Sen. Joni Ernst Reintroduces Over-the-Counter Birth Control Bill

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst is re-introducing a

bill that would allow individuals to buy contraceptive pills

over-the-counter.

Siouxland Public Media’s Mary Hartnett has this report.

    :43

Joni Ernst is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow women to pick

Up birth control pills when they need them at their local pharmacy. 

A companion bill has been introduced in the House.

The legislation also repeals the Affordable Care Act’s restriction on the

use of health, medical, and flexible savings accounts to purchase

over-the-counter drugs.  Women’s health providers

have been asking for OTC status for birth control for years.

However, some reproductive rights advocates say the move could make

birth control more expensive and may only include one form of birth control.

California and Oregonian already provide over-the-counter birth control.

For Siouxland Public Media, I’m Mary Hartnett.