Why Reproductive Rights Are Necessary: Stealthing, Abortion Laws, and More

Let’s talk about rape/baby

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Funny how a few moments of pleasure could lead to a lifetime of hell.

Clarissa* is only seventeen. Her boyfriend is twenty-one. Their sex is considered legal and consensual where they live in the United Kingdom.

Basking in the dim light of the television recently, the two set out to have sex in her boyfriend’s bedroom, as young people do. It was the kind of sex they’d had innumerable times. They always use protection to be cautious. They’re young and in the type of love they naively believe will effortlessly last forever.

She can’t wait to ditch the condoms and finally feel his bare flesh. She’s thrilled about the moment that day comes. But they’ve chosen to wait until the time is right. It’s not worth taking the gamble of becoming pregnant.

She’s young and inexperienced, so she lets her boyfriend guide her through diverse nature of sexuality and sexual experiences. He’s always very accepting of boundaries and doesn’t pressure her if she doesn’t like something.

He’s usually patient, caring, and thoughtful.

She wondered if he was bothered by their discussion just a few hours earlier about finally ditching their condoms.

It’s not a conversation they often have, but they revisited it. He seemed perturbed after she insisted on keeping their absolute condom policy intact. He asked if she’d be open to trying the pull-out method. Seeing enough people’s lives ruined over a few minutes of pleasure, she refused.

Clarissa is the epitome of a responsible young woman.

She would soon become a victim, nonetheless.

Something about this last time they had sex was weird. He was different. She could sense it. Some things didn’t add up. He pulled out — something he’d never done before. Why pull out if you have a barrier preventing pregnancy?

It doesn’t make sense.

Suspicion tipped her off. She decided to go to the bathroom afterward. To her shock, she found a dry condom in the trash. It hadn’t been used. This was the first time she saw her boyfriend's conniving, venomous…