Save the Date
Thanks, Birth Control Day is our annual social media campaign that celebrates birth control and all that it makes possible for people everywhere. This year, we are kicking off the celebration on Wednesday, November 14, 2024. Mark your calendars now and check our website regularly for new graphics, a toolkit to help plan, and more.
Don’t miss your last chance to grab the OG #ThxBirthControl swag! We’re offering a blowout sale on ALL swag and printed items while supplies last. Enjoy 75% off all orders with promo code TBC2024. Stock up and show your support. (Offer valid while supplies last. Expires on 11/30/24. Excludes trainings.)
October is Let’s Talk Month
Who do young people look to for info on sex, love, and relationships? You!
Learn how you can talk to the young people in your life about these important topics throughout the month of October by using our conversation starters, personal stories, and helpful tips to start talking today.
#ThxBirthControl Survey Results Published in JAMA Network Open
Power to Decide staff are co-authors on a new publication from our 2023 Thanks, Birth Control survey. This research letter, published in JAMA Network Open, highlights discrepancies in preferred and actual sources of contraceptive information for adolescents and young adults assigned female at birth in the US. Findings suggest opportunities to improve access to resonant and trusted contraceptive information among actual and preferred adolescent information sources.
Excellence in Advocacy Award
Three of our policy staff members Rachel Fey, Tara Mancini, and Monica Edwards together with our colleagues from the Contraceptive Access Initiative (CAI) were awarded an Excellence in Advocacy award from Women in Government Relations. The award, in the category of Excellence in a Campaign for Women’s Issues, was awarded to Power to Decide and CAI staff in recognition of their collaborative work to combat contraceptive mis and disinformation for policymakers.
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Federal Update
Congress Funds the Federal Government Until December 20
On September 25, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to avert a government shutdown. The bipartisan short-term package extends government funding to December 20, 2024. This means priority programs that support reproductive well-being, including the Title X Family Planning Program and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program, remain funded at current levels for now. As Congress works toward a longer-term agreement to fund the government for fiscal year (FY) 2025, it is critical that they support funding for reproductive well-being programs and eliminate policies and programs that harm it. This includes:
- $512 million for the Title X Family Planning Program.
- $150 million for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.
- Eliminating funding for the harmful Sexual Risk Avoidance Program.
- Removing anti-abortion policy riders such as the Hyde and Weldon Amendments.
It’s important to continue to keep the pressure on Congress to provide the funding these programs need. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to fully fund the Title X Program and the TPP Program.
State Update
Abortion Bans in Georgia and North Dakota Are Ruled Unconstitutional
On September 12, State District Judge Bruce Romanick struck down North Dakota’s state’s abortion ban, ruling that the North Dakota state constitution protects abortion access before viability — and that the state’s ban is too vague to be enforced fairly. The state has requested a stay (pause) on the ruling pending an appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court. Even if the petitioners prevail in this case, it is unlikely that abortion care would become quickly available. Red River Women’s Clinic was the state’s sole abortion clinic until it relocated to Minnesota in 2022, shortly after the Dobbs decision.
On September 30, Fulton Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that Georgia’s law banning abortion at around six weeks is unconstitutional. ProPublica recently reported that Georgia's maternal mortality review committee deemed that the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller were preventable and likely connected to the state’s abortion ban. On October 2, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr appealed the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court. At present, abortion care is legal until 22 weeks of pregnancy.
As always, AbortionFinder.org is your resource for the latest on abortion laws and providers in your state.
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Next month on November 14 Power to Decide will kick off our #ThxBirthControl campaign. This month-long campaign celebrates the power of birth control to help individuals decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child.
Your generosity makes it possible to provide the tools and resources that make these decisions easier for millions. Consider becoming a supporter of our work and be the reason another person can say, “Thanks, Birth Control!”
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