ICYMI: Indiana Lawmakers Restrict Youth Access to Birth Control As They Ban Abortion

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — As Indiana lawmakers advance Senate Bill 1, an extreme ban on abortion that would essentially stop abortion access completely in the state, lawmakers are working equally hard to restrict young people’s access to birth control and funnel money to fake clinics known for lying to patients about their reproductive health options. Just like abortion bans are deeply unpopular to Hoosiers, so is restricting access to contraceptives. 

According to 2019 polling, the majority of voters (85%) in Indiana believe it is important for there to be access to birth control for everyone who wants it or needs it. The right to access contraceptives is a core belief across party lines, with 96% of Democrats, 90% of Independents, and 77% of Republicans supporting access. 

For those who receive funding under Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 1001, this bill will require young people to get parental consent for birth control and will use taxpayer dollars to fund fake health clinics – called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) or “pregnancy resource centers” – which are not legitimate medical providers and serve to mislead and lie to patients about their health care options. Lawmakers are being disingenuous in their claim that HB 1001 expands access to contraceptives - this bill would limit young people’s access to contraceptives right as Indiana bans abortion.

The following statement can be attributed to Lisa Humes-Schulz, VP of Policy and Regulatory Affairs for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates: 

“Forced parental involvement to access birth control would represent a dangerous reversal of long-standing public health policies in Indiana and likely lead to even more forced births and negative health outcomes in Indiana,” said Lisa Humes-Schulz, Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. “Making contraceptives available to teens does not increase sexual activity – in fact, young people who have access to comprehensive sexual health care, including contraception, are more likely to delay sex to a later age. Limiting access to contraception right as Indiana is banning abortion is horrendously bad public policy.”

Mandatory parental consent laws are opposed by state and national medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, among many others. Some young people live in abusive homes where telling a parent about accessing contraceptives would put them at risk of abuse or being kicked out of their home. 

Outlawing abortion and simultaneously funding crisis pregnancy centers will undermine legitimate family planning providers and limit access to evidence-based health care. This is especially cruel when the state is simultaneously forcibly increasing the number of people in the state who will desperately need quality care during pregnancy by eliminating their right to choose another outcome and resources like birth control to prevent pregnancy.