Please ask your members of Congress to protect patient access to contraceptives and the ability of physicians to provide comprehensive contraceptive care. 

Background: 
In February 2025, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) and Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act (H.R.999 and S.422), a bill that would establish a federal statutory right for individuals to obtain and use contraceptives, and for clinicians to prescribe contraceptives and share related information. This legislation affirms that access to contraception is not only a matter of personal autonomy, but also a public health necessity. 

The bill was originally introduced in July 2022 by Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion and left reproductive health care vulnerable to state-level interference. While the Right to Contraception Act passed the House in 2022, it did not receive a vote in the Senate due to a filibuster. The bill was reintroduced in 2023 and again in 2025, but it remains stalled. In June 2024, the Senate once again blocked the bill from advancing. 

The Right to Contraception Act would ensure that both patients and clinicians can engage in contraceptive care free from political interference. Access to contraception is foundational to sexual and reproductive health. It helps individuals prevent unintended pregnancies, lowers maternal and infant mortality rates, and supports personal and economic well-being. ACP strongly supports the right of individuals to access contraception or make other decisions about their reproductive health in consultation with their physicians. The importance of this access has also been repeatedly affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, including in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972), and is also recognized internationally as a human right by the World Health Organization and United Nations.  

Yet, the current landscape is increasingly hostile to reproductive health. Even though abortion is the focus of most reproductive health policy, contraceptive care is being targeted as well—through misinformation, pharmacy refusals, and legislative proposals that would restrict access. These threats disproportionately impact low-income communities, people of color, and young patients.  

The Right to Contraception Act affirms the importance of the patient–physician relationship and protects the delivery of high-quality, ethical medical care. Congress must act to ensure that every person can access the contraception they need, and that health care professionals can continue to provide it without fear of legal interference. 

Action Requested: Please email your members of Congress and ask them to support the Right to Contraception Act (H.R.999 and S.422).