Culture

With #ThxBirthControl, Twitter Give Thanks for Contraception

The annual #ThxBirthControl campaign pays tribute to contraception in all its forms.

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Twitter users are celebrating #ThxBirthControl day, an annual event paying tribute to contraception in all its forms. The social media campaign, which is in its third year, aims to engage people — especially young women — in a conversation about birth control by raising awareness about its benefits.

Started by Bedsider, an online birth control support system run by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the day’s marked on the calendar to bring awareness to the fact that 70 percent of pregnancies among American women aged 18-29 are unplanned.

Social and cultural taboos about contraception still exist — perhaps explaining why up to 40 percent of sexually active women don’t consistently use it — but 80 percent of adults agree that open discussion about its benefits and drawbacks would increase its use.

Bedsider is quick to mention that it’s not funded by pharmaceutical companies or the government; the majority of its funding comes from private funders like the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which has a history of funding campaigns for reproductive health and rights.

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