"Birth Control Doesn't Cause Abortions —Misconceptions Are Hindering Access"
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Across the U.S., a debate is intensifying between those who view birth control as essential for women's health, autonomy, and preventing abortions, and those who argue that certain contraceptives cause abortions and should not be funded by taxpayers. While birth control is still legal in all 50 states and available over-the-counter without age restrictions, lawmakers in at least seven states have attempted to limit funding or block bills that would guarantee access to popular contraceptive methods.
Leading medical groups and numerous health researchers assert that there is no evidence suggesting common contraceptives end human life. Some organizations that oppose abortion also support broad access to birth control as a means to prevent unintended pregnancies. However, increasing opposition to contraception has made it harder to access in many areas, with experts noting that this push has unnecessarily alarmed women about using safe and effective pregnancy prevention methods.
“There’s no question that there’s a war on contraceptives,” said Dr. Dan Grossman, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and director of the school’s Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program. He explained that anti-abortion rhetoric falsely claiming that contraceptives cause abortions has contributed to efforts to restrict them further.
In response, the Biden administration recently proposed new rules under the Affordable Care Act that would require private insurers to cover the cost of over-the-counter contraceptives, such as emergency contraception, without added costs for patients. If finalized, this rule could provide free birth control to 52 million women with private insurance.
Anti-contraceptive efforts are largely driven by groups that claim methods like IUDs and the morning-after pill cause abortions and should not be publicly funded. Groups such as Students for Life classify these methods as abortifacients, promoting alternatives like condoms and natural family planning.
State-level opposition includes efforts to block or restrict birth control access:
In Colorado (2015), lawmakers attempted to defund a program providing free IUDs over concerns they might cause abortions.
In Idaho, college health clinics have been limited to providing condoms since 2022.
In Louisiana, a bill to protect access to contraceptives was blocked due to concerns about abortion.
In Missouri (2022), legislators sought to prevent Medicaid from covering IUDs and emergency contraceptives.
Oklahoma (2023) introduced a bill banning certain contraceptives.
Oregon Right to Life sought exemptions from a law requiring insurers to cover birth control.
Virginia's governor vetoed a bill protecting contraceptive access on religious freedom grounds.
Not all abortion opponents are against contraception. In Idaho, a state with some of the strictest abortion and contraceptive laws, three Republican women founded the Idaho Contraceptive Education Network to advocate for birth control access.
Doctors emphasize that opposition to birth control stems from misunderstandings about reproductive biology. Pregnancy, they note, begins when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus, and most contraceptives prevent fertilization from occurring in the first place. Birth control, therefore, does not interrupt an existing pregnancy and is not equivalent to abortion.
Despite scientific consensus, public misinformation has caused confusion. In states with total abortion bans, many women believe certain contraceptives, like Plan B, are illegal. A 2023 survey found nearly half of women in these states mistakenly thought Plan B was banned. This misinformation, often spread online, is particularly harmful to younger women who may hesitate to use emergency contraception.
The debate over contraception is exacerbated by differing beliefs about when life begins. While medical professionals maintain that pregnancy starts at implantation, some Americans believe it begins at fertilization, fueling the controversy over whether certain contraceptives can harm fertilized eggs.
To clarify how common birth control methods work, doctors explain that IUDs, for example, primarily prevent sperm from reaching an egg or stop ovulation altogether. In rare cases, an IUD might prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, but this is not typical. Similarly, emergency contraception delays ovulation, preventing fertilization.
While the anti-contraceptive movement continues to influence policy, experts stress that birth control remains a critical tool for preventing unwanted pregnancies and reducing the need for abortions.
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