There was something big happening in Colorado on Tuesday—something very serious. Colorado was trying to pass Amendment 67, which is a “personhood” amendment. What “personhood” means is that a fertilized egg would have the same human rights as a fully developed, coherent, living person. Sounds crazy, right? It doesn’t stop there.

This is what Amendment 67 would have done if it passed: It would have outlawed abortion in Colorado, even in cases of rape and incest. It would have banned some of the most common forms of birth control, including the Pill and intrauterine devices (IUDs). And pregnancies that end in a miscarriage or stillbirths could have been deemed suspicious and been investigated by police. These are just some of the consequences.

Now, you’re probably wondering what this has to do with you and other teens. Well, if this amendment had passed, similar amendments could be proposed and passed anywhere, spelling trouble for teens and adults alike. If the Colorado amendment passed, it would have made it nearly impossible for teens to get access to sexual health care. They wouldn’t have been able to access common forms of birth control or abortion, even in cases of rape. As well, teens who aren’t necessarily having sex that need to take birth control—for something like painful periods—would have more difficulty managing their health issues.

Luckily, Amendment 67 was defeated. But who knows for how long? This is the third time an amendment like this has been on the ballot, so we have to be vigilant in making sure amendments like this never pass. We need to always be aware of what politicians and organizations are standing for, especially when it comes to our sexual health and human rights. We need to send a clear message that trying to control what a person does with her body is never OK.

Photo via Newsweek