Across the nation, there is a contentious debate between those who view birth control as vital for women’s health and abortion prevention, and those who argue that certain contraceptives can terminate pregnancies and should not receive taxpayer support.

Despite the legality of birth control in all states, with over-the-counter availability and no age restrictions, at least seven states have sought to limit funding and block initiatives that guarantee access to various common contraceptive methods.

Leading medical organizations and a group of health researchers speaking to YSL News confirm there is no credible evidence suggesting that any mainstream contraceptive methods result in the termination of pregnancies. Some anti-abortion advocates even acknowledge that accessible contraception is essential for reducing unwanted pregnancies.

However, the resistance to birth control has made it more difficult to obtain these services in numerous areas, which experts believe has unjustly deterred women from pursuing safe and effective pregnancy prevention options.

“It is clear that there is an ongoing conflict regarding contraceptives,” stated Dr. Dan Grossman, a medicine professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and the director of its Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program.

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“A lot of misleading information from anti-abortion groups is suggesting contraceptive methods can lead to abortions, possibly aiming to justify stricter regulations,” he remarked.

Recently, the White House announced a proposal under the Affordable Care Act that would require private health insurers to cover costs for over-the-counter contraception—such as emergency contraceptive pills, non-prescription birth control pills, spermicides, and condoms—at no extra cost to patients.

If implemented, this rule, introduced two weeks prior to the elections, would provide free birth control to approximately 52 million women in the U.S. who have private insurance, following a 60-day comment period.

“In this environment where access to contraception is threatened, Vice President Harris and I are determined to ensure access to high-quality, affordable contraceptive options,” President Joe Biden stated.

Concerns Surrounding Contraceptives Among Conservatives

Groups opposing birth control are asserting that methods such as IUDs and the morning-after pill—including well-known brands like Plan B and ella—are forms of abortion, pushing against their funding with taxpayer money.

The organization Students for Life goes a step further, categorizing birth control pills, IUDs, contraceptive implants, and emergency contraceptives as abortifacients, while endorsing only condoms, diaphragms, vaginal sponges, spermicide, and natural family planning methods as acceptable forms of contraception.

This ideology has influenced various state legislative efforts:

• In Colorado in 2015, conservative lawmakers attempted to discontinue a program offering free IUDs, claiming these devices could result in abortions.
• In Idaho, starting in 2022, college health clinics have only been permitted to distribute condoms under the pretense of “protecting against disease,” banning all other contraceptive methods.
• In Louisiana, a proposal this spring to safeguard contraceptive access failed due to concerns about certain methods potentially causing abortions.
• Some Missouri lawmakers in 2022 sought to prevent state Medicaid from covering IUDs and emergency contraceptives, believing they led to abortions.
• Oklahoma legislators proposed a ban on the morning-after pill and certain IUDs in February.
• In 2023, Oregon Right to Life asked to be exempt from a state law mandating insurance coverage for contraception to avoid funding IUDs and morning-after pills.
• In May, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation designed to secure contraceptive access, citing the beliefs of some Virginians that it contributes to abortions, asserting this could infringe on their religious liberties.

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in June, known as the Right to Contraception Act, aimed at safeguarding access to birth control but failed to pass, with only two Republicans voting in favor.

Interestingly, not all individuals against abortion oppose contraception.

In Idaho, which enforces stringent regulations on both abortion and contraceptive access, three Republican women, including two legislators, established the Idaho Contraceptive Education Network.

“The truth is that all methods of birth control are crucial for pregnancy prevention and do not terminate existing pregnancies,” stated board member Tara Malek. “Surveys show that most Republicans in Idaho favor access to contraceptives, including IUDs and emergency contraception.”

Understanding Pregnancy Biology

Experts in medicine and reproductive health assert that the animosity towards birth control stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of biological processes.

As per medical standards, pregnancy is defined as beginning when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus, according to Dr. Beverly Gray, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University in North Carolina. This definition is supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Even for those who consider fertilization to be the start of life, experts argue that opposition to contraceptives arises from misconceptions about their function.

Many forms of birth control prevent the meeting of sperm and egg in the first place, therefore averting fertilization entirely.

“Contraception fundamentally aims to stop pregnancy from happening, not to interrupt one,” explained Emma Chew Murphy, a doctor at the University of California, San Francisco. “Birth control does not induce abortion.”

Misinformation Prevents Women from Accessing Birth Control

Ongoing discussions surrounding birth control have notable implications, research indicates. This issue is particularly prevalent in the 13 states with total bans on abortion, where many women believe they no longer have access to certain types of birth control.

“A 2023 survey revealed that nearly half of women living in states with full bans think that Plan B is illegal there,” mentioned Dima Qato, a pharmacology professor at the University of Southern California, who focuses on access to emergency contraception.

Additionally, there is widespread misinformation online claiming that emergency contraception is harmful to women or that it causes abortions, stated Qato.

Younger women, who are more inclined to use the morning-after pill, may be particularly affected by this incorrect information, hindering their access to it.

