LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Health centers across the U.P. Are preparing to receive extra over-the-counter birth control pills, emergency contraceptive pills, and condoms. It’s all a part of the Department of Health and Human Service’s latest public awareness campaign launching this November.
The Take Control of Your Birth Control campaign was announced on Wednesday. The program will open up access to free birth control and contraceptives, as well as insurance help, Medicaid applications, and information about partial coverage insurance like the Plan First program.
Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said the goal is to get more people long-term access to the affordable contraceptives they want and need.
“Family planning birth control deciding when to have a child if folks want to have a child, these are really important health decisions and these are public health decisions.” Dr. Bagdasarian said. “Price is a real barrier, and we don’t want to have obstacles for people to access the tools that they need and that they want and so we’re trying to remove some of those obstacles.”
Access to contraceptives over-the-counter is still a relatively new practice. The FDA approved the first daily over-the-counter birth control pill in July 2023. Even though it’s becoming more common in drug stores across the U.S., it can still cost women $20 a month, or $250 a year and that’s only if they are near a store that has it available.
The Biden administration proposed a plan earlier this week to require coverage from insurance companies, which would make the over-the-counter version free for anyone with insurance.
“It’s just really important for folks to know what resources are available. So not only the family planning resources and knowing that there are things that they can just go to a local pharmacy and get, but also knowing how to get these supplies for free or low cost.” Dr. Bagdasarian said. “Sometimes that’s not feasible to travel long distances to go pick up these types of supplies and so bringing these out to people and letting them know how they can continue to access these these resources in their neck of the woods is really important.”
Those resources will be available starting at the beginning of November until supplies run out. Dr. Bagdasarian said over 100 locations have already signed on, and even more are still planning to participate. You can find more information on the campaign website: www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/adult-child-serv/childrenfamilies/familyhealth/familyplanning/take-control-of-your-birth-control
