$5.6 million in Michigan taxpayer dollars to fund free birth control this November

(The Center Square) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced a new initiative offering free contraceptives to Michiganders at locations across the state, expanding the state’s Department of Health and Human Services family planning program for the month of November.

The initiative, “Take Control of Your Birth Control,” will partner with community health centers to provide free over-the-counter oral birth control pills, emergency contraception, condoms and family planning educational resources to the general public. Individuals will not need to provide health insurance information to access supplies, which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Everyone, no matter how much money they make, deserves to make their own decisions about their own reproductive health and future,” Whitmer said Wednesday. “We are building on our work to protect reproductive freedom for all Michiganders. By expanding access to essential family planning tools, we are underscoring our commitment to ensuring Michiganders, along with their families and trusted health care providers, can make their own decisions about their own bodies and lives.”

“Take Control of Your Birth Control” is funded by $5.6 million in Michigan taxpayers dollars allocated from the 2025 state budget bill to expand contraceptive coverage and family planning services.

Along with providing free birth control, the initiative aims to draw attention to Plan First!, a limited health insurance program for low-income residents administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It covers contraceptive services and supplies, STI testing and treatment, voluntary sterilization procedures, office visits to Title X family planning clinics and more.

“Michigan Democrats have worked to repeal medically unnecessary regulations that unfairly targeted abortion care, and we’ve made meaningful progress in expanding access to reproductive health services for everyone,” state Sen. Sue Shink, D-Northfield Twp., said in response to the announcement. “Reproductive freedom is a fundamental right, and it’s our duty to protect it at every turn.”