FACT CHECK: Has Plan B Been Banned In Missouri?

A post shared on Facebook claims Plan B has been banned in Missouri.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Plan B has been banned in Missouri.

Fact Check:

A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion suggests the court is seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, which established federal protections for abortion, according to Politico. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, other landmark decisions could face challenges, NPR reports.

A Facebook post, which has been shared over 230 times, claims contraceptives are now being restricted in Missouri. “They just banned plan B’s in Missouri,” reads the post. Plan B, also referred to as the “morning-after pill,” is marketed as an “emergency contraceptive” that prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex, according to its website.

There is no evidence to support this claim. There is no announcement of such a ban in any of the press releases, legislative actions or executive orders found on Missouri Gov. Michael Parson’s website. No such action is mentioned on the state legislature’s “House Actions” webpage or on the state senate’s website. (RELATED: Did Kavanaugh Suggest That Contraceptives Are ‘Abortion-Inducing Drugs’?)

Missouri has a “trigger law” that would outlaw abortion in most cases if Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to an article published by St. Louis Public Radio. The outlet states “Birth control, fertility treatments including IVF and emergency contraception including Plan B are not mentioned in the ban,” but also notes the legal interpretation of the law could be expanded to include some emergency contraceptives in the future.

The St. Louis branch of Planned Parenthood claimed on Twitter that the state’s current trigger law would not ban Plan B. “Overturning #RoevWade will take away abortion access but will not impact your ability to get birth control,” the tweet reads. “Birth control does not meet the criteria for the definition of abortion under MO law.”

(2/3) Birth control does not meet the criteria for the definition of abortion under MO law. Since birth control prevents pregnancy (and does not end an existing pregnancy), overturning #Roe will not block access to birth control.

— Planned Parenthood (@PPSLR) May 5, 2022

Check Your Fact has reached out to the Missouri Department of Health and will update this piece if a response is given.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases