Birth control doesn’t cause abortions – but that misconception is blocking access

Published on 10/22/2024 by Elizabeth Weise in USA Today

Birth control remains legal in all 50 states and can be purchased over the counter with no age limit. But lawmakers in at least seven states have attempted to cut off funding or scuttle bills that ensure access to some popular forms of birth control.

“A survey in 2023 found that almost half of women in full-ban states believe Plan B is illegal in their states,” said Dima Qato, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Southern California who studies access to emergency contraception.

There’s also significant misinformation about emergency contraception circulating online, falsely claiming it is dangerous to women or that it causes abortions, Qato said.