Emergency contraception in a historic southern city: Mystery caller study in Birmingham, Alabama.

BACKGROUND

Alabama's Human Life Protection Act (the Act) signed in 2019 became law in 2022, making provision of abortion a felony offense.

OBJECTIVE

In 2020, we assessed the accessibility of emergency contraception (EC) pills in Birmingham, Alabama prior to the Act's enactment given the probable increased need for EC access due to abortion criminalization.

STUDY

DESIGN

Pharmacy staff were asked about availability, price, location, and identification requirements to obtain EC.

RESULTS

Of 69 pharmacies, 59% had levonorgestrel EC and none had ulipristal acetate EC available.

CONCLUSION

There are persistent barriers to EC accessibility that should be addressed as abortion is increasingly restricted.