By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff
The new Idaho Contraceptive Education Network launched Dec. 4 with the goal of preserving and expanding access to contraceptives throughout Idaho by educating the public about their various functions, dispelling misinformation and giving Idahoans the opportunity to advocate for their needs.
“Birth control is well known as a tool to prevent or delay pregnancy, but it can also be essential to supporting fertility treatments and treating health conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, ovarian cysts, anemia, acne and others,” said Tara Malek, a former Republican candidate for Idaho Senate who spearheads the ICEN, alongside former-Reps. Kelley Packer (R-McCammon) and Laurie Lickley (R-Jerome).
In a recent press release, ICEN stated that the “majority of Idahoans” support access to contraceptives and believe they are essential to reducing unplanned pregnancies. The issue has remained at the center of U.S. domestic politics since the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022 that gave states the option to regulate abortion access, thereby overturning the landmark case Roe v. Wade that had guaranteed access to abortion as a constitutional right.
“The most important message we can share is that life is so important and precious, and it should be prepared for in a thoughtful way. Contraceptives allow people to do that,” Packer stated in the press release.
In April 2023, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 374 into law, clarifying that birth control does not violate Idaho’s strict abortion laws. Since many have conflated these two elements of family planning, ICEN seeks to ensure that the laws protecting citizens’ rights to access contraceptives remain intact in the current political climate.
“Access to birth control empowers individuals and couples to exercise their personal liberty in choosing when and if to have children, and it enables couples to thoughtfully plan to grow their families,” Malek told the Reader. “This helps to ensure couples are emotionally, financially and mentally prepared to provide a nurturing environment for their children.”
According to ICEN’s website, 80% of Republican voters throughout the nation support increased access to contraceptives, making restrictions on birth control “highly unpopular.”
Individuals and businesses are invited to join ICEN’s network at idahocen.org/join to receive educational resources and information about events and activities, and to share personal stories.
“There is nothing more pro-life than giving our families access to this important family planning resource,” Lickley stated in the press release.
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