Accessing Contraception & Permanent Birth Control

1. Legal Right to Contraception

• Federal Protections: The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) established the constitutional right to access contraceptives, affirming privacy in reproductive choices. ​

2. Access to Various Contraceptive Methods

• Over-the-Counter Options: Some contraceptives are available over the counter - this includes condoms and emergency contraceptives (Plan B). Additionally a new progesterone only birth control pill was approved recently and you can find O Pill over the counter now too!

• Prescription Methods: Other methods, including birth control pills, patches, and rings, require a prescription, which can be obtained through in person or telehealth services. ​

3. Permanent Birth Control

• Procedures: Permanent methods include tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men.

• Access and Ethics: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) emphasizes the importance of unimpeded access to permanent contraception, recognizing it as a matter of health equity. ​

• See this blog post for more information on tubal ligations

• Here you can find a google doc list is of physicians who are willing to perform a tubal ligation on patients ages 21+, no matter their marital status or number of children.

4. Insurance Coverage

• Affordable Care Act (ACA): Under the ACA, most insurance plans are required to cover FDA-approved contraceptive methods without cost-sharing. ​

---

Check out this article: ​National Women's Law Center