methods of natural contraception such as the rhythm method or coitus interruptus or cervical mucous testing.

They have also regulated my very heavy, very irregular, very painful periods and allowed me to live an active life without fear of breakthrough bleeding and unanticipated embarrassment when I under-estimated the absorbancy of my Kotex, or experienced an early bleeding session.

They have also allowed me to change my mind at any time regarding our child-free-by-choice feelings, and that at any time I can discontinue using contraception and within a relatively short amount of time begin the process of attempting pregnancy, if that is what we choose to do (probably won't happen, though, as I'm 36 and he's 39 and I don't really see our attitudes towards having children change in the next few years, and I have no desire to become pregnant after the age of 40).

They allowed me to be a young person who was able to experiment with sex and my sexuality during the years of HIV and AIDS, and to know that as long as a condom was used, I was generally protected against HIV and most other STD's.

Frankly, they give/gave me the freedom to fuck, a right I hold very dear to my heart.