The New Argument Against Birth Control That Could Appeal Directly to RFK Jr.

"For decades, abortion opponents swore that they had created a single-issue movement and had no interest in changing access to birth control. It was never that simple, and the past few weeks have only made that clearer. Conservative opposition to contraception is a staple of right-wing social media, from anti-abortion groups to MAHA influencers. And in the second Trump administration, the arguments against birth control are changing: Regulators are being asked to revisit birth control at least partly (and explicitly) to benefit men."

"Heritage has been in the news lately for a second reason: a civil war within the powerful think tank after its president defended former Fox News host Tucker Carlson for hosting the white nationalist Nick Fuentes on his popular online show. But what Heritage has to say on sex and reproduction matters. The group has influenced everything from key appointments in the Trump administration to policy initiatives that track Project 2025's Mandate for Leadership."

For decades, abortion opponents presented themselves as a single-issue movement while simultaneously opposing contraception. Conservative opposition to contraception has become common across right-wing social media, spanning anti-abortion groups and MAGA influencers. The Heritage Foundation is promoting arguments to revisit birth-control regulation, explicitly framing changes as partially benefiting men. The Heritage Foundation has shaped Project 2025 policy proposals and influenced senior Trump-administration appointments. Anti-contraception activists borrowed strategies from 1990s anti-abortion campaigns, emphasizing women's safety through 'right to know' laws that portrayed abortion as dangerous and recast opponents as protectors. Those activists then adapted safety-based rhetoric to challenge birth control access.

Read at Slate Magazine