Speak Up for Birth Control Access

We are deeply disappointed by this week’s Supreme Court decision to roll back our rights to essential healthcare, through its ruling that employers are not required to include birth control coverage in health insurance plans if the employer has a religious or moral objection. We should be making it easier and more affordable for women to access birth control, rather than more challenging and expensive. 

It’s also worth recognizing that health disparities are real and have persisted overtime, and birth control coverage has benefited young women, lower-income women, and women of color the most. We are especially concerned this ruling will impact those most in need of affordable access to contraception.

We understand that many of you may be feeling as frustrated as we are about the 100,000 women who may lose coverage, so we put together this five-point plan to help you make your voice is heard. 

Speak out! 

We believe it’s more important than ever that we raise our voices about the importance of affordable access to reproductive care. What does affordable and accessible contraception mean to you? Share your perspective on social media and consider using the hashtags #birthcontrolforall and #handsoffmybc.

Register to vote 

This November, make sure you cast your ballot in support of leaders and initiatives that expand access to reproductive health. Go to vote.gov to learn how you can register to vote in your state or register online at vote.org. 

Call your elected officials

Wherever you live, make your voice heard by contacting your Senators and U.S House Rep to tell them why access to affordable reproductive care is important to you. 

Write to your employer 

Are you concerned that your coverage may be revoked? It may be worth letting your employer know how much access to affordable contraception makes a difference to your health and daily life. We’ve provided an email template below in case this is helpful! 

Dear [Employer], 

I am concerned about the Supreme Court’s recent decision and how it will impact coverage of essential health services. I’m urging you to consider the importance of providing your employees with contraception coverage. Birth control provides women with the ability to decide if and when to have children, which can make a significant impact on our careers and day-to-day lives. Aside from family planning, hormonal contraception has many essential medical uses as well.

Do you work in HR and want to show your employees that you value them, with convenient and affordable access to care for their sensitive health needs? Learn more about Nurx for Employers, a program that offers our services as an employee benefit. 

Get BC to those in need

Many of you know that we offer one of the most affordable birth control options for those without insurance. If you or someone you know has their birth control coverage revoked, we offer many different brands of birth control that start at $15 per month. 

We also recognize that $15 per month may be out of reach for some, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For the last year we have partnered with Power to Decide and their contraceptive access fund BCBenefits, which helps low-income women overcome some of the most commonly-faced barriers in access to contraception, including transportation, child care, and unpaid time off work. You can learn more and see if you qualify here. 

If you are able, please donate to the contraceptive access fund — even a small donation can help women with limited income control if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child.

Empowering women to be in charge of their reproductive choices and ensuring they have access to affordable contraception have always been the guiding principles of our work at Nurx. We hope you will join us in making sure that everyone knows they have affordable options for accessing birth control, regardless of their background or circumstances.

This blog pro­vides infor­ma­tion about telemed­i­cine, health and related sub­jects. The blog content and any linked materials herein are not intended to be, and should not be con­strued as a substitute for, med­ical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any reader or per­son with a med­ical con­cern should con­sult with an appropriately-licensed physi­cian or other healthcare provider. This blog is provided purely for informational purposes. The views expressed herein are not sponsored by and do not represent the opinions of Nurx™.