The Top 5 Things You Should Know About Birth Control

Sometimes we joke that my actual job title should be “contraception guru” because so much of my work revolves around birth control, and in particular making sure that you can get it and your insurance covers it.  So, today, in honor of World Contraception Day, I’m going to take on that title and give you my top five things you should know about birth control:

1. There are lots of options. Chances are there may be options you didn’t even know existed.

 

2. Birth control has had a huge impact on women’s lives and their economic well-being. That’s part of the reason why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named it one of the top ten achievements of the 20th century.

 

3. Teens have gotten way better at using birth control over the years. So much better that a recent study found that the entire decline in the teen pregnancy rate from 2007 to 2013 was due to teens using birth control more and using more effective methods.

 

4. This year, states and the federal government are stepping up to help make sure folks can access the specific birth control method they pick with their health care provider.

 

5. Thanks to the health care law, if you have health insurance, it most likely should be covering your birth control without you paying anything out-of-pocket.  You can sign our petition to tell the Department of Health and Human Services how much you support this benefit!  (And if you are still paying out-of-pocket, check out CoverHer.org and our recent Facebook Live to find out more about insurance coverage of birth control.)

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