The pill– it’s a hot topic for young womxn, and many of us–as well as anyone else who has a uterus– rely on it for pregnancy prevention, acne control, cramp pains, regular cycles, migraines, and more. However, since COVID-19 hit, access to birth control (whether that be the pill, IUDs, or other forms of contraception) has taken a hit.
Some states require seeing a doctor to get birth control pills refilled, like Virginia. At the beginning of the pandemic, being in any medical environment was considered incredibly risky. So many people who use the pill in states that have those restrictions had to go off it.
Not only does this pose a risk toward preventing pregnancy, but many people use the pill to treat medical issues as well. Many use it to treat cystic acne, migraines, cramps, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and regulating their cycles. The regulations in some states forcing womxn and other birth control users to see a doctor each time they need a refill can be inaccessible and deter people from getting contraception, particularly during a pandemic. It denies people access to the medical treatment that they need by creating roadblocks.
Additionally, even if someone is using birth control for pregnancy prevention and not for medical reasons, creating these roadblocks has taken a toll on their lives during COVID-19. A study from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that “among the 68% of individuals who had ever tried to obtain a prescription for hormonal contraception, 29% had problems accessing the initial prescription or refills.” This large margin of people who had issues accessing birth control has only been exacerbated by COVID-19. This creates issues for pregnancy prevention as well as all of the other reasons that people use the pill.
In addition to laws concerning doctor’s visits, some factories in China stopped manufacturing birth control pills during the pandemic. This limits people’s access to the pill, and for many, it is difficult to switch the brand of birth control they use because of the specific effects each brand will have on their body.
Not only has the manufacturing of some brands stopped, but many are unable to afford it now as a result of unemployment. With unemployment skyrocketing due to the pandemic, there comes a loss of health insurance. This prevents access to contraception, since many people depend on health insurance from their jobs to cover it. Additionally, many low-cost reproductive health care clinics were forced to close, reducing access to affordable birth control even further.
COVID-19 has drastically affected the accessibility of birth control, and we need to treat it like the issue it is. Rather than ignoring the lack of access, we must draw attention to it, in order to encourage health insurance companies, doctors, and others who have power to provide affordable access to birth control. Without it, many individuals are suffering, badly. It’s time we start treating birth control as what it truly is– a medical necessity that requires autonomy, understanding, and an erasure of stigma.
Photos: Her Campus Media