The Issue
Contraception is privacy. But did you know that some politicians want to take away our right to contraception?
Currently our right depends on the Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court decision from 1965. In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court ruled that a state's ban on the use of contraceptives violated the right to marital privacy. The Griswold decision (1965) found a federal right to privacy in the Constitution. The Court extended this right to unmarried couples in 1972 in Eisenstadt v. Baird. Before these critical Supreme Court rulings, states and the federal government were free to ban or create limitations on contraception, and they did.
Fast forward to today, thanks to the Supreme Court and some extreme lawmakers, the threats to Americans’ rights to privacy and contraception – long taken for granted – are extremely real. However, despite overwhelming public support for contraception, most Americans do not believe it is under threat.
Proposed legislation at all levels of government, potential court decisions, and rhetoric from policymakers all point to the same conclusion: the right to contraception is the next target for opponents of reproductive freedom. Americans are closer than they realize to potentially losing their right to birth control like IUDs and the pill. See our FAQ for more information.