Over-the-counter birth control is a welcome step toward contraceptive equity, but barriers remain

In response to the announcement that the oral contraceptive Opill will be available over the counter this month, Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice, released the following statement:

“For the first time, Americans will be able to access birth control without a prescription, expanding access for people who cannot easily visit a health care provider because of cost, time, or distance. Ensuring people have a wide range of contraception options for planning pregnancies is a crucial aspect of reproductive autonomy and has significant benefits for the health, economic security and educational outcomes of Black women, girls and gender-expansive people.

“Unfortunately, even with this welcome news, contraception will still be out of reach for many people who will not be able to afford to regularly buy contraception over the counter at the current price point and lack insurance coverage for other means of birth control that still require a prescription. Affordability is an especially challenging barrier to equitable access to contraception for Black women, girls and gender-expansive people and cost is often top-of-mind. No one should have to choose between paying their bills and being able to control their reproductive futures. Policymakers must invest more funding for access to contraception and other family planning resources, promote insurance coverage without cost sharing or co-pays for all forms of contraception and continue to lift medically unnecessary regulations on birth control access.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, femmes, and girls. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.