MEDIA ADVISORY: Flanked by giant IUD, Missourians demand freedom to make reproductive health care decision

WHAT: Beneath the shadow of a 20-foot inflatable IUD, Missourians will express their concerns about politicians attacking their right to access birth control and IVF. Advocates will gather near the Gateway Arch to send a clear message to electeds: You can’t take our rights without a fight. 

Dubbed “The IUD Express,” the inflatable birth control device is part of a campaign by Americans for Contraception that aims to educate the community on the importance of protecting women’s access to contraceptives.

WHO: Advocates and community leaders

WHEN: 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 26

WHERE: Kiener Plaza, 500 Chestnut St., St. Louis, MO 63101

WHY: Earlier this month, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt voted against the Right to Contraception Act blocking the bill’s passage in Washington. Without protection in place, the Missouri legislature could move to eliminate those freedoms as they did with abortion rights in 2022 just minutes after the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson.

“First they came for abortion. Then IVF. Now contraception. This isn’t about policy. It’s about control,” said Heather Lindsy, a St. Louis resident who will speak at the event.

According to data from the Missouri Family Health Council, over 85% of Missourians support people having access to all methods of birth control. But nearly 60% of Missourians have expressed concern about state elected officials restricting access to it.

Media Contact: Liz McCune, liz@progressmo.org