POWER TO DECIDE “THANKS, BIRTH CONTROL'

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - On November 12, Power to Decide will mark its 13th annual Thanks, Birth Control Day, shining a spotlight on the urgent need to protect and expand equitable access to contraception amid mounting attacks on reproductive freedom.

For more than a decade, #ThxBirthControl Day has sparked a national conversation on social media and beyond, celebrating the freedom and opportunities that birth control provides. Through storytelling, education, and advocacy, Power to Decide reaches millions nationwide to fight for everyone to have the information, resources, and freedom to make choices about their reproductive well-being.

"Access to birth control is fundamental to people's health, autonomy, and futures. At a time when reproductive health care, especially birth control, is under near-constant political attack, protecting and expanding access has never been more important. The ability to decide what's right for someone's body should not depend on their ZIP code, income, or circumstances. Thanks, Birth Control Day is a reminder that birth control is basic health care," said Rachel Fey, Interim Co-CEO at Power to Decide.

And yet, even as it remains essential to people's health and futures, young people face compounding barriers to access, including efforts to mislead and scare them away from birth control. Misinformation about contraception is spreading rapidly online, leaving many uncertain about what's true. New data from Power to Decide's Youth Reproductive Health Access (YouR HeAlth) Survey shows that young people need accurate, resonant, and trusted information about birth control to make informed choices, as misconceptions are all too common:

• Only one in four (23.0%) young people know that you don't need to "take a break" from birth control pills for medical reasons.
  • It is safe to take birth control pills long term without breaks. Unless an individual wants to get pregnant, experience side effects, or chooses to switch to another method, there is no medical reason to take a break from birth control pills.
• About half (51.3%) of young people worry that birth control has dangerous side effects.
  • With any medication there is the potential for side effects, but that doesn't take away from the long record of safe, effective contraceptive options that have helped millions of people.
• One-third (34.9%) of young people worry that using birth control will affect their ability to have a baby later in life.
  • All reversible birth control methods - the pill (both prescription and over-the-counter versions), patch, ring, shot, IUDs, and implant - help prevent pregnancy while they are being used, but none have long-lasting effects on a person's ability to become pregnant once they have stopped.

"These knowledge gaps are extremely concerning, and the mis-and-disinformation young people are seeing every day are likely contributing to them. When myths about birth control spread unchecked, they create fear and doubt that can prevent young people from making informed choices about their reproductive health. Through Bedsider, Power to Decide is filling the digital space with trusted, evidence-based content that empowers young people to make confident, informed decisions about birth control," said Riley Steiner, MPH, PhD, Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at Power to Decide.

Bedsider.org helps young people separate fact from fiction with clear, judgment-free information about birth control. The platform's Method Explorer offers clear, reliable facts about every contraceptive option to help users find what works best for them, while the Clinic Finder connects them with nearby health care providers.

On Thanks, Birth Control Day and beyond, we urge everyone to share what birth control makes possible in their lives and to stand with us in defending the access and freedom needed for all people to reach their full reproductive well-being.

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Power to Decide is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive well-being for all by providing trusted information, expanding access to quality services, and catalyzing culture change.