How the USPS Controversy Has Affected Birth Control Access

Over the summer, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy instituted controversial operational changes to the United States Postal Service, which included taking away mail sorting machines and mail collection boxes in numerous states. While plenty of attention was given to the grave impact this move could have on the overall efficacy of the USPS — and, of course, concerns about the possibility of delays’ potential to hinder mail-in voting — less attention was paid to the effect on women who rely on mail-order birth control for their reproductive freedom.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, 10% of birth control pills are delivered by mail. Women have also never been more reliant on health care being remote. According to a report by the Guttmacher Institute, 24% of women using birth control pills switched to virtual appointments with their provider to refill prescriptions since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carrie SiuButt, the CEO of SimpleHealth, an online birth control company, told Salon that up to 5% of people were reporting delays.

According to Fortune, for some insurers, birth control pills can only be refilled within seven days of the end of the cycle. However, a pack of pills, which might have originally taken three to five days to arrive by mail, may now take 10 days to arrive. Because birth control pills must be taken daily to remain an effective form of contraception, a mere three-day delay can have dire consequences, especially for anyone using the pill for more serious medical issues like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Marginalized women are being hit hardest by these decisions. For rural and low-income women, even FedEx and UPS aren’t reliable alternatives. Salon reports that both use USPS to deliver packages in rural areas and are much pricier. Guttmacher’s report shows that Black, Hispanic, and low-income women were all more likely to report that they faced barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health care because of the pandemic. These same groups of women were also more likely to say that the pandemic made them want to delay childbearing or have fewer children.

In August, DeJoy testified before the House Oversight Committee, confirming that his changes did cause delays. “While we have had a temporary service decline which should not have happened, we are fixing this,” he said, according to Fortune.

Prior to his testimony, DeJoy announced that he would suspend changes ahead of the November elections. However, this will not erase the damage that has already been done. According to CNN, out of the 502 mail sorting machines scheduled to be removed, 95% were already scheduled for removal by August.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was displeased with DeJoy’s response to the controversy. She said in a statement, “The postmaster general frankly admitted that he had no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes, and other key mail infrastructure that have been removed and that plans for adequate overtime, which is critical for the timely delivery of mail, are not in the works."

DeJoy has also faced a lawsuit from six states and the District of Columbia. The lawsuit alleges that DeJoy’s changes to the USPS “were made without due regard to their likely impact on mail service and in violation of the procedural requirements of the Postal Reorganization Act.” According to Axios, the suit also claims that these changes will hinder “efforts to conduct ‘free and fair elections.’”

DeJoy’s actions have also managed to anger a bipartisan bloc of voters, Forbes reports. According to a poll from Data for Progress and the Justice Collaborative Institute, 56% of Americans, including 77% of Democrats, 49% of Independents, and 39% of Republicans, say they somewhat or strongly support removing DeJoy from office.

The crisis surrounding the USPS shows how important government services are, particularly to the most vulnerable among us. Far from just delivering postcards or Amazon packages, the post office and its efficacy are tied to some of the most important elements in our society, including reproductive health and voting rights. Any attack against the USPS is therefore an attack against those basic rights as well.