American women issue a 'sex strike' in response to abortion rights being overturned

American women are proposing a sex strike in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling which protected a woman's freedom to have an abortion.

On Friday (June 24), the justices voted 5-4 in favor of overturning the constitutional right for a woman to attain an abortion before a fetus' viability outside the womb - which is typically around 24 weeks.

Since the controversial move, thousands of people up and down the country have taken part in protests against the ruling, which is widely regarded as a step back where women's rights are concerned.

Several Twitter users took their activism online as they proposed a sex strike, with one writing on the platform: "Hey ladies, with the recent Roe v Wade decision, I think it's time we all practice abstinence, especially our lovely ladies who are married to the SC justices, senators, etc. No sex at all - we wouldn't want to risk anything! Let's see how long they last."

One of the activists, 24-year-old EMT Brianna Campbell, told The New York Post: "If you’re a man who won’t get a vasectomy, even though it’s reversible, and you’re not out in the streets fighting for my rights, you do not deserve to have sex with me."

Another, 22-year-old Caroline Healey, told the outlet: "I think it’s absolutely valid for us to be withholding the Holy Grail that men seem to think is important."

She continued: "Why shouldn’t we withhold it if we’re always worried that they’re not going [to] put a condom on, that they’re going [to] take one off after we ask them to.

"If we can’t safely go out and have sex and know that we will have a choice after that, then why should we be expected to?"

Other activists began using the hashtag "sex strike" to protest against last week's ruling, with one writing: "Perhaps a #sexstrike (also known as #abstinence) would help the men folk to be all in on this #womensrights issue," while another tweet reads: "#SexStrike. If our choices are denied, so are yours."

Featured image credit: Susan Vineyard / Alamy