Donald Trump Is Not Banning Birth Control, but He Has Made It Harder to Get

For decades, access to birth control has helped to ensure that more pregnancies are planned and made it easier for women to maintain control over their own bodies. As President Trump continues to upend many of the norms and traditions that have defined the United States in recent history, though, some are also wondering whether he might ban birth control as well.

Banning birth control would be a significant and controversial step. Here's what we know about whether the president is really considering banning it.

Although Trump has put out executive orders on a wide variety of topics, he has not said anything about banning birth control completely. There are some Conservatives who believe that birth control should be banned, in part as a measure to increase the population of the United States, but Trump has never made that a core pillar of his argument, and he is likely aware of how unpopular it would be if he were to pursue it.

What is true, however, is that Trump has made birth control harder to access for some since entering office. The New York Times reported in September that his administration had ordered the destruction of $10 million of contraceptive devices that had already been purchased. These devices, which included IUDs and hormonal implants, were purchased as part of USAID, and were designated to be sent to women in poorer countries.

As part of Trump's overall cuts to USAID, it seems that his administration decided that even contraceptives that had already been approved should be destroyed instead of being sent out. It's unclear whether his administration did this because of opposition to contraception or for some other reason.

Separately, 15 public health organizations are suing the administration, arguing that birth control has become more difficult to access because of their withholding of Title X funds, per NPR.

Congress first created Title X in 1970s, and it was designed to help women who were facing adverse health outcomes related to pregnancies and births.

"It is my view that no American woman should be denied access to family planning assistance, because of her economic condition," President Nixon wrote at the time.

Now, the administration is withholding some of the funds that provide for that birth control, which, when coupled with the cuts to Medicaid in Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, has led to reduced access to birth control for millions across the country. When coupled with some state efforts that also seem designed to limit birth control, it seems fair to say that access is more limited now than it once was.

The ultimate goal of these efforts remains unclear. It might be that the administration just doesn't see birth control as a priority, or that they are covertly trying to encourage American women to have more babies whether they want them or not. Trump might not be banning birth control outright, but these policies might mean he doesn't have to.