We’re excited to bring you U.S. Repro Matters, your go-to source for the latest updates on reproductive health and rights in the United States. This week, independent pharmacies begin dispensing abortion pills, New Jersey will soon offer over-the-counter contraceptives, and other news on U.S. reproductive rights.
Repro News This Week: October 20
Independent pharmacies across the country have started to dispense abortion pills under rules created by the Biden Administration earlier this year.
Branches of major pharmacy chains are expected to follow the move by the independent pharmacies, which will make the medication more accessible to millions of people nationwide.
In November 2022, anti-abortion groups sued the FDA, attempting to eliminate access to the abortion medication nationwide. The U.S. Supreme Court may hear the case this term.
After two state boards advanced rules under a law enacted in January, pharmacists will be able to provide oral, transdermal and vaginal contraceptives such as birth control pills and patches, vaginal rings and diaphragms without a prescription.
New Jersey will join about 30 other states that permit pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives.
A study by the Guttmacher Institute found that North Carolina’s recently enacted abortion restrictions have severely reduced abortion access in the state. The study, published October 11, reports that abortions in the state plummeted by 31% the month after the new measures took effect on July 1. The new restrictions include a ban on abortion care after 12 weeks of pregnancy and an in-person requirement for state-mandated counseling, which forces patients to make a separate trip to a health care facility at least 72 hours before the abortion.
An earlier study by Guttmacher found that in the first six months of 2023, before its new restriction took effect, North Carolina saw a 55% increase in abortions compared to 2020.
“The steep drop we see in North Carolina’s July abortion numbers likely represents both North Carolinians and out-of-state patients who are no longer able to access vital reproductive health care due to arbitrary gestational bans and medically unnecessary barriers,” said the report’s lead researcher Isaac Maddow-Zimet.
“New Jersey is not going backwards. While other states are taking away rights making it harder to access reproductive health care, our state says no. We will do everything in our power to make reproductive care more accessible, more affordable for every single family.”
