Celebrate Contraception

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NEWS FROM POWER TO DECIDE

Dr. Raegan Featured on The Weeds

In August, Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley was a guest on Vox’s The Weeds podcast ([link removed]) where she spoke with host Jonquilyn Hill about why the FDA’s approval of an over-the-counter birth control pill is so important. Listen to the episode ([link removed]) to hear how over-the-counter birth control could give access to millions who need and want to use birth control.

Recognizing World Contraception Day

World Contraception Day is dedicated to celebrating what birth control makes possible for people all over the world. Each September 26, we spend the day saying #ThxBirthControl ([link removed]) and sharing information about contraception so that everyone can make informed choices about their reproductive well-being. Join us and countless others across social media and use our digital story bank ([link removed]) to share what access to birth control has made possible in your life!

Our Newest Power Player

We’re committed to uplifting the many individuals championing reproductive well-being. This month’s Power Player is Melissa White, CEO & Global Condom Expert, Lucky Bloke. Read her story ([link removed]) .

Work With Us

We’re looking for a Research Manager who will conduct both quantitative and qualitative research, literature reviews, and environmental scans; design and implement research studies; and engage with external researchers. A member of our Programs team, this position will work closely across departments and with our Research Advisory Group to contribute to our mission to bring reproductive well-being to all. Read more ([link removed]) about the position and apply today to join our team.

Art With A Message

A quote from Dr. Raegan is featured in a new Columbia Museum of Art ([link removed]) exhibit by artist Rodney McMillian. The museum says ([link removed]) that the painting — ‘Untitled (For Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosely)’ — “juxtaposes text acknowledging those histories with an abstracted landscape, expressing the hidden violence that shaped American life, land, and culture.”
POLICY UPDATES

Federal Update

House and Senate Negotiate on Contraceptive Coverage for Servicemembers

As Congress returns from recess, the House and Senate are in final negotiations on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill that helps determine what kind of health care military servicemembers and their families will have. In the final version of their bill, the House proposed blocking servicemembers and their dependents from taking leave to travel for abortion care. However, they also included a bipartisan provision that would eliminate contraceptive copays for servicemembers and dependents who face out-of-pocket costs. The Senate version of the NDAA does not include either of these provisions. While the House and Senate negotiate their respective versions into a final bill, you have an opportunity to contact your representatives ([link removed]) and urge them to include no copay contraceptive coverage in the final bill and exclude any language that would get in the way of servicemembers and their families traveling for
abortion care.

Congress Considers Funding for Title X Family Planning and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs

Earlier this summer, House and Senate Appropriations Committees began considering their own versions of spending bills including the Labor, Health, and Human Services and Education (LHHS) bill for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The LHHS spending bill funds the Title X Family Planning Program and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program. The House version of the bill proposes to completely slash funding ([link removed]) for both programs while the Senate version of the bill proposes flat funding ([link removed]) for both programs. Amid the increasing attacks and mounting obstacles to reproductive health care, we need to fully fund programs that give everyone the power to decide, if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant—not stagnant funding or funding cuts that leave behind those who are already
struggling.

On September 30, FY 2023 will end, and government funding will expire. Congress has yet to approve funding for FY 2024, which begins on October 1. Congress could pass a continuing resolution (CR)—a stopgap measure to prevent a government shutdown. A CR would also give members more time to reach a longer-term agreement on government funding.

There is a lot that remains uncertain, but one thing is for sure: Congress needs to hear from you. Please contact your members of Congress today ([link removed]) and urge them to increase funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program and the Title X Family Planning Program (Title X).

State Update

As of September 1, there are no clinics providing abortion in 15 states. What follows are major updates on legal challenges in Indiana, Nebraska, and South Carolina. As always, you can visit Abortion Finder’s State-by-State guide ([link removed]) for the latest updates in your state.

Indiana’s total abortion ban is now in effect after the state Supreme Court denied ([link removed]) the ACLU’s petition to re-hear their case after its June 30 decision to uphold the near-total ban. The law had been blocked since shortly after its passage in August 2022. The Indiana State Supreme Court decision was certified last month and allowed the law to immediately go into effect.

On August 23, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided ([link removed]) to uphold a 6-week abortion ban, reversing a January decision that blocked a similar ban with the reasoning that the state’s constitution protected abortion rights.

On August 11, a district court judge in Nebraska declined ([link removed]) to block a law that bans abortion after 12 weeks and restricts gender-affirming surgery. The 12-week ban went into effect in May.
THE POWER OF SUPPORTING

We recently featured Melonie Knight ([link removed]) , a Brooklyn-based artist and entrepreneur, on our blog where she spoke about her effort to marry art and activism with her “Sketchbook Sticker Fundraiser.” She shared her thoughts around birth control access, body reclamation, and her hopes for creative fundraising. To read more about Melonie and her work head over to our blog ([link removed]) . If you would like to partner with us for a fundraiser, reach out at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Fundraising%20Partnership) .

You can support birth control access on World Contraception Day ([link removed]) with a gift to our Contraceptive Equity Initiative. The Contraceptive Equity Initiative aims to address birth control access barriers by expanding research efforts, bolstering policy efforts regarding contraceptive access, and convening leaders from state and regional contraceptive access projects. Make your gift today ([link removed]) .

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