In another instance highlighting the disconnect between personal opinions and women’s rights, baseball player Matt Collins made headlines for his unsolicited remarks to actress Jessica Chastain regarding birth control. Thankfully, social media users promptly challenged his outdated views. Just a quick reminder for Collins and others: women’s reproductive rights are not up for debate by those uninformed on the subject.
Recently, Chastain expressed her disappointment on Twitter regarding the Senate’s decision to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. This move threatens healthcare access for millions, particularly affecting women’s ability to afford birth control. “#BirthControl is no longer covered by health insurance,” she tweeted. “Congrats USA, you’re doing your part to keep women out of the work force.”
Collins, a pitcher for the Chicago Hawks, felt compelled to chime in with his antiquated perspective. “It’s called abstinence, a word that has been forgotten amongst this generation,” he tweeted. “It’s the best contraceptive… #juatsaying.” His comment not only demonstrated a lack of understanding about contraception but also neglected to acknowledge that methods of birth control have existed for centuries.
Twitter users quickly educated Collins, highlighting that abstinence, while it can prevent pregnancy, is statistically the least effective method. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a significant portion of unintended pregnancies occur among women who do not use contraceptives at all. Moreover, many women require birth control for reasons beyond preventing pregnancy, and those reasons are personal and should remain private.
Collins’ comments didn’t go unnoticed, as Twitter users took the opportunity to humorously comment on his personal life and baseball career. Meanwhile, Chastain chose to rise above the negativity, continuing to advocate for women’s healthcare rights and announcing her attendance at the Women’s March on Washington. “I am marching to protect the disenfranchised,” she tweeted. “I stand with you for reproductive choice, wage equality, and freedom from sexual violence.”
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In summary, the exchange between Collins and Chastain underscores the importance of respecting women’s rights and understanding that reproductive health decisions should be left to individuals, not dictated by outsiders.