By Bonnie Kapp | Two weeks ago, America voted to re-elect Donald Trump. As his cabinet takes shape and the most urgent priorities come to the forefront, our country is poised to be fundamentally changed by the new executive and his administration.
With any administration change, to the left or right, comes some degree of uncertainty. For the nearly 90% of Americans who believe that birth control should be legal and accessible for all, the future of contraception is top of mind.
Today, our elected leaders have the opportunity to put these uncertainties to rest. Our leaders can – and must – commit to the availability of and, as importantly, the affordability of vital contraceptive care.
In years past, leaders in both parties have rightly made this commitment. Last year, federal lawmakers introduced the Orally Taken Contraception Act to create a smoother process for contraceptive companies to provide an over-the-counter option.
Just two years ago in South Carolina, a bipartisan bill making birth control available over-the-counter at pharmacies was signed into law by Republican Governor Henry McMaster, who at the time said, “If South Carolina wants to be a pro-life state, we must provide the means for people to avoid unwanted pregnancies.” In 2023, former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, as a presidential hopeful, said unequivocally that protecting contraception access was imperative.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen health care leaders in South Carolina, where I lead New Morning – one of the largest contraceptive access initiatives in the U.S. – speak up about the importance of contraception in an attempt to draw attention to the issue. Their words come as demand surges for contraceptive services in the state. In the past year alone, New Morning health clinics have provided nearly 100,000 women with free and low-cost contraception.
Our leaders would be wise to heed the words of the health clinic professionals across our state.
In South Carolina, we’ve seen firsthand the benefits of meeting this demand with affordable and accessible contraception. Since launching our statewide contraceptive access program in 2017, New Morning has served over half a million women across the state. In that time, unwanted births have decreased by 50%. Since 2015, unintended pregnancies in South Carolina are down to 37% from nearly 50% previously.
Expanding access to affordable contraception also delivers significant fiscal benefits. For every 10,000 women served, we have helped prevent over 2,000 unwanted pregnancies, 1,000 unplanned births and 700 abortions. As a result, we have saved taxpayers as much as $19 million in maternal and birth-related costs.
In simple terms, the more women who receive contraceptive services, the greater the economic benefit. Serving more than 500,000 women since 2017, we have saved the state as much as $800 million in taxpayer dollars in the past seven years.
This feat took years of hard work and collaboration with elected leaders in both parties and health practitioners across the state. With strong support, we’ve overcome longstanding barriers to contraceptive access in South Carolina, growing New Morning’s network to over 150 partner clinics, reaching all corners of the state. As a nonpartisan organization, we have worked across party lines to fulfill our mission and will continue to partner with all who believe in our work.
As we look ahead to 2025, these victories should be celebrated and access to affordable contraception should be affirmed emphatically. The advantages of doing so are well-documented. Failure to do so risks real regression.
Moving beyond a cost-benefit analysis, we must remember the women at the center of this conversation. For the women who seek these services, contraception is more than a policy debate. It’s a pathway to pursuing an education, a career and planning a family on their terms, giving them the freedom to shape their own futures. For these women, it’s more critical than ever that contraceptive access be protected.
Contraception can be life changing. South Carolina is proof. Now it is time for our leaders to step up and affirm their commitment to contraceptive access for women and families across our state.
Bonnie Kapp is president and CEO of New Morning, South Carolina’s largest provider of “safety net” birth control services.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!