FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2024
Contact:
Leslie Pritchard, Communications Manager
LPritchard@mfhc.org | (573) 694-4898
JEFFERSON CITY (MO) – One year after Missouri Family Health Council’s (MFHC’s) Free EC project launched, the organization announced today it has distributed nearly 25,000 Free EC kits, totaling 50,000 doses of emergency contraception (EC).
Free EC launched June 1, 2023, with the goal of correcting misinformation while promoting the availability of EC via mail order and at community distribution centers throughout the state. At the time of the launch, MFHC hoped to distribute 5,000 kits by December 2023, a goal quickly surpassed. 24,732 kits have been distributed as of May 30, 2024.
“This milestone shows the considerable need for increased access to affordable sexual and reproductive healthcare throughout Missouri,” said Michelle Trupiano, MFHC Executive Director. “Our Free EC partners and volunteers continue to make this project a success, and without them we could not meet the high demand for these kits.”
“But anyone can be susceptible to mis- and disinformation, which is why we continue to educate about birth control, including access barriers and legality, among our provider network, the general public, and even the Missouri legislature. All methods of birth control are legal."
The Free EC milestone is on the cusp of the 59th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut, which first recognized the constitutional right to contraception, privacy, and has served as the foundation for other landmark Supreme Court decisions. This right has come under threat in recent years due to legislative and judicial actions that restrict birth control access.
“We know from recent polling the majority of Missouri residents are concerned about elected officials restricting access to birth control,” said Trupiano. “Missourians will have an opportunity to enshrine reproductive freedom, including birth control, in the state Constitution in November.”
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Background:
Emergency contraception (EC) is birth control that can be taken after sex. EC works better the sooner it is taken – it can be taken up to 120 hours or 5 days after unprotected sex to lower the chance of becoming pregnant. Each Free EC kit contains:
- Two doses of levonorgestrel emergency contraception (an over-the-counter medication sometimes called "Plan B" or "the morning-after pill")
- Safer sex supplies (like condoms and lube)
- Sexual health education and consent resources
- Connections to healthcare providers who can see you for affordable prices.
Free EC is available online from Missouri Family Health Council: MFHC.org/EC
About MFHC:
Missouri Family Health Council, Inc. (MFHC) champions access for every individual to culturally sensitive, quality, sexual and reproductive health education and services. We’re making sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible – regardless of zip code, income, or insurance status – through our three main programs: Title X, The Right Time initiative, and the Free EC project. We also strengthen the healthcare safety net by reducing barriers to care, and advocate for statewide policies that expand access to affordable sexual and reproductive care. Join us at MFHC.org.
