On my 20th birthday, I celebrated with my friends that I had “beaten teen pregnancy.” On the surface, it was kind of a silly joke. I mean, I hadn’t had any major scares up to that point — I’d always used condoms, and I’d been on birth control since I was 15. But there was also some real relief behind the humor: If a condom had broken, if I had suddenly lost the health insurance that helped me afford my birth control — or if I had been the victim of a sexual assault, like so many college women unfortunately are — I could have easily been in a very different situation.
Even still, I had the security of being a college student while Roe v. Wade was still in place, protecting abortion on a federal level — meaning if I did accidentally get pregnant, I had the option to get an abortion safely and legally. Now, that’s woefully not the case. For many Gen Z college students, the possibility of getting pregnant and being denied an abortion is now a very real — and terrifying — threat.
Currently, there are 22 U.S. states with abortion restrictions of 18 weeks or less. Of those 22 states, 14 have banned abortion in almost *all* circumstances. Birth control, emergency contraception, and even IVF treatments are all also at risk of being restricted, as more anti-choice rhetoric and legislation is being introduced across the country.
In response to this, Her Campus conducted a nationwide survey in August 2024 to gather comprehensive data about how young people across the country think and feel about reproductive freedom. In this survey — the third we’ve done on the topic of reproductive freedom and other top issues for Gen Z in the leadup to Election Day — respondents named reproductive rights as the most important issue in the upcoming election (followed by issues such as gun control, the economy, and climate change). 96% of respondents support legal abortion in at least some circumstances.
Respondents also named multiple aspects of reproductive rights that they’re in favor of protecting or expanding, including access to birth control (88%), sex education (83%), emergency contraception (78%), and permanent birth control like tubal ligation and vasectomies (74%).
“My reproductive rights and health rights are at the forefront of my concern in this country,” Bella*, a 21-year-old woman from Pennsylvania, wrote in the survey.Â
Overwhelmingly, respondents cited Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate who most closely represents their views on reproductive rights — 70%, compared to 16% who named Donald Trump. “Harris is truly one of the girls at the end of the day, and having her on the campaign trail is incredibly inspiring as she fights for a progressive future,” Maeve*, a 21-year-old woman from Boston, wrote in the survey. “It feels like Congress is increasingly out of touch with the new generation, so Harris is a breath of fresh air when it comes to [the reproductive] rights she’s pushing for.”
Abortion, emergency contraception, and birth control have long been considered taboo topics in many parts of the country, but according to our survey, these barriers are breaking down. Roughly 75% of respondents said they’re comfortable talking to friends about their stance on abortion and reproductive rights, while 68% said the same about discussing these topics with their families. And often, their opinions are strong, with 62% of respondents saying they’d likely end a romantic relationship if their partner had highly conflicting views on reproductive rights.
Clearly, Gen Z wants their voices heard in the conversations surrounding reproductive rights — and we’re listening.
Her Campus has been highlighting young people and their fight for bodily autonomy for years. In 2017, we published Our Bodies, Our Rules, a look at how college students felt about reproductive rights in the wake of Donald Trump’s election win. Then in 2022, we followed it up with Our Bodies, Our Rights to share Gen Zers’ response to the rollback of Roe. Now, we’ve launched Our Bodies, Our Votes, a collection of stories from courageous Gen Zers about their experiences with reproductive rights in the United States and their calls to action as the 2024 election draws near.Â
In this collection of stories, you’ll read about a young woman whose medication abortion allowed her to pursue her dream of going to college, a first-gen Latina bringing reproductive rights education to marginalized communities, an aspiring OB/GYN who had a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy when she was 21, and a Florida native who realized talking about her abortion is crucial to the fight for Black reproductive health care. In other pieces, you’ll hear from a Kentucky woman whose experience being assaulted and impregnated as a preteen inspired her commitment to fighting for reproductive justice, a South Carolina woman recounting her journey across state lines to get an abortion, a San JosĂ© State University student who was brought up by conservative immigrants and is now a reproductive rights advocate, and a writer and activist who powerfully responded to Amber Nicole Thurman’s death and the Black maternal health crisis.
Reproductive freedom is at stake in the upcoming presidential election, and here at Her Campus, we believe in the power of the Gen Z vote to effect real change. That’s why we’re passing the microphone over to young people closest to the issue, in hopes that you’ll be inspired to use your own voice come Election Day this November.
*Names have been changed for privacy.
