Democratic Mississippi senator, Bradford Blackmon, recently introduced a bill titled the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act” that has sparked public outrage.

This controversial bill would criminalize casual sex and masturbation as it would “be unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.”

The bill also included fines beginning at $1000 for the first offense and going up to $10,000 for third and subsequent offenses. Exceptions were also provided for sperm donation and contraceptive methods used to prevent fertilization. While the chances of this bill being passed are low, if passed it would be enforceable on July 1, 2025. 

On June 24, 2022 the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade which eliminated the federal right to abortion and left the decision up to the states. Since then abortion has been illegal in 12 states including Alabama, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Women, who were once protected for almost 50 years since the landmark decision, have been fighting since its overturning and states such as Massachusetts, New York and California not only have provided protections for abortion but also have provided additional resources for abortion care. 

States such as Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina have not criminalized abortion, however it is not fully protected. For more information on abortion protections you can visit www.abortionfinder.org/ .