Yesterday, at the same time the FDA approved the first-ever, over-the-counter birth control pill, Congress proposed eliminating Title X, a federal safety-net program thousands of Missourians rely on for affordable birth control and related preventive care. Defunding Title X will hinder critical access to family planning services at a time when reproductive healthcare is already in deep crisis.
Although the FDA’s approval of Opill is a promising first step for increasing access, further investment in the safety net is needed to ensure everyone can obtain contraception that’s right for them. The availability of over-the-counter birth control removes just one barrier – it does not eliminate the many additional and often insurmountable barriers Missourians face.
More needs to be done, including state-level policy change, to ensure equitable access to affordable sexual and reproductive health services.
