The Missouri Abortion Fund distributed the morning-after pill and condoms to concertgoers during Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour Tuesday night in St. Louis. It was part of the pop star’s Fund 4 Good initiative focused on “building an equitable and just future for all women, girls, and people seeking reproductive health freedom.”
Rodrigo, 21, has not been shy about her support for reproductive rights throughout her career. Fund 4 Good, launched in conjunction with the GUTS tour in February, has announced Rodrigo’s commitment to partnering with local chapters of the National Network of Abortion Funds throughout the tour and is ensuring that a percentage of proceeds will go to reproductive rights organizations.
“It’s brutal out here in Missouri, but we are here for abortion access,” the abortion fund tweeted following the concert.
Abortion is banned in the state of Missouri, with very limited exceptions. The state requires an “affirmative defense,” meaning a health care provider has to prove in court that an abortion meets the state’s legal criteria for an exception in order to be granted.
For patients who receive this permission, two separate trips are required to an abortion clinic: one for in-person counseling, and another, a minimum of 72 hours later, for the procedure itself.
The distribution of emergency contraception resonated with fans, many of whom took to social media to post pictures of their new pill packs, thanking the “Vampire” singer for her support.
Emergency contraception does not induce an abortion, but can prevent pregnancy if taken within a few days of unprotected intercourse to stop or delay ovulation. While these pills are available as an over-the-counter medication, many pharmacies do not stock them, or require a patient to request them from a pharmacist directly.
Many other women musicians have undertaken similar initiatives. The Grammy-winning trio boygenius distributed the morning-after pill after concerts in Houston this summer. Maggie Rogers has had Planned Parenthood volunteers at her tours over the past six years, distributing reproductive health literature.
Source: 19thnews.org
