Overview
#MyBodyMyChoice is a longstanding reproductive rights slogan asserting bodily autonomy and the right to make decisions about pregnancy, abortion, contraception, and healthcare without government interference. The phrase surged in 2022 after Roe v. Wade’s overturn but has roots in 1970s feminist movements.
Origins: 1970s Women’s Liberation
“My body, my choice” emerged during second-wave feminism’s fight for abortion legalization. After Roe v. Wade (1973) established a constitutional right to abortion, the slogan persisted, defending reproductive freedom against ongoing restrictions.
Modern Social Media Era (2010s)
#MyBodyMyChoice gained Twitter traction in the 2010s as states passed hundreds of abortion restrictions: mandatory ultrasounds, waiting periods, TRAP laws (Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers) forcing clinic closures, 20-week bans.
Activists used the hashtag to oppose:
- Trans-vaginal ultrasound mandates (forcing invasive procedures before abortion)
- Parental consent laws for minors
- “Heartbeat bills” banning abortion after 6 weeks
- Defunding Planned Parenthood
COVID-19 Paradox (2020-2021)
Anti-mask and anti-vaccine protesters co-opted “My body, my choice” to oppose pandemic health measures. Pro-choice advocates noted the irony: the same people opposing abortion rights invoked bodily autonomy for masks/vaccines.
The co-optation sparked debates about when bodily autonomy applies. Pro-choice advocates argued:
- Pregnancy doesn’t spread disease to others (unlike COVID)
- Abortion bans force people to use their bodies against their will
- Public health measures are temporary; forced pregnancy is nine months + life-altering
Post-Roe Explosion (2022)
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe on June 24, 2022, #MyBodyMyChoice trended globally. Millions protested nationwide, chanting the slogan. The hashtag linked to #BansOffOurBodies and #AbortionIsHealthcare.
Protesters emphasized:
- Forced pregnancy is violence
- Healthcare decisions belong to individuals, not politicians
- Abortion bans endanger lives (denied miscarriage care, ectopic pregnancy treatment)
Intersectional Reproductive Justice
Black and Indigenous feminists expanded “My body, my choice” to reproductive justice, encompassing:
- Right to have children (challenging forced sterilization, which disproportionately targeted Black, Indigenous, Latina, disabled, and incarcerated women)
- Right not to have children (abortion access, contraception)
- Right to parent in safe environments (addressing poverty, police violence, environmental racism)
Reproductive justice framed bodily autonomy as inseparable from economic justice, racial justice, and Indigenous sovereignty.
Men’s Involvement
Vasectomy searches spiked after Dobbs, with men seeking permanent contraception to share responsibility. Some men rallied under “My body, my choice” in solidarity, emphasizing abortion as a healthcare and human rights issue affecting all genders (trans men, non-binary people, and cisgender women).
Global Resonance
The slogan resonated globally:
- Ireland (2018): #Repealthe8th movement to legalize abortion
- Argentina (2020): Legalized abortion after mass green handkerchief protests
- Poland (2020-2021): Massive protests after near-total abortion ban
- Mexico (2021): Supreme Court decriminalized abortion
Corporate Responses
After Dobbs, companies including Amazon, Disney, Netflix, and JPMorgan announced they’d cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions, invoking bodily autonomy and workforce protection.