Free Emergency Contraception Available At Hundreds of Planned Parenthood Health Centers on Dec. 6
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
“Free EC Day” Promotes Backup Birth Control Now Available Over the Counter and at Planned Parenthood.
NEW YORK CITY — More than 350 Planned Parenthood health centers across the country will offer free emergency contraception (EC) tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 6. Free EC Day is designed to increase awareness of this important backup method of contraception.
"Emergency contraception is a safe, effective backup birth control option that every woman should have in her medicine cabinet and know how to use," said Planned Parenthood Federation of America Vice President for Medical Affairs Vanessa Cullins, M.D. "Planned Parenthood is committed to educating women and couples about emergency contraception and all their birth control options."
EC lowers the risk of pregnancy when started within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse. The sooner EC is administered after unprotected intercourse, the better it works, making timely access critically important. Studies show that women do not use EC as a regular method of birth control.
More than 350 participating Planned Parenthood health centers nationwide — run by more than 50 Planned Parenthood affiliates serving 34 states — will provide free emergency contraception in their communities.
"Emergency contraception is your second chance to prevent pregnancy if the condom breaks, you miss two or more birth control pills, have been raped or have unprotected sex," added Dr. Cullins. "Every woman deserves every chance to prevent unintended pregnancy."
In August the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted over-the-counter status for Plan B emergency contraception for women 18 and older. Women of all ages can continue to get EC at their local Planned Parenthood health center, where they can also talk with health care professionals about their ongoing birth control needs. Research shows that over-the-counter access to emergency contraception does not increase or encourage sexual activity among teens.
List of Participating Planned Parenthood Affiliates
| AFFILIATE | STATE |
| Planned Parenthood of Alaska | AK |
| Planned Parenthood of Alabama | AL |
| Planned Parenthood of Pasadena | CA |
| Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains | CO, MO, NM, NV, WY |
| Planned Parenthood of Connecticut | CT |
| Planned Parenthood of Delaware | DE |
| Planned Parenthood of Collier County (Naples) | FL |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando | FL |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Miami, Palm Beach & Treasure Coast | FL |
| Planned Parenthood of South Palm Beach and Broward County | FL |
| Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida (Sarasota) | FL |
| Planned Parenthood of Georgia | GA |
| Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa (Cedar Rapids) | IA |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa (Des Moines) | IA |
| Planned Parenthood of Decatur | IL |
| Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois (Champaign) | IL |
| Planned Parenthood Springfield Area (Springfield) | IL |
| Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri | KS, MO |
| Planned Parenthood of Louisville | KY |
| Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts | MA |
| Planned Parenthood of Northern New England | ME, NH, VT |
| Planned Parenthood Mid-Michigan Alliance (Ann Arbor) | MI |
| Planned Parenthood of East Central Michigan (Flint) | MI |
| Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan (Kalamazoo) | MI |
| Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region | MO |
| Tri-Rivers Planned Parenthood (Rolla) | MO |
| Planned Parenthood of Montana (Billings) | MT |
| Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina (Chapel Hill) | NC |
| Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey (Shrewsbury) | NJ |
| Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey (Newark) | NJ |
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey (Camden) | NJ |
| Planned Parenthood of New Mexico (Albuquerque) | NM |
| Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (Hawthorne) | NY |
| Planned Parenthood of Nassau County (Hempstead) | NY |
| Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley (Poughkeepsie) | NY |
| Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region | NY |
| Planned Parenthood of Western New York | NY |
| Planned Parenthood of Stark County (Canton) | OH |
| Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma (Oklahoma City) | OK |
| Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette | OR |
| Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks County (Warminster) | PA |
| Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) | PA |
| Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota | SD |
| Memphis Regional Planned Parenthood | TN |
| Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee (Nashville) | TN |
| Planned Parenthood Houston and Southeast Texas | TX |
| Planned Parenthood of Central Texas (Waco) | TX |
| Planned Parenthood of North Texas (Dallas) | TX |
| Planned Parenthood of West Texas (Odessa) | TX |
| Planned Parenthood Trust of San Antonio and South Central Texas | TX |
| Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood (Bellingham) | WA |