2 Huge Reasons to Say "Thanks!" for Birth Control

There are so, so many reasons why birth control is important—and everyone’s reasons for saying “thanks” are different. But there are some benefits we can all be thankful for. Here are a just a few. (P.S. Make an appointment to talk to a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center to find out what else birth control might be able to do for you.)

1. Birth control lets you decide when—or whether—to get pregnant.

Better access to effective methods of birth control means you can have the number of children you want, when (and with whom) you want them. If you don’t want kids at all, birth control can help with that too.

Getting to decide when—if ever—and under what circumstances to have kids means having more freedom to pursue educational, personal, and professional goals. A few fun facts:

• Research has found a link between better birth control access and big educational and professional gains for women.
• Research suggests that couples are more prepared to be parents—and more likely to stay together—when they can plan their pregnancies.
• 77% of women say birth control allows them to take better care of themselves and their families.

So, whether you’re finishing a degree, waiting until you find the right partner, or just enjoying your independence for a while, the decision to start a family should belong to you (and your partner if you’re in a relationship, obvs).

2. Birth control has health benefits.

Actually, being able to decide when to get pregnant has major health benefits in itself. In fact, it has the power to save lives. And it’s good for babies.

But the health benefits of birth control don’t stop there. Lots of people use birth control for reasons other than pregnancy prevention. Depending on the method, birth control can:

• prevent uterine cancer;
• help with ovarian cysts;
• protect against sexually transmitted infections; and
• help with heavy or painful periods.

Of course, the reason each person uses or relies on birth control is unique. To find out what birth control might be able to do for you, make an in-person appointment or a telehealth appointment to talk to a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center.

Updated November 2021