|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Summary
A user on X (formerly Twitter) made a claim that waiting until marriage would eliminate the need for birth control and abortions. This claim is false and is not supported by evidence. Abortion and contraceptives are essential parts of healthcare for women and has nothing to do with their marital status.
Claim: On February 14, 2025, Neve posted on X (formerly Twitter) that birth control and abortions would be unnecessary if individuals waited until marriage to have sex. According to her, “There would be no need for birth control and abortions if everyone just waited until marriage.” The tweet currently has 4.5m views, 394 likes, 736 quotes/reposts, and 822 comments.
NFM Checks
Although women primarily perform abortions for a myriad of reasons, there is no indication that it is limited to unmarried women alone. We checked recent research and data on this matter and reactions to the claim.
What Research Says
According to research, married women obtain a larger proportion of abortions than unmarried women and more than half of abortions are obtained by women with at least one child. In 2016, Bhekisisa reported that abortion rates around the world are about 44% higher among married women than among single women, with 90% of these taking place in developing countries like South Africa and Nigeria.
In 2017–2019, 65.3% of U.S. women aged 15–49 were using a contraceptive method, with usage increasing with age. In 2020, the CDC noted that among the areas that reported marital status, 13.7% of women who obtained an abortion were married. The abortion ratio for married women was 46 abortions per 1,000 live births, indicating that unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions do occur among married couples.
Reactions
This claim by Nene has generated various arguments, with most X users disagreeing with her.
“1/5 of abortions are performed on married women. 74% of married women use some form of birth control,” X user Chris Evans counter-argued.
“Abortions are healthcare. Birth control is also healthcare. I have stage 4 endometriosis, and a hysterectomy was very risky for me. If not for an IUD, I might’ve died. These zealots need education,” Corinna commented.
“I use birth control. I don’t use it because I have s/x (I don’t). I have it because my period gave me such mood swings and depression that I nearly kms (sic) once. Going on period blockers or whatever made my mental health so much better!! (Agreeing with Chris btw),” Tynsoup stated in agreement with Chris.
“I really find some of you need to mind your business when it comes to people’s wombs. Not everyone wants or has the desire to bring forth a child. Stop trying to force people into situations they don’t need,” Kemz also quoted.
Conclusion
This claim is false. While the claim suggests a direct link between premarital sex and the demand for reproductive health services, evidence shows that marriage does not eliminate the need for contraception or abortion. Married couples frequently use contraception to manage family planning, and abortions among married women, while less common than among unmarried women, still occur. Therefore, the need for reproductive health services persists regardless of marital status.
Naija Feminists Media is committed to fighting gendered disinformation and misinformation that concerns women. Read more of our fact checks here.
