Your Guide to Navigating Reproductive Rights Conversations This Holiday Season

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Nov 25

Navigating Reproductive Rights Conversations During the Holidays

Although the holiday season is typically a time of joy and merriment, it is impossible to completely insulate ourselves from the sociopolitical strife in the world around us—even in the most festive of seasons. Opposing political and moral views may give way to loaded questions and heated disagreement; when family members with differing stances gather around the table, topics like abortion, birth control, or reproductive policy may arise…sometimes in a more charged manner than you would prefer.

At Comma, we believe that knowledge is power. You don’t need to be a policy expert to discuss reproductive rights in a clear, confident way.

Below is a guide to common questions you might hear—and balanced, informative answers that keep the conversation thoughtful rather than tense.

Common Questions You May Hear at the Dinner Table & How to Answer Them

1. “What do you consider reproductive rights?”

How you could answer:

At it’s core, reproductive rights are simply the ability to make decisions about your own body and family planning in a way that is safe, accessible, and supportive. That includes access to contraception, prenatal care, abortion care, miscarriage treatment, fertility support, and the right to decide if or when to have children. It’s not about politics—it’s about bodily autonomy, safety, and access to healthcare.

2. “How have reproductive rights changed over time?”

How you could answer:

Reproductive rights in the U.S. have evolved through over a century of progress, setbacks, and ongoing fights for autonomy. Early laws, like the 1873 Comstock Act, actually made it illegal to access or even talk about birth control, showing how deeply women’s bodies were controlled. Through the 1960s and 70s, Supreme Court cases like Griswold, Eisenstadt, and Roe v. Wade expanded access to contraception and abortion by recognizing a constitutional “right to privacy.”

(for the full story, see this blog)

But that progress hasn’t been steady. In the 1990s, states began adding more restrictions, and in 2022, Dobbs v. Jackson overturned Roe entirely. Today, your reproductive rights depend heavily on where you live—some states protect access, while others ban or severely limit it. Women’s bodies have long been a political topic, with rulings deciding what rights women should and should not have over their reproductive health, family planning, and ultimately, privacy.

3. “How does the U.S. compare to other countries?”

How you could answer:

Most high-income countries have national reproductive healthcare protections—like guaranteed contraception access, federal abortion standards, and universal maternal care. The U.S. has none of these guarantees.

We also have the highest maternal mortality rates of any developed country. The reason? A lack of universal access to affordable healthcare, which fuels significant racial disparities in health outcomes. Black women in America die from pregnancy and childbirth related complications at over three times the rate of White women. This crisis is uniquely American, perpetuated by longstanding inequities in access to care, socioeconomic barriers shaped by structural racism, and the persistent implicit bias within our healthcare system.

The U.S. is unique in how inconsistent, politicized, and fragmented reproductive care is.

4. “Why does it matter that abortion rights vary by state?”

How you could answer:

State-by-state variation creates real barriers and risks for people seeking care. In 14 states with near-total abortion bans, in-state providers have largely shut down or relocated to states with fewer restrictions—forcing many patients to travel long distances just to access basic medical care. In 2024 alone, roughly 155,000 people crossed state lines for abortion care.

Florida was once a critical access point for the Southeast. But after its six-week ban took effect, thousands of out-of-state patients—along with Florida residents—lost a major regional option for care. Travel from Florida to states like Virginia, North Carolina, and New York has surged as a result. Similarly, more than 28,000 Texans traveled to other states for abortion care in 2024.

What these numbers don’t show is the financial, logistical, and emotional burden placed on patients: time off work, childcare, transportation, lodging, and navigating multiple appointments. These additional costs often make abortion care inaccessible for many and delay treatment for others.

Today, access to abortion in the United States is shaped heavily by privilege, income, geography, and personal networks—leaving those with the fewest resources facing the greatest barriers.

5. “Isn’t birth control easy to get?”

How you could answer:

Not for everyone, and access is getting harder.

While birth control may feel accessible if you have good insurance, live near a clinic, or can afford out-of-pocket costs, millions of Americans rely on federally funded programs like Title X for affordable contraception. In 2023 alone, 2.8 million people received care through Title X, many of whom are low-income, uninsured, or living in rural communities.

Policy changes have repeatedly disrupted that access. During the last Trump administration, the Title X “gag rule” barred providers from discussing the full range of pregnancy options. This forced nearly 1,000 clinics—including over 400 Planned Parenthood sites—to leave the program, slashing its capacity and limiting access to birth control for an estimated 1.6 million patients.

Although the gag rule was repealed in 2021, new threats have emerged. In March 2025, the administration again withheld Title X funding in 23 states, jeopardizing access to birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and basic reproductive healthcare. These cuts disproportionately affect young people, low-income patients, and Black, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and rural communities—groups already facing structural barriers to care.

So while birth control should be easy to get, political decisions have made essential contraception harder to access for the people who rely on it most.

Knowledge is Power

This holiday season, you may be confronted with some loaded questions about reproductive rights. While these topics can be sensitive, they also present an opportunity for informed, respectful dialogue. At Comma, we believe that informed conversations are a powerful form of advocacy. By showing up with clarity, empathy, and evidence, you’re helping build a culture where reproductive healthcare is understood as a human right—not a partisan issue.