A birth control pill for men has just been invented. That’s right, my male peers! You can have sex with whomever you want and not worry about the after effects of accidental pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases or infections. It is an end of-the-semester miracle.

Just kidding. But what if a male form of contraception had been invented? Congress would overwhelmingly support it. Most men I know would be willing to take it. I cannot help but believe it would fly off the shelves. Men and women alike would be thrilled. And I doubt there would be too many groups trying to shut down production. So then surely in the 21st century, it should be the same case for women. Right?

More often than not, it seems women are on the losing end of the contraception battle. Or if not on the losing end, then the “let’s make a battle from nothing and when that gets struck down, it will look like a win for women everywhere” end. Let’s look back to the “personhood” amendment from fall 2011. It claimed ordinary birth control (like the once-a-day pills) affected the “personhood” of the embryo. The embryo itself to these lawmakers was a child and needed to be defended. But the “personhood” of the woman apparently did not.

Thankfully, it was indeed struck down. But just because it was struck down doesn’t mean I would call it a victory for women’s rights — it got us exactly where we already were. I would call it a waste of time. Same thing with the contraception bill in Arizona last year. It allowed “any employer to refuse to cover contraception that will be used ‘for contraceptive, abortifacient, abortion or sterilization purposes.’” To be covered, the woman would have to submit a claim proving she had a medical condition fixed by birth control. But they pretty much ruled out most of its purposes. I mean contraception is in the title after all. This too was struck down. But these aren’t victories. They aren’t even hollow victories. Victories imply we are moving forward in some capacity. They don’t move us forward. They keep us stagnant. They only stop issues from getting worse.

While a male form of birth control has not been invented yet, male condoms are available everywhere and in many places on campus are free (and according to the CDC have a 9 percent failure rate). But no one asks to see an ID when buying them, no trips to the doctor are necessary before use, there is no limit to how many condoms a man can purchase. I am in no way implying this should stop, but why is it so easy for a male to get a form of contraception to prevent pregnancy and STDs and not women?

There was some good news this month on contraception, however — an actual victory for women. Last week, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York ruled the morning after pill (commonly referred to as Plan B) must be available over the counter for girls 16 and younger. While some may see it as little Susie running to the store to by shampoo and Plan B without a doctor’s consent, I see it as a true victory. It recognizes teenagers as women — women who are capable of making decisions and if are properly taught in school, will know how to protect themselves with contraception use.

But apparently the GOP does not want that. They are still trying to push bills that would defund sex education programs. They are apparently too far removed from their teenage years to remember what hormones are.

This ruling could have actually happened in 2011, but the Obama administration overruled the Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation. My guess is this was once again completely fueled by politics. Nobody wants to be the person that says children should be able to have sex. But that’s where they are seeing it wrong. It’s not about having sex. It’s about protecting yourself from the unknown. If a girl is “legitimately raped” (thank you for that term, former Rep. Todd Akin), she should have access to the proper health care right away — not after a doctor clears her.

A few months ago, the United Nations called access to contraception a universal human right. According to the executive director of family planning, contraception is “one of the most effective means of empowering women. Women who use contraception are generally healthier, better educated, more empowered in their households and communities and more economically productive.” These are all things we should be teaching young women instead of the older men in government getting to dictate how our bodies work.

This country needs more people like Korman in charge, ruling on the side for women’s rights — taking a step in the right direction. A direction which will lead to more substantive victories for women’s rights instead of the hollow victories we are unfortunately becoming accustomed to. 

Joanna is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].