Planned Parenthood knows firsthand that access to birth control changes lives — benefitting individuals, families, and communities. Birth control has expanded opportunities for women through increased economic and educational advancement, and improved their health and well-being.
Access to reliable, effective birth control methods allows people to be in control of their futures by deciding if and when they want to have a family. Many of the gains women have made since 1965 — the ability to plan their families, get an education, enter the workforce, and move closer to pay equity — are the direct result of access to birth control.
Beyond pregnancy prevention, birth control has a number of additional health benefits such as regulating periods, reducing cramps, and lowering the risk of ectopic pregnancies. Some forms of birth control are also effective for acne treatments; endometrial and ovarian cancer prevention; and the reduction of ovarian cysts, bone thinning, and iron deficiency.
A 2020 Power to Decide survey found that 86% of people believe everyone deserves access to the full range of birth control methods — no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have.
In the more than 10 years since its historic passage, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the single largest expansion of sexual and reproductive health care in a generation for people faced with systemic barriers to accessing health care. In total, more than 62 million women have gained contraceptive coverage with no out-of-pocket costs through the ACA.
The Affordable Care Act has made a night-and-day difference for women, people with low incomes, people of color, LGTBQ+ people, and young people —who now have access to no-copay preventive services, including the full range of birth control methods — leading to better health outcomes, peace of mind, and financial security.
The Affordable Care Act has given women of color improved access to preventive health care, providing them with the same freedom to make decisions about their health and futures. As of 2015, at least 17 million Latinas and 15 million Black women gained access to no-cost birth control, thanks to the ACA’s birth control benefit.
Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and largest sex educator. For over 100 years, Planned Parenthood has provided and protected your access to the full range of birth control options.
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