Do you recall the cries of 'my body my choice' from.........mostly conservatives who resented masks mandates and who were antivaxxers despite the damage those positions were to public health? Ironic, no, that they wanted freedom of choice about what to put on or in their bodies but also wanted to deny a choice to women?
A denial that has had the following consequences.......
1. Public Health and Mortality
Infant Mortality: Recent studies show a 7% increase in national infant mortality in the months following the decision, with approximately 250 additional deaths per month. In states with total bans, infant mortality rose by 5.6%.
Congenital Anomalies: Deaths from birth defects rose nearly 11% in ban states, suggesting that the inability to terminate pregnancies with severe abnormalities forced many families to carry non-viable pregnancies to term.
Maternal Health Risks: There has been a 50% increase in sepsis rates among women who lost pregnancies in the second trimester in Texas. Doctors have reported being forced to wait until patients are "critically ill" or have no detectable fetal heartbeat before providing life-saving intervention.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the slogan "My Body, My Choice" was primarily co-opted and used by anti-vaccine, anti-mask, and anti-lockdown protesters.
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
+2
Historically a feminist rallying cry for reproductive and abortion rights, the phrase was strategically repurposed to advocate for "medical freedom" and personal autonomy against government-mandated health measures.
NPR
NPR
+2
Key Drivers of the Slogan's Use During COVID-19:
Opposition to Mandates: Protesters used the slogan at rallies to argue that individuals should have the final say over what is injected into their bodies or what they are required to wear, such as masks.
Political Irony and Rhetoric: Many conservative leaders and activists adopted the phrase to highlight what they viewed as a double standard or hypocrisy by progressives who support bodily autonomy for abortion but not for vaccine refusal.
Conservative and Right-Leaning Groups: Organizations like the Tennessee Coalition for Vaccine Choice and Texans for Medical Freedom actively lifted this language to promote their agendas.
Social Media Amplification: Analysis of platforms like X (formerly Twitter) showed a semantic shift where the hashtag #MyBodyMyChoice moved from women’s rights discussions to being dominated by anti-vaccine and anti-containment messages.
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
+6
This appropriation led many reproductive rights organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, to distance themselves from the phrase and pivot to new slogans like "Bans Off Our Bodies" to avoid association with the anti-vaccine movement.
AI
Market Data 
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