World Contraception Day: The Power of Options!

Today is World Contraception Day (WCD), a time to reflect on how vital accessible and effective contraception is for reproductive health and family planning, especially in Louisiana. With the state’s abortion ban, healthcare disparities, high teen pregnancy rate, and limited access to reproductive care, it’s critical that people, particularly young people, know about contraception, why it’s so important, and where they can get it.

The 2023 theme for WCD is “The Power of Options” and you can check out the “Preventing Pregnancy” page on our website to find out your options in Louisiana.

Unfortunately, options aren’t very powerful if people don’t know about them. That’s why in addition to promoting contraception,  Lift advocates for comprehensive sex education in public schools with accurate, age-appropriate information about sexuality and reproductive health. Young people in Louisiana suffer from some of the country’s highest sexually-transmitted infection (STI) rates, and high pregnancy and birth rates, but Louisiana politicians have refused to make sex education mandatory. Even though 80 percent of parents believe sex education, that emphasizes abstinence and also includes information on birth control, should be taught in Louisiana schools. 

Obtaining birth control is challenging with more than 300,000 Louisiana women, many of whom are low income, living in contraceptive deserts without reasonable access to a full range of contraceptive methods. 

That’s why we are advocating for more education and more accessible and affordable contraception. In 2022, we worked with legislators to pass bills to allow people to get up to six months worth of birth control through Medicaid at one time, and to require hospitals to provide emergency contraception for sexual assault survivors. These are examples of effective legislation that puts Louisianans first and not special interest groups.

When we teach young people about contraception and we make it more accessible, we are putting the power into their hands to decide when and if they want a family. They won’t have to sacrifice their education, career aspirations, or their dreams. And that will make Louisiana a better place for women and their families.