PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND OF NEW JERSEY

November 18 is “Thanks, Birth Control” Day

Planned Parenthood Action Fund of NJ Highlights Expanded Access to Birth Control in the Reproductive Freedom Act

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY – November 18th is “Thanks, Birth Control” Day, a national observance dedicated to celebrating birth control and acknowledging everything it makes possible for individuals, families, and communities.

“Planned Parenthood health centers across the country are proud to provide the full range of birth control options for patients,” said Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, VP of Public Affairs with Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. “We will never stop working to protect and expand your access to birth control and other reproductive health care services.”

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. Birth control has expanded opportunities for women through increased economic and educational advancement, and improved their health and well-being. 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.

An overwhelming majority of the public strongly supports people having access to birth control. A 2020 Power to Decide survey found that 86% of American adults believe everyone deserves access to the full range of birth control methods.

Here in New Jersey, the Reproductive Freedom Act will protect and expand access to birth control and other essential reproductive health services. This recently-introduced bill will:

• Ensure that birth control is covered through insurance, without copays – protecting in New Jersey state law an essential provision of the Affordable Care Act;
• Allow prescriptions for birth control to be filled for a full year at a time without a co-pay to increase consistent use and remove barriers; and
• Make certain that every New Jerseyan – regardless of who they are, where they live, their insurance coverage, or their immigration status – has the right to make their own personal health decisions when it comes to birth control and pregnancy-related care, including abortion.

This “Thanks, Birth Control” Day, join Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey as we call for the swift passage of the Reproductive Freedom Act to make sure that every New Jerseyan can access birth control, pregnancy-related care, and abortion, without political or financial barriers.

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Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey (PPAFNJ) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization, and the advocacy arm of the Planned Parenthood Affiliates in New Jersey. We advocate for access to essential health care through education, activism, voter engagement, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy. For more information, visit our website at www.ppactionnj.org.