Many Missourians are confused about the legality of birth control in the state and worried about future access, according to results released Tuesday of a survey of more than 1,000 residents.
One in four Missourians do not believe or know that birth control pills are legal in the state, the survey found. More than half — 53% — do not believe or do not know that emergency contraception is legal; and 40% do not believe or know that intrauterine devices (IUDs) are legal.
The survey was conducted as part of the The Right Time initiative, which involves a network of health centers across the state that provide free and low-cost birth control.
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“The polling released today makes clear that correcting misperceptions about the legality of birth control is both important and urgent,” said Kathleen Holmes, vice president of strategic initiatives at Missouri Foundation for Health.
The foundation launched The Right Time in 2019 with the Missouri Family Health Council, a nonprofit that for more than 40 years has administered the state’s Title X family planning funds for low-income individuals.
Michelle Trupiano, the council’s executive director, blames the confusion over birth control on the fallout from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling a year ago that removed the federally protected right to an abortion, setting off a wave of states banning or greatly restricting access to the procedure.
Missouri banned abortion except in cases of medical emergencies that affect the life of a pregnant woman.
Emergency contraceptives known as morning-after pills have often been confused with abortion and were mistakenly questioned after Missouri’s abortion ban went into effect.
The one-dose pill, commonly known as the brand name Plan B, prevents pregnancy mainly by delaying ovulation, so an egg is not released until the sperm is no longer viable after unprotected sex.
The new survey also found that residents worry birth control will become increasingly harder to get. Half of the respondents said they are concerned Missouri legislators will enact laws to restrict people in their choice of birth control.
Before the abortion ban went into effect in Missouri, abortions had already become nearly non-existent in the state after years of misinformation about safety and a slew of restrictions passed by legislators that chipped away at access.
Some fear access to contraception could follow the same path.
A recent study by the University of Delaware found misinformation about the safety of birth control is often disguised as wellness content. Researchers analyzed 50 YouTube videos by lifestyle influencers and found nearly 75% talked about stopping their birth control and included inaccurate or incomplete information.
The Missouri survey of also found:
• 72% of respondents — including 74% of Republicans, 85% of Democrats and 87% of Independents — think the Missouri legislature should pass policies that make birth control more affordable and accessible.
• 84% of respondents — including 82% of Republicans, 90% of Democrats, and 85% of Independents — support people aged 18-35 having access to all methods of birth control.
• More say they do not know how to get birth control online (48%) than those who say they are aware of online ordering (39%).
The survey was conducted between April 27 and May 3 by independent research organization AYTM, and has a margin of error 3.6%.
US Food and Drug Administration advisers voted in favor of making the birth-control pill, Opill, available over the counter.