--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't control your reproduction…" description: "\"If you can't control your reproduction, you can't control your life.\" — Joycelyn Elders" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png" --- # If you can't control your reproduction, you can't control… ![“If you can't control your reproduction, you can't control your life.” quote by Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png) > “If you can't control your reproduction, you can't control your life.” [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Control over reproductive choices is linked to broader autonomy and life direction. **In simple terms:** Reproductive control equals life control. Key Takeaway Promote reproductive autonomy. Themes health rights autonomy Mood serious empowering Type political ethical When to use this quote - family planning - policy advocacy - education programs Key Concepts public health ethics Questions to Reflect On - Why is reproductive autonomy vital? - How can societies support reproductive rights? A Different Perspective Cultural and political resistance can limit access. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Control your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-your-life/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Reproduction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reproduction/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [There's no question at all that the population explosion will come to an end. The two basic choices are it'll come to an end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/there-s-no-question-at-all-that-the-population-explosion-will-come-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [“To control your life, control your mind. To control your mind, control your breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/to-control-your-life-control-your-mind-to-control-your-mind-control/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [Being able to control your reproduction is essential to women's ability to flourish in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-traister/being-able-to-control-your-reproduction-is-essential-to-women-s/) [Rebecca Traister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-traister/) > [To control your hormones is to control your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-sears/to-control-your-hormones-is-to-control-your-life/) [Barry Sears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-sears/) > [If you don't control your life, someone else will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-don-t-control-your-life-someone-else-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [LIFE CAN BE AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU WANT IT TO BE. NO ONE CAN CONTROL YOUR LIFE UNLESS YOU LET THEM. SO TAKE YOUR…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vve/life-can-be-as-beautiful-as-you-want-it-to-be-no-one-can-control-your/) Vve > [Destiny doesn't control your life, but it does place you on a path. It's how you walk down that path that determines stories I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-yates/destiny-doesn-t-control-your-life-but-it-does-place-you-on-a-path-it/) [Pamela Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-yates/) > [Control your life through insanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-burton/control-your-life-through-insanity/) [Cliff Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-burton/) > [“Buy it for the lady who’s about to become your mother-in-law, the one who’s already trying to control your life and the lives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-neilan/buy-it-for-the-lady-who-s-about-to-become-your-mother-in-law-the-one/) [Paul Neilan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-neilan/) > [“If you are impeccable with your word, if you don’t take anything personally, if you don’t make assumptions, if you always do your best,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz/if-you-are-impeccable-with-your-word-if-you-don-t-take-anything/) [Miguel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz/) > [“Don't make people control your life, People only care about themselves. Live your life with happy and ignore Sick people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hanouf-halawi/don-t-make-people-control-your-life-people-only-care-about-themselves/) Al-Hanouf Halawi > [The past can affect your life,but the past can't control your life,unless you let it-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-past-can-affect-your-life-but-the-past-can-t-control-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you allow yourself to have low standards, how are you supposed to ever achieve excellence? Exhibiting self-control is one of the most powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-meadows/if-you-allow-yourself-to-have-low-standards-how-are-you-supposed-to/) [Martin Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-meadows/) > [“To control your Life and enjoy your Daily Life one should turn his Higgs Boson on by having a purpose in life, making his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemdan-m-aly/to-control-your-life-and-enjoy-your-daily-life-one-should-turn-his/) [Hemdan M. Aly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemdan-m-aly/) > [Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-earhart/never-interrupt-someone-doing-what-you-said-couldn-t-be-done-you-can/) [Amelia Earhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-earhart/) ## More by Joycelyn Elders > [The best contraceptive in the world is a good education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/the-best-contraceptive-in-the-world-is-a-good-education/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Once I had a professor say to me, "You know you have as much education as a lot of white people." I answered, "Doctor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/once-i-had-a-professor-say-to-me-you-know-you-have-as-much-education/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Handguns are a public health issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/handguns-are-a-public-health-issue/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [ \[On masturbation:\] I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/on-masturbation-i-think-that-it-is-part-of-human-sexuality-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I think we should have a very, very heavy tax on handguns and on bullets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-think-we-should-have-a-very-very-heavy-tax-on-handguns-and-on/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [“We have a multiheaded dragon in our midst that for too long has been waging a domestic war on our young, our poor, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/we-have-a-multiheaded-dragon-in-our-midst-that-for-too-long-has-been/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [... black women have always found that in the social order of things we're the least likely to be believed--by anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/black-women-have-always-found-that-in-the-social-order-of-things-we/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't keep an ignorant population healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-keep-an-ignorant-population-healthy/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Everybody's got to die from somethin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/everybody-s-got-to-die-from-somethin/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [ \[We must\] deal with all of the contributing factors to gun violence as a whole, because it's like a leaky bucket - if you've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/we-must-deal-with-all-of-the-contributing-factors-to-gun-violence-as/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't educate people that are not healthy. But you certainly can't keep them healthy if they're not educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-educate-people-that-are-not-healthy-but-you-certainly-can-t/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [As long as I was in Washington I never met anybody that I thought was good enough, who knew enough, or who loved enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/as-long-as-i-was-in-washington-i-never-met-anybody-that-i-thought-was/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I came there as prime steak and now I feel like low-grade hamburger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-came-there-as-prime-steak-and-now-i-feel-like-low-grade-hamburger/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is about jobs and employment, education, the environment, and all of those things that go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/health-is-more-than-the-absence-of-disease-health-is-about-jobs-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Health is more than absence of disease; it is about economics, education, environment, empowerment, and community. The health and well being of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/health-is-more-than-absence-of-disease-it-is-about-economics/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) [Explore all 56 Joycelyn Elders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you can't control your reproduction, you can't control your life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joycelyn Elders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-you-can-t-control-your-life/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Control" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-you-can-t-control-your-life/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/175/joycelyn-elders-12167_control_if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-y_2599529.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you can't control your reproduction, you can't control your life.” — Joycelyn Elders", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joycelyn Elders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you can't control your reproduction,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-you-can-t-control-your-life/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/if-you-can-t-control-your-reproduction-you-can-t-control-your-life/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```