3 Ways Roe V. Wade Being Overturned May Impact Sexuality
It’s a heavy time for so many of us. With Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court, many uterus owners will no longer be able to access reproductive healthcare. This is a serious issue that is already and will continue to impact so many people’s emotional, physical, social, psychological, and financial well-being.
As a sex therapist, I’m also considering how this injustice may impact people’s sexuality. Sex and reproductive health are interconnected. The access that someone has to reproductive healthcare and the autonomy they have over their body directly impacts how comfortable and empowered they may be in their sexual expression.
1. Heightened fear & anxiety around sex means less presence and pleasure.
Many ways of being sexual come with some level of risk for pregnancy, even when properly using birth control methods. While I always encourage folks to engage in safer sex practices when they don’t want to become pregnant, this ruling will likely lead to (understandable) hyper-vigilance about this risk.
When someone does not have access to reproductive healthcare, there’s deeper worry and fear about the potential risk of pregnancy with sex. Knowing that you may not have the choice to make decisions about your own body means there are much higher stakes going into every sexual experience.
When we are anxious and worried during sex, we end up getting stuck in our heads. When we’re stuck in our heads, we aren’t able to be in our bodies and connected to the pleasure and connection there is to experience in the moment.
2. Increased sexual shaming means more suppression, hiding, and self-criticism around sex.
We’re already seeing this messaging spread from those who are in support of Roe v. Wade being overturned: “Just don’t have sex if you don’t want to get pregnant!”. Sexual shaming has always been rampant in our society due to patriarchy, racism, and religious messaging that has seeped into the larger culture. It’s not uncommon to hear judgements about those who are openly sexual, especially women and femmes. And now those who are in support of this ruling are responding to people’s outrage about the lack of autonomy over their own bodies with this same sexual shame rhetoric. Don’t want to have this unwanted pregnancy? You shouldn’t have had sex!
But it is innately human to be sexual (for most)! We all deserve sexual pleasure, connection with others, touch, and sexual empowerment. We deserve to be sexual in whatever ways feel fulfilling, pleasurable, and connecting for us so long as there is always consent and respect. This sexual shaming leads to sexual suppression and hiding, which is a recipe for self-criticism, isolation, and deep shame. And shame is a significant barrier to pleasure.
3. Not having autonomy over your own body is disempowering. And disempowerment leads to lower desire.
Our level of sexual desire is impacted by many factors and naturally ebbs and flows throughout our lives. One core need humans have in order to feel sexual desire is a sense of bodily empowerment. When we are disempowered, we may feel unsafe, unseen, and devalued. None of these feelings sound very sexy, right?
In order to access sexual desire, we need to feel safe. When we are unsafe, our bodies and mind are skilled at protecting us. Essentially, our bodies create an alarm system to protect us from the uncomfortable feelings. With our sexuality, this may look like your mind disconnecting from sexuality altogether, checking out when being sexual, or even feeling ick-ed out by sex altogether.
This sense of disempowerment may lead to lower sexual desire for some. This may mean that someone who would typically want to engage in sex more regularly and finds it pleasurable, could begin to feel disconnected from their sexuality. This loss of one’s authentic sexual expression is another manifestation of this injustice.
However you are feeling in response to Roe v. Wade being overturned, I want you to know that it is so valid and understandable. There is no pressure or expectation to connect with your sexuality in any particular way at any time. But I do want you to know that you deserve to be your most authentic sexual self, whatever that looks like for you. If this ruling is impacting your sexuality, I hope this can show you that you’re not alone. And know I’ll be here, advocating for your rights to bodily autonomy and your fulfilling sexual expression.
Taylor Kravitz, LMFT is a couples therapist and sex therapist in Portland, OR. She is passionate about helping individuals and partners build sexual lives that are pleasurable, fulfilling, and authentic. She loves helping folks in relationships build more closeness, understanding, & connection together. She provides individual therapy, couples therapy, and sex therapy to folks throughout Oregon.
If you are wanting support to process anything addressed in this blog, you may benefit from working with a sex therapist. Empowered Fulfillment Therapy offers sex therapy in Portland, OR (and all of Oregon). You can reach out to us to schedule a free phone consultation to get started.