Olivia Rodrigo proves the need to destigmatize sex ed, provide free contraceptives

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

As a California resident, I’m lucky to live in a state that supports the right to an abortion and makes reproductive resources readily available, oftentimes regardless of health insurance. But my heart weighs heavily at the reality that this isn’t the case for millions of others.

Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, reproductive rights have been threatened more in the last two years than in the last few decades of the country’s history. We now live in a country where our mothers, and even grandmothers, had more reproductive rights when they were our age than we do.

With the right to abortions no longer constitutionally protected, it has enabled 24 individual states, overwhelmingly in the South and Midwest, to restrict or ban the procedure at varying times anywhere from the moment of conception to eighteen weeks. Many states, including Idaho, are working to make crossing state lines for abortions illegal as well.

Depending on the state, such as in North Dakota and Indiana, exceptions in cases of rape, incest or threats to the mother’s life may be available, but the laws overall have been heavily restrictive.

It came as no surprise to me, then, that the use of contraceptives has skyrocketed across the country.

In the months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a TIME magazine survey found that 21% of women had changed their birth control method to include oral pills, condoms or implants. CNN also reported that Nurx, an online mail-order pharmaceutical company, saw a 300% increase in demand for emergency contraceptives.

Now in 2024, the loss of total reproductive rights is a fear – and a fight – that hasn’t gone away. It’s one that’s being addressed by people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Olivia Rodrigo, for example, is just one of many celebrities who have publicly advocated for reproductive rights, like announcing that a portion of ticket sales from her “GUTS” world tour would be donated to select abortion advocacy organizations.

But this past month, she went one step further by partnering with the Missouri Abortion Fund and Right By You to hand out free emergency contraceptives, including Plan B, condoms, lubrication products and information resources, to fans at her concert in Missouri – one of several states where abortion is now illegal. Her actions felt like a deliberate move to destigmatize and decriminalize reproductive health care.

But, when a fan posted about the freebies online, Rodrigo started to get backlash from pro-life activists and parents of underage fans who argued that some of her concert attendees were children. I found this interesting given that it’s been a long time since Rodrigo has been the standard teeny-bopper Disney type.

She’s used curse words in her songs from the release of her very first single “drivers license” and regularly explores themes of sex, heartbreak and relationships, notably with older men, in her work. To me, she’s always been upfront with who she is, which is not as kid-friendly as some parents might’ve assumed.

Soon after the backlash, abortion funds stopped passing out emergency contraceptives at her concerts at the request of Rodrigo’s team.

As a 24-year-old adult who is sexually active and three years older than Rodrigo, maybe I’m biased. But this controversy has proven to me that there are just some issues that you don’t back down on. While it’s true that many of her concert attendees are children, it’s also true that she has teenage fans, many of whom may be sexually-active or curious and thus deserve access to contraceptives, information and resources too – notably, for free.

At the average drug store, Julie, one of the emergency contraceptive pills that she distributed at the concert, normally costs $45 per box. This would present a significant financial barrier to anyone but even more so to a teenage audience who can only work limited hours at a job, may be afraid to ask their parents for funds, may be undocumented and without health insurance or may not have reliable transportation to get to the store in the first place.

By giving it out for free, she not only reduced the stigma of reproductive health care, she also might’ve literally changed someone’s entire life.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

Yet, in not standing up to pro-life pearl clutching, she wasted an opportunity to be bolder in her advocacy and address a larger cultural and social taboo that teenagers don’t have sex when they do. Admittedly, the rate of adolescent sexual activity has decreased by 8% since 2019, likely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced teens to self-isolate and be fearful of one another.

But, if anything, that means comprehensive sex education and open access to resources are that much more crucial to making sex less scary and mysterious. This not only lowers the risk of pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections but also provides a safe space at school and home to ask questions about their sexual health.

As of this year, only 30 U.S. states require public schools to teach sex education to students. Even more concerning, only 8.2% of LGBTQIA+ teens have access to inclusive, non-heteronormative sex ed at their schools. In a time of so much uncertainty, everyone, but especially teenagers, deserves full transparency of what reproductive health can look like.

It’s also worth noting, of course, that this controversy stemmed from misinformation and anger in a bigger cultural debate surrounding reproductive rights that are put on the line more and more every day.

As I write this, the U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering a case that may restrict access to the abortion pill, otherwise known as mifepristone. Though safer than Tylenol and Viagra, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, restricting access to the pill could be yet another move in the pro-life game to prohibit the reproductive freedoms of people all across the country.

At this uncertain time, we simply can’t afford to back down or reverse our activism. As adults — and even more so for adults with social, cultural and political power like Rodrigo — it’s our responsibility to protect the reproductive rights we have left and get back those we’ve lost, not only for ourselves but also for the younger generations whose freedom is invaluable, necessary and sacred.

Sofia Aguilar is a first-year grad student in the Library and Information Science program. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at saguilar07@syr.edu.