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Health & Sexuality Info

birth control pill

A highly effective form of hormonal contraception that is taken once a day in tablet form to prevent ovulation. “The Pill” transformed sexual landscapes in the 1960s and 1970s by ushering in a new era when women could be sexually active (with men) without fearing unwanted pregnancy.

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Stories & Conversations

Living with PCOS

A notebook on a white table with the words "PCOS Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" written on it

Ash discusses her personal journey with PCOS, from experiencing symptoms to getting a diagnosis and the range of feelings that followed.

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Contraception and Depression

The back of a woman sitting on a bed in front of a window

How might hormonal contraception affect our mental health? Can it contribute to anxiety and depression?

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The Difference Between Combined Oral Contraceptives (COCs) and Progestin-only Pills (POPs)

A pink background with a blue pack of white birth control pills

This fact sheet from Free the Pill explains the differences between the two types of birth control pills (COCs and POPs).

Stories & Conversations

In Control: Our Stories, Our Lives, Our Birth Control

An Asian woman looks concerned as a pharmacist hands her birth control pills

Why do people use contraception and what happens when they cannot afford it? These first-person stories testify to many different experiencesl, and show why reproductive access is so important to our bodily autonomy.

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Everything You Need to Know About Opill

A box of Opill next to birth control pills

Opill is a new progestin-only birth control pill that is available without a prescription, online as well as in some brick-and-mortar stores. When taken daily around the same time, Opill is 98 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.

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Contraceptive Choices Poster

A marble table with contraceptive methods and a pregnancy test

This downloadable poster provides information on contraceptives. It includes emergency contraception. It details how to use them, key facts, and their effectiveness.

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Birth Control Options for Transgender and Nonbinary People

Emergency Contraception for Transgender Patients scaled jpeg

This guide for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people discusses how contraception relates to hormone therapies, different contraceptive methods and how to use them, and tips for communicating with medical providers.

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A Conversation about Contraceptive Choice and Reproductive Autonomy with Dr. Kristyn Brandi

Video cover for interview with Dr. Kristyn Brandi

OBOS program associate Grace Koch hosts a crucial conversation with OB-GYN and Complex Family Planning Subspecialist Dr. Kristyn Brandi, about access to contraception, freedom of choice, and the impact of birth control on our reproductive autonomy.

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Contraception: Get Involved

People at a protest for birth control. Centered is a Black woman shouting and holding a lime green sign that reads: "I love (heart) my birth control." To her left is an Asian woman in a black tank top shouting and holding a sign that reads: "Access to Birth Control NotMYBossBusiness." To the right of the Black woman is a white woman in a pink Planned Parenthood t-shirt who is also shouting. She has a sign in one hand and a rainbow/LGBTQ+ flag in the other.

Find organizations and groups working to make sure that birth control information and contraceptive methods are legal, safe, and accessible.

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Abortion and Contraception Quick Links

Two women at a protest. One holds a sign saying, "My Body My Choice" and the other holds a sign saying, "Women Rights and Human Rights."

If you are in need of access to, or have question about, abortion and contraception, this list of resources is a good place to start.

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OTC Birth Control Pill: Global Access Around the World

Birth control

Access to oral contraceptives varies worldwide. This interactive map identifies which countries require prescriptions for birth control pills and which allow people to access oral contraceptives over the counter.

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How to Get Birth Control: A State-by-State Guide

Birth Control scaled jpeg

This state-by-state guide provides an overview of the laws and policies around contraception in each state and ways to secure birth control and emergency contraception.