The Womxn Project is pleased to join activists and partners around the country in a week of action leading up to “Free the Pill Day” on Saturday, May 9th. It has been 60 years since the day the FDA first approved the birth control pill. We need to talk about the barriers people are facing and make it clear that there is widespread support for moving the pill over the counter!
When the birth control pill first came about in 1960, it helped to give people the freedom to determine their own life path. We should not have to wait another 60 years for contraception options that better meet our needs. It is time for a birth control pill that’s available over the counter, covered by insurance, affordable, and accessible to people of all ages.
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our co-director Jocelyn Foye is speaking out about this important issue as part of our #SustainingCommunity series. There are a lot of extra costs that come with getting a prescription for birth control including a doctor’s visit, missing work, and transportation. These barriers disproportionately impact young people, low-income people, people of color, and immigrants. The birth control pill is one of the best-studied medicines on the market today. That’s why doctors support making it available over the counter. So what are we waiting for?
SPEAK OUT WITH US! Take a few minutes to share on your social media channels to show that you support getting rid of obstacles to the birth control pill by securing affordable OTC access.
Sample Post (image and text):
Being able to plan our families and futures and get birth control without barriers is crucial to our health and well-being – now and always! We need an affordable, over the counter birth control pill for all ages! We need to #FreeThePill!
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The current public health crisis that we are in underscores the need for eliminating obstacles to health care, including birth control (and abortion)! We know what’s best for ourselves, our bodies, and our futures.
The fact is that most of the millions of people who were looking to prevent pregnancy before the COVID-19 pandemic are still looking to do so today. More than ever, we need an over-the-counter birth control pill. We hope you will join us all this week and on May 9th to declare that it’s time to #FreeThePill!