When you and your partner are ready, starting afamilyis a beautiful thing. Bringing new life into the world and raising little ones into lovely adults can be an amazing experience. But the thing about having children is that you should only do it when you’re certain that you’re ready, and trying to force someone to become a parent is a horrible thing to do.
One woman recentlyreached outto Reddit seeking advice after she caught her boyfriend tampering with her birth control and immediately sent him packing. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as some of the replies concerned readers shared.
RELATED:
Everyone has the right to choose whether or not they want to become a parent
Image credits:Dimaberlin/Envato (not the actual photo)
So when this woman caught her boyfriend trying to tamper with her birth control, she knew the relationship was over
Image credits:towfiqu98/Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits:SufficientThrowRA
There are many factors to consider before deciding to become a mother
Image credits:mariiaplosh/Envato (not the actual photo)
Childbirth is still quitedangerousfor both mother and child, and about 15% of moms will experiencepostpartum depressionafter having a child. And despite the fact that 98% of women want to keep their jobs after having kids, it often takesover a decadefor their careers to bounce back after starting a family.
It’s understandable that men may sometimes overlook all of these concerns that women have to consider before deciding to get pregnant, because they don’t all directly affect them. But if your partner explains that they’re not ready to have children, that boundary should be accepted.
Unfortunately, the man in this story is not the first to ever try tampering with a partner’sbirth control. According to theAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this is a form of abuse called reproductive coercion, or birth control sabotage.
Common examples of this include hiding or destroying birth control pills, poking holes in condoms or removing a condom without alerting the partner, refusing to pull out after agreeing to ahead of time, and removing a birth control device, such as an IUD or vaginal ring, without informing the partner.
Birth control sabotage is a common yet dangerous form of abuse
Image credits:kryzhov/Envato (not the actual photo)
USA Todayreports that a quarter of teen girls with abusive partners and 15% of women who have been physically abused have also been victims of birth control sabotage. Anotherstudyfrom Northern California found that a fifth ofwomen between the ages of 16 and 29 who attended health clinics admitted that their partners had pressured them to get pregnant.
So what can women do when their partners go out of their way to secretly get them pregnant? Well, unfortunately,FindLawnotes on their site that birth control sabotage is not technically illegal at the moment. However, there are some laws that might be able to help victims, depending on where they live. For example,coercive controlis illegal in England and Wales.
Readers were quick to share their concern for the woman, and she joined in on the conversation to provide more details
Readers unanimously agreed that breaking up was the right choice
Thanks! Check out the results:Viktorija Ošikaitė
Ilona Baliūnaitė
Rugilė Žemaitytė
Relationships
