When I introduce myself to people, the question I hear most often is “What’s a birth control doula?” The word doula was used in ancient Greece to mean “servant woman.” The current definition has a closer meaning to “a person who serves women.” Birth control doula is a term coined by Emily Varnam (co-founder of The Fifth Vital Sign). A birth control doula provides emotional and educational support for people as they choose or transition between birth control options.
It’s crucial to have support in our communities, especially surrounding traditionally taboo topics like menstruation, birth control, and sex. In my personal experience and in the stories of the people I have served, we are up against coercion, dismissing of pain, and misinformation. It’s critical that we know our rights, that we know how our bodies work, and that we have the information to make us experts on our own bodies. Everyone is entitled to this.
It’s crucial to have support in our communities, especially surrounding traditionally taboo topics like menstruation, birth control, and sex. In my personal experience and in the stories of the people I have served, we are up against coercion, dismissing of pain, and misinformation. It’s critical that we know our rights, that we know how our bodies work, and that we have the information to make us experts on our own bodies. Everyone is entitled to this.
“It’s critical that we know our rights, that we know how our bodies work, and that we have the information to make us experts on our own bodies. Everyone is entitled to this.”
