Though California Pharmacists Can Now Prescribe Birth Control, It’s Hard To Find Ones That Do
The holdup is in part because officials spent months working out details, so the law didn’t go into effect until April.
Los Angeles Times:
Women In California Can Legally Get Birth Control Without A Prescription. But For Many, It's A Struggle
For many women in California, a new law that was supposed to make getting birth control easier has been a little disappointing. Under the law, women should be able to go to a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription and pick up hormonal contraception, including pills and patches. Although the legislation was passed in 2013, women still struggle to find pharmacists who will dole out the medicines. (Karlamangla, 10/31)
In other women's health news —
Orange County Register:
More Women Decide That Babies Can Wait, Census Finds
Teenage pregnancy and birthrates continue to fall. And as female millennials outpace their male peers in education – and the cost of housing soars – growing numbers are prioritizing their careers and personal happiness over having children and starting families. New census data show overall birthrates are continuing to decline, as women increasingly delay pregnancy until their mid-30s or later. (Leung, 10/31)
The New York Times:
For Melinda Gates, Birth Control Is Women’s Way Out Of Poverty
Melinda Gates has made providing poor women in developing countries access to contraception a mission. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she leads with her husband, has donated more than $1 billion for family planning efforts and will spend about $180 million more this year. Since 2012, she has helped lead an international campaign to get birth control to 120 million more women by 2020. (Dugger, 11/1)