Idaho Women Launch Education Network to Protect Birth Control Access

By Tara Malek, ICEN Board President, and Amanda Watson, ICEN Executive Director

Access to contraceptives has been a critical component of health care for decades. In a state that cherishes individual freedom, access to contraceptives is a currently afforded right that gives Idaho families, not government, control of their own lives. Yet, the threat of Idahoans losing the right to access birth control could become reality as misinformation about contraceptives permeates across the state and nationally.  

That is why we are proud to announce the launch of the Idaho Contraceptive Education Network (ICEN), a convening of Idahoans committed to preserving the right to access birth control in our state. Our mission: To safeguard and uphold Idahoans’ continued access to contraceptives by opposing any policy that jeopardizes access to birth control in Idaho, and to help educate policymakers about the need for contraceptives to remain readily accessible to Idaho women. 

Contraceptives allow individuals and families to make informed decisions about when to have children and can be key to treating various health problems separate from preventing pregnancy, including treatment of endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, anemia, ovarian cysts and other conditions.  

Ongoing access to contraceptives is also good fiscal policy with wide-ranging economic benefits. By promoting and ensuring affordable access to contraceptives, Idaho can achieve significant cost savings in healthcare expenditures, social welfare programs, and public resources. 

While Idahoans currently do not have policy impediments on their right to access contraceptives, our state is vulnerable. ICEN is designed to educate about birth control methods to reduce abortions and help ensure Idaho lawmakers continue to support efforts to keep contraceptives of all varieties legally available to residents.  

Through education and advocacy, we can create a network of champions who uphold individual freedom and value women’s health. Together, our goal is to ensure that the fundamental right to access birth control in Idaho does not get stripped away in favor of government control over our lives.