Birth Control Access

We believe all people deserve access to birth control and other preventive care.

Everyone deserves the freedom to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to become pregnant—and that means having access to the birth control method that works best for you.

The approval of Opill, the first over-the-counter daily birth control pill in the U.S., was a major step forward. But it’s not enough. We need to guarantee the right to birth control so overzealous judges and politicians can’t take it away.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most Iowans with health insurance can now get preventive care—including birth control—at no extra cost. But coverage alone doesn’t ensure access. Between 2015 and 2020, the number of Iowans accessing contraceptive care through publicly funded family planning services decreased by 47%. This decreased use of family planning programs is largely attributed to a 2017 state law that defunded Planned Parenthood and created a state-funded program that specifically excludes clinics that provide abortion care. 

Birth control can be expensive, even with insurance. True access means affordability. More than one-third of female voters have struggled to afford prescription birth control and, as a result, used it inconsistently. That’s not just a health issue—it’s an economic one. No one should have to choose between paying for birth control and paying for other essentials.

Difficulties getting birth control—and health care—fall harder on people of color and Indigenous peoples, young people, immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, those working to make ends meet, and people with disabilities.

People know what’s best for themselves, their bodies, and their futures. Everyone should have the freedom to thrive in every aspect of their lives, and birth control is critical to making that a reality.

Why Contraception Access Matters

• Health: Birth control lets people control if and when to have children, and can also treat certain medical conditions.

• Choice: Access means being able to choose the method that works for your body and your life.

• Economic Justice: When people can plan their pregnancies, they’re more likely to finish school, advance in their careers, support their families, and invest in their futures.

• Prevention: Making effective contraception available to everyone who needs it reduces unintended pregnancies.

We must protect and expand birth control access because reproductive freedom depends on it.