Birth control on the ballot as abortion bans increase barriers to family planning – NBC News

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Access to Contraception in the United States

ST. LOUIS — Millions of Americans will be able to vote on November ballots whether to protect access to contraception. 

In states where tensions have long boiled over reproductive rights, family planning experts say women face mounting barriers to getting birth control. The fear, confusion and anxiety over abortion has extended to their ability to prevent a pregnancy. 

In June, Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would have enshrined a national right to birth control into law. States have been left to decide if they will protect access to birth control.

Missouri’s Amendment to Protect Access to Contraception

One of those states is Missouri, the first state to use a trigger law to ban all non-medically necessary abortions. Voters will decide on an amendment that would remove the ban. If passed, the amendment would also protect the right for women and their doctors to make decisions about their reproductive health care, including birth control, without government interference.

Protecting Reproductive Freedom in Maryland

People in Maryland, where abortion is legal until a fetus is viable, will vote on a similar amendment that would establish “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.” 

Challenges in Accessing Affordable Birth Control

The votes come at a time when some women are finding it increasingly challenging to fill their prescriptions for birth control. Access to low-cost contraceptives, including IUDs, the pill and patches, was under pressure in the South and rural areas even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. That decision created new barriers, experts say. 

An estimated 19 million women of reproductive age are now living in so-called contraceptive deserts, counties where people have trouble accessing a range of birth control options, according to data from the reproductive rights nonprofit Power to Decide. 

Protecting the Right to Contraception

Eleven states and Washington, D.C., have laws that protect the right to contraception, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports access to abortion. 

Lawmakers in Arizona, Iowa and Virginia have introduced bills that would protect their residents’ right to contraception, and such an amendment is likely to be on the ballot in Nevada in 2026. Earlier this year, the Virginia bill passed both chambers but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. 

Without such laws in place, “we see lots of attempts to ban different forms of contraception,” said Michelle Trupiano, executive director of the Missouri Family Health Council.

Legal Status of Birth Control in the United States

All Food and Drug Administration-approved birth control is currently legal in the U.S., but in some states, including in Missouri, pharmacists can legally refuse to fill a patient’s prescription due to personal religious beliefs. 

The refusals contribute to confusion over contraception, experts say.

In Missouri, about half of adults don’t know that emergency contraception is legal there. At least 40% don’t know that IUDs are legal, and one-quarter either don’t believe or don’t know that birth control pills are legal in the state, a 2023 survey by the Missouri Foundation for Health found. 

“Many people become confused about what exactly is contraception versus what is an abortion,” Hoskins said. 

The amendment on Missouri’s ballot this year “is really a proactive measure that will keep politicians from being able to restrict that access,” Trupiano said. “It’s not in and of itself going to fix the deserts that currently exist, but it will give us a strong foundation to build off of instead of constantly having to defend for our rights.”

The next step would be to work on funding, Trupiano said. 

Title X family planning grants, money allocated to some clinics by the federal government, play a major role in funding family planning services for women living near or at the federal poverty level, including birth control and preventive health services such as Pap smears. But the initiative has received the same amount of funding every year since 2014.

Kate Wagner, a nurse practitioner with the Jefferson County Health Department in Missouri, has been in health care for over 20 years. She works at a family planning clinic that is benefiting from Title X funding, which means right now, uninsured patients can get birth control through the clinic.

Most patients are locals, but some drive as much as an hour and a half to reach the clinic, Wagner said. 

“In our area, we’re unique, because not everyone around us has that option to offer everything,” she said, noting that not all forms of birth control are right for everyone, so having a range of options available is important. 

One of her patients recently asked if she could get her Nexplanon implant, a hormonal birth control that lasts up to three years, changed six months early in case she loses access.

“Our patients are like, what’s going to happen next?” she said.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
• SDG 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 3.7.1: Proportion of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods.
• Indicator 5.6.1: Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and reproductive health care.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, disaggregated by sex, age, employment status, and geographic location.
• Indicator 16.3.1: Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized mechanisms.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nbcnews.com