While access to birth control for women remains a heavily debated issue across the U.S., especially among Republican men, rats in New York City will now enjoy better access to reproductive healthcare options than millions of women across America.
As Republican-led states continue to restrict birth control access, the NYC council has approved a pilot program to distribute contraceptive pellets in an attempt to curb the city’s booming rat population.
The program, initiated by Council member Shaun Abreu, is designed to reduce the city’s infamous rat problem, with the council stating that it will monitor the program’s results over the coming year. “The war on rats predates us and will probably outlast us if we keep trying the same methods that haven’t been working,” said Abreu.
The program will be rolled out in two pilot areas within Manhattan, the Bronx, or Brooklyn, where residential buildings are required to use waste containers to help reduce rodent infestations.
This effort to manage rat reproduction in NYC comes at a time when access to birth control for women is either being limited or remains under severe threat in several states.
The prohibition of abortions remains a heavily discussed topic at many Republican rallies during this election cycle, with convicted felons and candidates with questionable moral fibre always being quick to talk about how big of a sin abortions are during their rallies.
While women in red states face growing barriers to reproductive rights, New York’s rat population will now benefit from a cutting-edge solution to control its numbers. The contrast is further highlighted by the fact that this program targets both male and female rats, addressing reproductive health for both sexes—something still elusive in human society.
Male birth control remains experimental, while women have long borne the burden of hormone-based contraceptives and their side effects.
In a country where reproductive rights are under siege and access to birth control is increasingly restricted, at least New Yorkers can take comfort in knowing that, thanks to this new initiative, there might be fewer rat babies in the city—even if some human citizens aren’t as fortunate.