What Project 2025 actually says about birth control is alarming
Subscribe To Inside Washington For Daily Updates
Subscribe For Our Free Inside Washington Email!
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the importance of having affordable and easily available contraception has become a frequent topic of discussion.
However, the expense of contraception in the United States is more significant than many realize. In fact, before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided coverage, contraception made up 30-44 percent of the out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for women, as reported by Planned Parenthood.
With Donald Trump securing victory in the 2024 presidential election, the future of healthcare remains uncertain.
If the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, were to be repealed, more than 62.4 million women would lose access to free birth control, as reported by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). Additionally, 48 million women would no longer have access to free emergency contraceptives.
During the Trump-Harris debate in Pittsburgh in September, Trump acknowledged that he had some ideas for a healthcare plan to take the place of the ACA, but he didn’t provide any specific details.
Earlier in May, Trump mentioned that he was considering policies to limit access to contraception in certain states, but he later clarified his stance on Truth Social.
He attempted to ease tensions ahead of Election Day by sharing a message on the social media platform X. “Lyin’ Kamala is currently holding a press conference, claiming that I aim to abolish the Affordable Care Act,” he stated. “I’ve never talked about doing that or even considered it.”
Some people are worried that even though Trump has separated himself from it, Project 2025—a 900-page policy report created by former aides of Trump and a conservative think tank—indicates that the morning after pill is viewed as a “possible abortion-inducing drug” and should not be classified as contraception according to the Affordable Care Act.
The conservative plan suggests that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) should completely remove emergency contraception from its preventive care guidelines.
Project 2025 clearly lays out a strong anti-abortion stance in its proposals. It recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should redefine itself as the Department of Life. This would involve explicitly denouncing the idea that abortion should be classified as healthcare and updating its mission statement to emphasize promoting the health and well-being of all Americans, "from conception to natural death."
The shift from prohibiting abortions to imposing limits on contraception is still ongoing. The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025, seems to be opposed to any form of casual sexual activity.
A video shared on their X (formerly Twitter) account claims that eliminating the "pointless use of birth control pills" would "[restore] the significance of sex."
During his presidency, Trump made it more difficult for low-income individuals to access contraception by slashing funds for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and imposing new limitations on the Title X program.
He effectively made it harder for women to access free contraception through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In 2020, the Supreme Court upheld exemptions that permit employers to refuse to provide birth control coverage for religious or ethical reasons.
Regardless of this, Trump stated on his social media site, Truth Social, in May that he would “never, ever support limiting access to birth control.”
In a CNN interview last year, JD Vance remarked that he isn't aware of any thoughtful Republican who is attempting to restrict access to birth control rights.
In 2022, 195 Republican lawmakers opposed the Right to Contraception Act, a measure intended to establish a legal right to access contraception on a voluntary basis.
Prior to their loss in the election, DNC National Press Secretary Emilia Rowland cautioned that "Trump and Vance [hold] complete control over our bodies and our futures by eliminating access to Plan B and contraception while increasing healthcare expenses."
