Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


More than 300 locations across the state continue to offer free contraception supplies through the "Take Control of Your Birth Control" program.

The program aims to ensure Michigan families have access to family planning resources.

Resources include over-the-counter oral birth control pills, emergency contraception, condoms, and family planning educational information.

In Livingston County, the two listed locations include the Department of Health and Human Services in Howell and Livingston Family Center – The Connection Youth Services in Howell. There are numerous locations in surrounding Oakland and Washtenaw Counties.

In October, the program expanded access to contraception - supporting
reproductive health and empowering Michigan residents to make informed family planning decisions.

To date, MDHHS has shipped 34,300 doses of emergency contraceptive, 34,300 doses of oral birth control pills and 171,500 condoms. The department is preparing to deploy a second shipment that could provide resources more than 25,000 additional individuals.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said “Every Michigander deserves access to affordable birth control, contraception and other reproductive health care. With Take Control of Your Birth Control up and running at 300 locations statewide, we deliver these critical resources to tens of thousands of Michiganders, for free. Here in Michigan, we believe that you deserve the freedom to make your own decision about your own body, and we will keep fighting like hell to expand access to reproductive health care and lowering costs for Michiganders.”

Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said “We are proud to help Michigan families access resources that allow them to make their own decisions about their health and future. This campaign reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to reproductive health services. We encourage Michigan residents to make a plan for their family planning needs. The free resources made available through this program are a good way to get started.”

Participating locations are located in every county and include community partners, local health departments, MDHHS offices, and federally qualified health centers.

People are encouraged to visit Take Control of Your Birth Control to find an interactive map of participating organizations and learn more about how to access the resources. That link is provided.

The free emergency contraception, condoms and over-the-counter oral contraceptives are available regardless of insurance. Take Control of Your Birth Control will continue as long as supplies are available.

In addition to free supplies, Take Control of Your Birth Control gives Michiganders the information they need to continue to get supplies covered going forward. The initiative provides information on how to use insurance to get free or low-cost birth control. 
 
For those without insurance, the program provides a guide to apply for coverage through Medicaid and the Plan First! Program; which offers health care coverage for a variety of family planning services, including birth control, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.   

Launched in 2023, Plan First! is a limited Medicaid benefit covering family planning services for those who do not qualify for traditional Medicaid. It is available to individuals of any age or gender who meet monthly income requirements and are Michigan residents.

More information and locations are available in the provided links.

AP photo.