Birth Control

How An Anti-Vice Crusader Sabotaged The Early Birth Control Movement

5:44pm July 07, 2021

by Terry Gross

The Comstock Act, which passed in 1873, virtually outlawed contraception. In The Man Who Hated Women, author Amy Sohn writes about the man behind the law — and the women prosecuted under it.

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Nicole Lynn Lewis is the author of Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families.

Former 'Pregnant Girl' Builds Support To Help Other Teen Moms

2:46pm May 03, 2021

by Terry Gross

Nicole Lynn Lewis felt overwhelmed and isolated as a young single mom in college. Now she runs a nonprofit designed to help teen parents get the financial and emotional support they need to thrive.

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Ros Jane walks with her child by the railway near her home in Manila. She became pregnant at age 16.

Health & Safety

PHOTOS: Why The Philippines Has So Many Teen Moms

5:51pm August 21, 2020

Each year, 1.2 million Filipina girls between the ages of 10 and 19 have a child. The government is trying to change things. But the pandemic has made matters worse.

Former Vice President Joe Biden addresses a Planned Parenthood Action Fund candidate forum in June 2019 in Columbia, S.C. The group declined to back a candidate during the Democratic primaries but announced its support for Biden on Monday.

Planned Parenthood Backs Biden, Seeing A 'Life And Death Election' Ahead

7:26pm June 15, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorses former Vice President Joe Biden despite a mixed record on abortion rights. To support Democrats, the group is boosting spending by 50% over the 2016 campaign.

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Birth control pills in 1976 in New York. The birth control pill was approved by the FDA 60 years ago this week.

How The Approval Of The Birth Control Pill 60 Years Ago Helped Change Lives

9:45am May 09, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

Before the pill was approved by the FDA on May 9, 1960, there were few contraceptive options available to young women. It revolutionized family planning and the sex lives of millions of Americans.

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The Supreme Court will examine Trump administration regulations that allow employers to claim exemptions to the contraceptive insurance coverage mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

Supreme Court Takes Up Birth-Control Conscience Case

5:42pm January 17, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

The high court will consider a case involving a challenge to a Trump administration rule that allows employers to opt out of providing contraceptive coverage for religious or moral reasons.

Health & Safety

7 Women's Health Topics We Need To Talk About In 2020

3:49pm January 02, 2020

by Emily Vaughn

Shame and taboo have kept many issues affecting women's bodies from getting the attention they deserve. Women are ready to start new conversations about their health.

Demonstrators outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., in 2014 react to hearing the court's decision on the Hobby Lobby birth control case.

Second Judge Blocks Trump Birth Control Policy Across The Country

5:53pm January 14, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Monday's ruling follows a more limited one by another judge on Sunday. The policy makes good on Trump's promise to peel back the requirement that employers offer contraception coverage at no cost.

The Natural Cycles smartphone app figures out the days of the month when a woman is likely to be fertile.

Health & Safety

FDA Stirs Contraception Debate With OK For 'Natural' Birth Control App

5:35pm August 21, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

Critics worry a new contraception app, which allows women to track body temperature and menstrual cycle to avoid pregnancy, isn't as effective as other methods. But some women welcome another option.

Under rules outlined in a newly unveiled Trump administration proposal, crisis pregnancy centers and other organizations that do not provide standard contraceptive options, like birth control pills or IUDs, could find it easier to apply for Title X funds.

Under Trump, Family Planning Funds Could Go To Groups That Oppose Contraception

7:12pm May 23, 2018

by Sarah McCammon

Several groups that promote natural family planning and abstinence education say newly proposed guidelines could open the door for them to receive federal family planning funds for the first time.