For 75 years, Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) has been a leader in providing and promoting compassionate, comprehensive health care, education, and rights. PPIL is dedicated to making access to affordable, high-quality reproductive health care a reality for all—their position at the nexus of direct care, education, and advocacy aims to improve health outcomes for patients and influence the long-term well-being of the people in Illinois for generations to come.
Over half of all pregnancies in Illinois are unintended, and many counties face rates of unintended pregnancy far higher than the national average. In January 2019, PPIL launched the Access Birth Control (ABC) Initiative in order to reduce these rates by removing cost barriers for patients accessing contraception. PPIL recognizes that each patient is unique, and should have access to their preferred method of birth control—without cost as a factor.
Since beginning the ABC Initiative in 2019, PPIL has provided approximately $2.5 million in free birth control to over 9,000 patients at our 17 health centers across the state, and via telehealth. Each patient is able to choose from the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods, which encourages consistent and effective use and leads to positive outcomes. Patients who are satisfied with their current contraception are less likely to use them inconsistently or incorrectly; in fact, the two-thirds of people at risk for unintended pregnancy who consistently and correctly use a contraceptive method account for only 5% of unintended pregnancies. Further, preventing unintended pregnancies can help patients manage and avoid health conditions, better achieve educational and career goals, and support themselves and their families financially.
