Legislative Education and Advocacy Program
Advocacy for the Birth Control Access Act
Our Legislative Education and Advocacy Program (LEAP) provides training for young adults who are interested in creating policy change in New York State. Participants come from across New York and are advocating for increased access to birth control.
A key aspect of comprehensive reproductive health care is affordable and accessible birth control. Over one million women in New York live in contraceptive deserts and lack meaningful access to birth control. Additionally, New York ranks near the bottom in the country for contraceptive providers per person – alongside Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. There is work to do!
There are several policy initiatives that LEAP participants learn about and work on. One promising solution adopted by over 20 states is allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control using a non-patient specific standing order. Our objective was to advocate for New York to adopt the policy and make it possible to get birth control at the pharmacy without a prescription. This is particularly beneficial for those living in rural communities, young people, and people who are uninsured. Our policy efforts have led to increased access to birth control. New York has fewer contraceptive providers per person than most other states in the nation. Thanks to the passage of a state law, the Birth Control Access Act in 2023 New York can expand the number of birth control prescribers by 80%. This policy campaign was driven and made possible by advocates.
