Research examining the “contraceptive paradox” has illuminated how contraception can be a source of empowerment for some and oppression for others. This study advances theorizing of the contraceptive paradox by illustrating how 45 young women experience contraception as both liberating and constraining due to a confluence of biomedicalization processes, gender inequality, and neoliberal feminism. Drawing on focus group data, we find that the biomedicalization of pregnancy prevention and neoliberal feminist discourse, in combination with experiences of social and economic privilege and gender inequality in fertility work, shape participants’ interpretation of contraceptive technology as a key resource for individually liberating themselves from undesired pregnancy. At the same time, their experiences indicate prescription contraception plays an oppressive role in their lives. In addition to blaming themselves and their bodies for negative contraceptive side effects, participants take for granted that assuming sole responsibility for contraceptive use in their relationships with men is the price they must pay to feel free. The findings indicate that addressing a social problem using an individualized biomedical solution obscures the power that structural inequalities exert over pregnancy-capable people, including relatively privileged young women. As an expression of biopower, these dynamics prompted participants to emphasize distributive justice over social justice, foreclosing their engagement in collective action.

中文翻译：

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预防怀孕的生物医学化、新自由主义女权主义和女大学生避孕悖论的经历

对“避孕悖论”的研究阐明了避孕如何成为某些人赋权和压迫另一些人的源泉。这项研究通过说明 45 名年轻女性如何在生物医学化进程、性别不平等和新自由主义女权主义的共同作用下体验到避孕既是解放又是束缚，从而推进了避孕悖论的理论化。根据焦点小组数据，我们发现预防怀孕的生物医学化和新自由主义女权主义话语，结合生育工作中的社会和经济特权以及性别不平等的经验，塑造了参与者对避孕技术的解释，将其视为个人解放自己的关键资源意外怀孕。与此同时，他们的经历表明处方避孕药在他们的生活中扮演着压抑的角色。除了将避孕药具的副作用归咎于自己和身体之外，参与者还理所当然地认为，在与男性的关系中承担避孕药具的唯一责任是他们获得自由所必须付出的代价。研究结果表明，使用个性化的生物医学解决方案解决社会问题掩盖了结构性不平等对有怀孕能力的人（包括相对享有特权的年轻女性）施加的力量。作为生物权力的一种表达，这些动力促使参与者强调分配正义而不是社会正义，从而排除了他们参与集体行动的可能性。