Contraception
The GOP and anti-abortion opponents are trying to confuse you into thinking contraception and abortion are the same thing. It’s all part of a deliberate effort to block access to both.
Let's break down the difference between the two and give you a few talking points
while we're at it.
Contraceptives
Contraception, commonly known as birth control, is designed to prevent pregnancy.
18 different methods that may come in forms like pill, patch, IUD, and many others.
Widely covered by health insurance.
Essential part of reproductive health care.
Abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy.
2 different methods: in-clinic and medication pill.
Very few health insurances cover abortion care.
Essential part of reproductive
health care.
Ok, but
Who does this affect?
Limiting access to both contraception and abortion, and the barriers fall harder on
Black, Indigenous, people of color
Young people
Immigrants
LGBTQ+ people
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People working to make ends meet due to systemic inequities in our health care system.
Bottom line, even if we remove all barriers to birth control, abortion care will still be necessary and is an integral part of the full spectrum of health care. We must remove harmful barriers to both.
Fight Back
Access to birth control and abortion is critical to create a future where people can thrive. Let's fight back together against harmful narratives.
Access to birth control is critical to create a future where people can thrive.
Even if we remove all barriers to birth control, abortion care will still be necessary and is an integral part of the full spectrum of health care. We must remove harmful barriers to both.
Why?
When they say...
We say...
Instead of repeating
falsehoods about contraceptives, debunk their statement and explain what they actually do.
"Plan B is Capable of Causing an Early Abortion."
"Contraception and emergency contraceptives only work before someone is pregnant."
This is an opportunity to call out
the tactics of the
opposition to block all
reproductive health care.
"Birth control and abortion are the same thing"
"Birth control prevents pregnancy and does not interfere with an existing pregnancy. Abortion ends a pregnancy."
Don't let the opposition blur the lines between the different forms of contraception.
"Birth control and the morning after pill are the same thing"
"While both birth control and the morning after pill are forms of contraceptives, they are different. Birth control is taken daily to prevent unplanned pregnancies. The morning after pill is a single pill designed to prevent pregnancy after you have unprotected sex.
"This has nothing to do with abortion.”
“People falsely claim abortion and birth control are the same. It’s all part of a deliberate effort to block access to both.”
This is also an opportunity to call out the tactics of the
opposition to block all
reproductive health care.
Navigating through
Difficult Conversations
Q: "Why can't people just be abstinent?"
Practicing abstinence isn't realistic. It's also not our business what other people's reproductive decisions are.