RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed two new laws Wednesday expanding contraception protections in the state.
The Right to Contraception Act and the Contraception Equity Act both protect a person's right to obtain and use birth control. The laws also protect a health care provider's right to provide contraception and bar state and local governments from restricting access to FDA-approved contraceptives. The legislation allows legal action against authorities who violate those rights.
Spanberger signed both bills at the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial in Lorton, Virginia, marking where suffragists were held during the Silent Sentinels demonstration.
Contraception access was a key issue in Spanberger's campaign. Virginia is the only Southern state that has not restricted reproductive health care since the Dobbs decision. The Virginia Department of Health says there is an increasing need for access to contraception.
"Costs for healthcare and prescription medications continue to rise. 1 in 5 insured women of reproductive age has had to stop using a contraceptive method because she couldn't afford it. Make no mistake, that means people not getting the doctor prescribed medication that their doctor asserts they need," Spanberger said.
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