At Penn, many of us don’t think twice about walking into Student Health Service for birth control refills, grabbing Plan B from CVS in a pinch, or calling the nurse hotline when something feels off. But across much of Pennsylvania, that kind of access isn’t guaranteed — and the policies that protect it are far from secure.
I was reminded of this during a recent trip to the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for a Legislative Day of Advocacy. Trading scrubs for white coats, physicians and medical trainees from across the state traveled to Harrisburg to meet with legislators about the future of reproductive healthcare. Sitting in the state House, surrounded by murals and mosaics, I couldn’t help but think about how easy it is to take access for granted when you live in a place like Philadelphia, a healthcare mecca. But for millions of Pennsylvanians, what happens inside that building determines whether contraception, prenatal care, and postpartum monitoring are affordable or completely out of reach.
There is a lot of talk on reproductive healthcare in Pennsylvania right now, especially with the upcoming state Supreme Court race and the 2026 gubernatorial election taking shape. What often gets lost are the everyday policy debates that directly affect people’s health and autonomy. Take House Bill 1140, for example, a measure that would require insurance companies to cover all contraceptive services at no cost to the patient. The bill has passed the state House but is currently in the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. At this time, Pennsylvania has no state-level protections for contraception access, leaving residents vulnerable to potential changes in federal policy, like bans on Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, Medicaid cuts and work requirements, and the withholding of Title X grants.
Nine out of 10 women in the United States will use contraception at some point in their lives — access to birth control allows women to finish their degrees, succeed in their careers, plan their reproductive futures, and manage conditions like heavy or irregular periods. In a state where 80% of residents live in a county without an abortion provider, the ability to access contraception without financial barriers isn’t just important — it’s essential.
The state’s highest court has also emerged as a key defender of reproductive rights in our commonwealth. In a landmark 2024 decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a decades-old law prohibiting Medicaid from covering most abortions is “presumptively unconstitutional” under the state constitution’s Equal Rights Amendment because it discriminates on the basis of sex by denying women the same access to pregnancy-related care that Medicaid covers for childbirth. That ruling sent the case back to the lower court for further review and signaled that reproductive autonomy may soon be recognized as a fundamental right under Pennsylvania law. Where federal protections have fallen short, the court is defending access and laying the groundwork for lasting reproductive rights in Pennsylvania.
But the truth is, even with a governor who supports reproductive rights and a Democratic majority in the state House, Pennsylvania still lacks the most basic protections for contraception and postpartum care. The state House may be beautiful, but it’s what happens inside that matters most. If you believe healthcare should be affordable and evidence-based, now is the time to act. Call your legislators. Ask them to support House Bill 1140, House Bill 1088, and House Bill 1234. And don’t stop there — reproductive freedom in Pennsylvania depends on who sits on our courts. The three state Supreme Court justices up for retention this year have consistently protected access to abortion and contraception when it’s been challenged. Keeping them on the bench is just as vital as passing new laws.
As Penn students, we can’t take our own access for granted — not when so many across the state are still fighting for it. Our voices and our votes can make the difference between progress and regression. Pennsylvania’s laws and courts should reflect the compassion, evidence, and justice that already exist among its people.
KYLER McVAY is a 2019 College graduate and fourth-year MD student at the Perelman School of Medicine. Her email is kymcvay@sas.upenn.edu.
