In the United States, the path to accessible birth control pills hasn’t always been easy. Although the first FDA-approved birth control pill became available in 1960, the Comstock Act (a 150 year old “chastity law”) has created barriers to accessing it. These barriers were not challenged until Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965, when the Supreme […]
President Biden issues new Executive Order on access to contraceptives
Photo by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash On Friday, President Biden issued an Executive Order demanding strengthened access to affordable contraceptives and family planning services. This is the President’s first executive order which centers on contraceptives and his third on reproductive health care. His two previous Executive Orders focused on securing access to reproductive […]
FDA unanimously votes in favor of over-the-counter birth control
In an exciting win for reproductive rights, a FDA advisory panel voted unanimously in favor of the use of the “Opill,” Perrigo Co’s oral contraceptive, without a prescription. This will be the first over-the-counter birth control pill available in the United States. Over 100 countries throughout the world have already approved birth control for over-the-counter […]
Take Action to Stop Trump’s Title X Gag Rule
You only have until July 31, 2018 to submit a comment to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in opposition to the Trump administration’s latest attack on birth control and reproductive healthcare: the Title X Gag Rule, which would bar Title X-funded clinics from providing information to patients about abortion. That means that […]
Take Action To Save Birth Control Coverage
You have less than a week to submit a comment urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to stop Trump’s interim rules allowing employers, universities, and insurers to deny birth control coverage if they claim a religious or moral objection. HHS is trying to deter people from commenting by having separate comment drives for […]
Senator Wendy Davis’ CNN Op-Ed: “Can you hear us now? And, more important, are you listening?”
Davis isn’t done fighting for women’s reproductive health and access. And she’s not giving up on Texas, either.
These 10 Quotes Explain Why Feminists Won’t Miss Rick Perry
“I’m just going to tell you from my own personal life – abstinence works.”
Bureaucratic Attacks in Ohio Threaten Abortion Access, Activists Take Action
Activists are using the hashtag #StandWithOhio on Twitter to bring attention to the issues going on in Ohio surrounding these last minute provisions that were tacked onto the state’s budget. If the recent events in Texas have shown us anything, it’s that, when it comes down to it, an assault on women’s reproductive rights will not be tolerated.
HERvotes Blog Carnival: No Religious Exemption for Birth Control Coverage
by Kim Gandy, Feminist Majority Foundation Despite enormous pressure from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Obama Administration recently decided not to broaden the religious exemption for contraceptive coverage under the Preventive Care package of the Affordable Care Act. This demand for additional exemptions, would have denied millions of American women contraceptive coverage, including […]
Sad Reality: New President, Same Fight
by Stephanie Drahan, National Women’s Law Center Obama’s take on the proposed regulation to expand religious restrictions was clear – “We need to restore integrity to our public health programs, not create backdoor efforts to weaken them. I am committed to ensuring that the health and reproductive rights of women are protected.” But now, here […]