Improving access to birth control is at the forefront of our efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce the need for abortion. For the 98 percent of American women who use some form of contraception during their lives, birth control is basic, essential health care. More than 40 million women of reproductive age are sexually active and want to prevent unintended pregnancy. [Guttmacher Institute, Facts in Brief: Contraceptive Use (Feb. 2005)]

Unfortunately, 40 years after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on birth control, the far right still tries to block women’s access to contraception. Below are just a few examples of the obstacles to improving women’s access to birth control.

Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception, also known as the "morning-after" pill, is simply a concentrated dose of ordinary birth-control pills. If taken within 72 hours of sex, it is highly effective in preventing pregnancy. It is especially critical for victims of sexual assault or for women whose primary method of birth control fails.

Family-Planning Services
A good family-planning program will ensure that women have access to contraception and that they can raise healthy, happy families when they choose to do so. However, the Bush administration is doing everything possible to block women from getting those basic preventive services.

Access to Prescription Birth Control at Pharmacy Counters
In theory, the concept is simple: a woman walks into a pharmacy with her prescription and walks out with her medicine. However, renegade pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill legal, valid prescriptions for birth control and state legislators are proposing bills that would permit this discrimination against women.

Insurance Coverage for Prescription Birth Control
While most insurers generally cover prescription drugs, not all insurers cover all prescription contraceptives. As a result, women pay roughly 68 percent more in out-of-pocket medical expenses than men, mostly due to their reproductive-health needs. Insurance plans that cover prescription drugs should cover prescription birth control equally. It's that simple.