Detroit Evening Report: Whitmer announces expansion of free contraception resources

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FILE - An empty pack of oral birth control pills.

FILE - An empty pack of oral birth control pills.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Thursday that more than 300 locations across the state now have free contraception resources available through the “Take Control of Your Birth Control” program.

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Resources include over-the-counter birth control pills, emergency contraception, condoms, and family planning educational resources. Participating locations include community partners, local health departments, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) offices, and federally qualified health centers in every county of the state.

Michigan families are encouraged to visit michigan.gov/takecontrol to find an interactive map of participating organizations and learn more about how to access these resources.

“The goal of this program is to ensure individuals, regardless of their circumstances, have access to tools that allow them to make their own decisions about their health and future,” saidDr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, in a statement. “We want to make sure individuals who need and want these tools can easily obtain them. This campaign reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to reproductive health services.”

Visit Michigan.gov/takecontrol for more information and to find participating locations near you.

Other headlines for Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024:

  • Detroit will host a “reverse vending machine” in Campus Martius this holiday season through Dec. 8. The Giving Machine allows people to donate items to people worldwide and in the Detroit area. Visitors can donate a variety of items including clothing, hygiene items, meals, livestock and more.
  • Detroit City Council members Latisha Johnson and Gabriella Santiago-Romero are hosting their quarterly meeting with the equitable development task force at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday, Nov. 21 via Zoom. The meeting will cover what the task force has been doing to address the needs of underserved Detroit neighborhoods. Reach out to either councilmember Johnson’s or Santiago-Romero’s offices to get more information on how to attend.
  • The Detroit Justice Center is hosting a free community screening of “Coldwater Kitchen,” a film that highlights the culinary training program for incarcerated residents at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan. The film follows chef Jimmy Lee Hill and three of his students as they navigate the challenges of incarceration and reentry. Dinner will be catered by Chef Dink of Coldwater Kitchen and the Green Mile Grille. The free event will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15 at the LOVE building, 4731 Grand River Ave., Detroit.

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Author

  • Bre'Anna Tinsley
    Bre'Anna Tinsley is a reporter for Detroit Public Radio, 101.9 WDET. She covers city government and housing, as well as co-hosting the "Detroit Evening Report" podcast.