Arizona has become the latest of twelve states across the country to provide contraceptives over the counter without a prescription, Governor Katie Hobbs announced Thursday. 

The rule will go into effect immediately and allow people over the age of 18 to have access to self-administered birth control from their local pharmacy. But a health screen and blood pressure test is still required.

Hobbs has been at the forefront of recent efforts to promote reproductive freedom in Arizona. She said in a statement that such freedoms are critical to people and families working hard to create a life for themselves in Arizona.

Hobbs’ decision is an “important first step” to achieving reproductive freedom, said Amy Fitch-Heacock, executive board member and spokesperson for Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom, a statewide advocacy group that aims to protect abortion access. 

“We have a long way to go here in Arizona . . . but anytime you give people more access to control their reproductive futures, you are getting one step closer to reproductive freedom,” Fitch-Heacock said.

What states allow access to over-the-counter contraceptives? 

Arizona is following the lead of 12 other states – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington – and the District of Columbia who have passed similar legislation over the past seven years allowing people over the age of 18 to obtain certain hormonal and oral contraception over the counter. 

In Arizona, the new rule includes oral contraceptives like birth control pills, hormonal contraceptive patches and vaginal rings, according to a statement by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Patients seeking contraceptives over the counter will have to pay for the service by either providing proof of insurance or paying out-of-pocket. 

Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the 2021 law allowing pharmacists to dispense self-administered contraceptives – the pill, the patch or the ring – to patients who are at least 18 years old. The bill attracted bipartisan support, passing the Arizona House of Representatives 33 to 24 and the state Senate by a vote of 21 to 8.

The law allows pharmacists to administer contraceptives in general and Hobbs’ standing order requires them to do so without a prescription from a doctor.

Over the counter access to birth control is even more necessary as “abortion bans and restrictions are sweeping across the nation,” said Amy Moy, the co-CEO of Essential Access Health, a non-profit focused on advancing sexual and reproductive health.