ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Three St. Louis County health centers have begun distributing free emergency contraception kits as part of the Missouri Family Health Council's Free EC initiative.
The St. Louis County Department of Public Health partnered with the Missouri Family Health Council to distribute the kits at various locations in the county.
“In March, I signed an executive order committing St. Louis County to the reproductive and sexual health services it currently provides while working to expand services in an equitable way to address health and racial disparities,” County Executive Dr. Sam Page said. “Making emergency contraception free and accessible is a responsible public health decision. Thank you to the Missouri Family Health Council for making this possible.”
The medication in the emergency contraception kit is levonorgestrel, sometimes known as Plan B. It is a safe and effective way for women to prevent pregnancy after a birth control failure or unprotected sex, a press release said.
Kits are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at these locations:
- John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley
- North Central Community Health Center in Jennings
- South County Health Center in Sunset Hills
The kits are free and no information will be collected at the centers, the release said.
“DPH has been a consistent champion of access to reproductive health care in the St. Louis region, and we are thrilled to be part of a project that will increase the availability of sexual and reproductive health care at a time when access to this care is under attack,” DPH Director Dr. Kanika Cunningham said.
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