Admit it. You never thought you’d see a giant (20-foot-tall) inflatable intrauterine device (IUD), right? Not that people normally think about these sorts of things, of course.
In this case, the giant IUD was inflated on Thursday in front of Washington D.C.’s Union Station, across from the U.S. Capitol building to demonstrate support for the Americans for Contraception (AFC) Act, a simple, broad-based bill to protect Americans’ rights to basic birth control like the pill, Plan B, condoms, and IUDs.
Yes, really — and images of the giant IUD were a bit of a hit on social media.
The Senate votes today on the Right to Contraception Act. Will Republicans side with the American people and vote for birth control, or not? #HandsOffMyBirthControl pic.twitter.com/mSB7EUjRQk
— Laura Packard (@lpackard) June 5, 2024
Senate Democrats insisted the bill is about reproduction and providing birth control to women, while Senate Republicans argued it is about funneling money to Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood posted a message from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer prior to the vote.
This is not a show vote, it’s a show us who you are vote.
Cute play on words, Chuckie.
Yes, this is a 20-foot IUD in front of D.C.’s Union Station.
Today, the Senate is voting on the Right to Contraception Act and let us be clear — “This is not a show vote, it’s a show us who you are vote.” – @SenSchumer pic.twitter.com/yDUwVwFPPK
— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) June 5, 2024
Democrat Sen. Ed Markey (MA) proposed the bill be called “Right to Contraception,” while Republican critics called it the “Payouts for Planned Parenthood Act.”
Top pro-life group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, weighed in on the motives of the bill in a letter, saying:
[It would] funnel money to Planned Parenthood, override conscience protections, and could mandate access to abortion drugs. It also feeds into the false narrative that states have prohibited contraceptives or family planning, or that there are federal efforts to do so. This bill has less to do with the ability of individuals to obtain contraception and more to do with ensuring federal funding for abortion providers who also happen to provide contraceptives.
The bill was blocked from moving forward by a Republican-majority, 51-39 vote.
Incidentally, for the curious among us who don’t know how IUDs work, here’s a partial explanation from the Cleveland Clinic::
An IUD is a form of birth control that a healthcare provider inserts into the uterus. Once it’s inserted, an IUD can prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years or more, depending on the specific type. A healthcare provider can remove an IUD at any time.
IUDs trigger an immune response. Your body recognizes an IUD as an invader and springs into action to defend itself. This process results in inflammation. Inflammation in the uterus creates an environment that’s toxic to sperm. As a result, sperm can’t reach the fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg.
The Bottom Line
Just for grins, imagine a group of foreign tourists visiting our nation’s Capital and happening upon a giant IUD. Would they be bewildered, at least for a minute? Would they pose for pictures with it? Or, would they shake their heads and laugh at the “stupid Americans”?
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