The concept of true bodily autonomy is the right to self-governance. Or, as the Left likes to scream, “The right to choose.”

However, the right to choose is not a belief owned by the Left. It is a principle of the Right as well, along with everyone in between. We all want the right to make personal choices for our own bodies and for people to have access to what’s necessary to achieve optimal health and well-being. Yet what is often left out of the conversation is the component of being informed in the choices we make. If information is withheld, and a decision is made based on only the data and perspectives that have been publicized, does that mean you are the one governing your body — or is someone else?

This question has been highlighted by the sudden explosion of women of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and political affiliations stepping forward and sharing their personal experiences with the adverse consequences of taking birth control. The negative side effects should not be a surprise, though, as most pill-form contraceptives come with a warning packet almost as long as the Bible, containing a seemingly endless list of potential risks.

The unexpected outpouring of these detailed accounts led conservative commentator Liz Wheeler to remind the public of the concerning effects women are taking upon themselves by taking this popular medication. She listed blood clots, pulmonary embolism, stroke, breast cancer, liver cancer, depression, and high blood pressure, to name a few. She ended the post as follows: “Get off birth control. It’s poison.”

What has been surprising (or unsurprising), though, has been the backlash, primarily from the Left, in response to these women’s transparency about their health and encouraging others to educate themselves on what they are doing to their bodies. The Federalist’s Casey Chalk described the bizarre and borderline hysterical reaction:

A growing number of American women are sharing their stories about their experiences on birth control, noting all manner of negative side effects. Yet, the WaPo claims, those experiences don’t align with “the data,” which, its reporters claim with straight faces, demonstrate that the likelihood of developing blood clots, gaining weight, becoming depressed, suffering other mental health issues, or increasing the likelihood of infertility are all low.

While I’m sure most women have long been aware of the risks of birth control, like many of us who take any medication, the choice to do so is usually based on the belief that the likelihood of the side effects is low — a reassurance often asserted by the physician and/or the pharmacist providing the medication. Yet the active effort to silence dissenters serves the interest of the pharma companies that would otherwise lose customers and revenue.

Yet the censorship continues. According to The Washington Post, “TikTok recently removed at least five videos linking birth control to mental health issues and other health problems after The Post asked how the company prevents the spread of misinformation.”

The question, then, is whether the advocacy — particularly of the pro-feminist, pro-choice Left — is meant to truly empower women or limit their access to important information. Fortunately, these efforts to silence dissent have not had the desired effect. Women are continuing to speak out, much to the dismay of the Left.

What truly empowers women is not just bodily autonomy but the ability to make informed decisions. That isn’t possible when valuable information is withheld and women’s voices are silenced.