“Women are being misled by state officials, as well as friends and relatives, into thinking that it’s illegal when it’s not,” said Qato, commenting on the abundance of misinformation online.

People who consider abortion as murder should logically support birth control, argued Dana Singiser, co-founder of the Contraceptive Access Initiative.

“Yet the opposite is evident,” she said.

The key issue lies in the fact that while medical science establishes that pregnancy begins at implantation, a significant number of Americans believe life begins at fertilization. Thus, they question whether IUDs and emergency contraception could harm a fertilized egg.

Medical professionals generally concur that, in almost all cases, the answer is no, because the egg is not fertilized.

Understanding IUD Functionality

To clarify why common birth control methods do not result in abortions, several doctors explained how they work to YSL News.

An intrauterine device (IUD) is a slender, flexible piece of plastic approximately one inch long, inserted into the uterus for long-term use. Some IUDs contain copper, while others have small hormone doses. Their effectiveness lasts between three and ten years, depending on the type.

IUDs boast over 99% effectiveness in pregnancy prevention, with about 14% of U.S. women of reproductive age using them—equating to more than 9 million American women.

According to the National Institutes of Health, slightly over two-thirds of IUDs used in the U.S. contain progestin, which primarily thickens cervical mucus, preventing sperm from reaching the egg.

“This thickening makes it almost like cement,” explained Gray from Duke University.

IUDs also prevent ovulation in about 12% of users, meaning these women do not release an egg for sperm to fertilize.

The copper IUD functions differently. Its copper content impairs sperm mobility, preventing it from navigating through the vagina, uterus, and Fallopian tubes to meet an egg.

“It primarily acts as a spermicide,” said Amy Alspaugh, a reproductive health professor at the University of Tennessee.

It can also render any egg unfriendly to fertilization. Even if sperm reaches it, fertilization is unlikely.

Furthermore, the IUD can reduce the likelihood that a recently released egg can be fertilized, according to Dr. Deborah Bartz, a professor at Harvard Medical School’s obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive health department.

“If for some reason a sperm manages to reach an egg that has just ovulated, the IUD alters the egg, making it incapable of being fertilized,” she added.

In a few rare cases, an IUD may prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. Research conducted nearly three decades ago suggested that, while unconfirmed, it might be possible for a sperm to fertilize an egg. However, due to changes in the Fallopian tubes, it would then not be able to travel to the uterus for implantation.

The overall conclusion from studies indicates that women using IUDs experience significantly lower rates of embryo formation. “Thus, the widespread belief that IUDs primarily work by destroying embryos in the uterus (which equates to abortion) lacks support from existing data,” the study concluded.

IUDs as Emergency Contraception

IUDs can also serve as a form of emergency contraception if inserted within five days after unprotected sex. Prior to insertion, a pregnancy test is conducted to rule out any pre-existing pregnancy.

While still uncommon, using IUDs in this way is extremely effective, with a failure rate of just 1 in 1,000, as Dr. Mitchell Creinin, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California-Davis, reported.

The IUD can influence contractions within the Fallopian tubes that help move the egg toward the uterus, as well as the cilia that guide sperm towards the egg, mentioned Dr. David Turok, a professor at the University of Utah who researches IUDs in emergency contraception.

Despite its effectiveness as emergency contraception, its use remains limited in part because scheduling an appointment for insertion within the five-day window can be challenging in many healthcare systems, in addition to the lack of awareness among many women regarding this option, Turok noted.

Understanding How Emergency Contraception (The Morning-After Pill) Functions

Commonly referred to as “the morning-after pill,” emergency contraception is available under various brand names, including Plan B and ella. This medication is a single pill that contains hormones aimed at delaying or preventing ovulation, which is the release of an egg from the ovaries. It should not be confused with the abortion pill.

According to the U.S. Office of Women’s Health, if a woman is already pregnant, emergency contraception will not terminate the pregnancy or harm it in any way.

Americans United for Life, an anti-abortion organization, claims that the morning-after pill could potentially destroy a fertilized egg in certain instances. Carolyn McDonnell, the organization’s litigation counsel, pointed out that the FDA’s information on Plan B mentions that “it may inhibit implantation.”

Due to this possibility, the organization is against the use of this method. McDonnell stated, “We support the conscience rights of healthcare providers who have concerns about the possible abortion-inducing effects of emergency contraceptives in rare cases.”

However, medical professionals have informed YSL News that emergency contraception is over 99% effective in preventing fertilization when taken within 24 hours following unprotected sexual intercourse. They also clarified that at the time of taking the pill, there is no egg available for fertilization.

Approximately one in four American women of reproductive age, which accounts for over 15 million individuals in the U.S., have used emergency contraception.

“While emergency contraception does thin the uterine lining, that is not how it primarily works to prevent pregnancy,” explained Gray. The pill operates mainly by postponing the release of an egg until after the sperm can no longer fertilize it.