When My IUD Became a Political Question: Beatrice’s Story

An Upstate woman shares her experience with reproductive healthcare—and how SC’s proposed S.323 “Unborn Child Protection Act” could threaten contraception access and choices.

byBeatrice J. Church

Several years ago, I chose an IUD after weighing different birth control options. For me, it wasn’t just about preventing pregnancy— it was about giving myself some control over my own health. My own research told me exactly how an IUD would work: it thickened my cervical mucus, made it harder for sperm to move, and thinned my uterine lining so an egg would be less likely to implant. It gave me peace of mind and stability.

But now, with South Carolina’s proposed “Unborn Child Protection Act” (S.323), I find myself wondering if my decision—the very device in my body—could be questioned under the law.

My Doctor Said “No” to an IUD

I had just turned 30. I wasn’t married, but I had been seeing a guy for several months. In the end, the relationship didn’t work out–such is life–but at the time, I was starting to think more seriously about preventing an unplanned pregnancy. I had never been the most organized person, and once my relationship had moved past the early stage, I worried that a missed pill could change everything.

Friends had told me about their positive experiences with IUDs: light to no monthly periods, effective birth control, and no need to remember a pill every day. It sounded like a dream come true. So, I made an appointment with my doctor to discuss.

At the very start of that appointment, before the doctor had even entered the exam room, the nurse said something that surprised me. After I explained why I was there: to talk with the doctor about IUDs, she told me bluntly: “This doctor refuses to provide them.”

At the time, I shrugged it off and booked with another physician in the practice who did provide IUDs. A few weeks later, I had one inserted, and it gave me the freedom and security I was looking for. But looking back now, I wonder: Was that doctor’s refusal a personal conviction? Or was it rooted in the same thinking that drives bills like S.323 where “life at conception” is elevated above a woman’s right to choose contraception?

Life at Conception: A New Legal Standard

This bill redefines life to begin at conception—meaning the very moment sperm meets egg. By drawing the line there, lawmakers are not only banning abortion earlier than ever before, but they’re also opening the door to reframe certain forms of contraception as problematic.

Under S.323, a contraceptive is defined as something that prevents fertilization or implantation (44-41-610(6)).  But if life begins at fertilization, then anything that prevents implantation—like my IUD—is suddenly at risk of being seen not as prevention, but as interference with a “human being.”

That shift feels less like a technical legal definition and more like an accusation aimed directly at women like me. 

The Bigger Picture

S.323 defines life as beginning at conception and lumps certain contraceptives into the gray area of potentially ending a conceived life. My experience made me realize how fragile access really is—because even before a law like this passes, a single provider can decide not to offer a legal, safe form of birth control. Imagine what happens if the law itself emboldens more providers to say no, or if pharmacies stop dispensing certain methods for fear of liability. 

How to Oppose S.323

SC's Women's Rights & Empowerment Network suggests the following. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS LINKS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL POINTS.

• Attend the hearing. Show your support October 1 at 9:30 AM, Gressette Building, Room 105, SC Statehouse.
• Submit written testimony before 9am Monday, September 29. Live testimony spaces are filled, but you can still submit a written statement that will be put on record stating that you oppose the bill and why.
• Contact your legislators. Send a message THIS WEEK urging them to oppose S.323.

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Beatrice J. Church is a South Carolina native who spent most of her life in conservative circles. Writing under a pen name on Substack, Beatrice challenges misinformation, reflects on her upbringing, shares her journey from red roots to a blue rebirth, and invites readers to ponder their own beliefs and assumptions.