H.R. 722 and Your Birth Control: What you need to know

What Is H.R. 722?

H.R. 722, also known as the Life at Conception Act, is a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2025. Its goal is to grant full legal personhood to every human being “at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.”

If passed, this legislation could have sweeping consequences for reproductive healthcare, particularly when it comes to birth control and emergency contraception (EC). Though the bill has not yet become law, its mere existence is part of a growing trend to undermine reproductive rights by reclassifying contraception and EC under anti-abortion rhetoric.

How Birth Control Works

To understand why H.R. 722 is dangerous, it’s essential to understand how modern contraceptive methods actually work.

Hormonal Birth Control

Methods like the pill, patch, ring, IUD, and implant work in a few different ways:

• Preventing ovulation: No egg = no fertilization = no pregnancy.
• Thickening cervical mucus: Makes it harder for sperm to reach an egg.
• Thinning the uterine lining: Less likely for a fertilized egg (if it occurs) to implant.

These methods are widely used, scientifically supported, and recommended by highly-trusted medical organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

How Emergency Contraception Works

EC pills work by delaying or blocking ovulation, which is when the egg pops out. Ulipristal acetate, the active ingredient in Ella, is a selective progesterone receptor modulator; progesterone is the hormone that maintains pregnancy and Ella acts by preventing this hormone from acting.

Plan B and its generics are a synthetic progesterone that trick your body into thinking you’re already pregnant and stop your egg from being released. If the egg has already been released, Plan B and its generics are not as effective. For EC pills, the sooner a person takes them, the more effective it will be to prevent pregnancy.

Emergency contraceptive pills mainly work by preventing an egg from being fertilized. If you are pregnant and you take emergency contraception pills, nothing will happen. Despite the science, these medications are often wrongly categorized by anti-choice groups as “abortifacients” — which they are not. In fact, progesterone is used to treat women who have recurrent miscarriages. So, taking progesterone after the egg/sperm have hooked up may actually support a pregnancy.

Why H.R. 722 Is a Threat to Reproductive Healthcare

By granting legal rights to fertilized eggs, H.R. 722 opens the door to banning or severely limiting access to:

• Birth control pills, patch, and ring
  
• Hormonal and copper IUDs
  
• The implant (Nexplanon)
  
• Emergency contraception like Plan B and its generics and Ella
  
• IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)

The reasoning? Some legislators argue that if a method might interfere with a fertilized egg’s ability to implant in the uterus, it’s effectively ending a life — even though that claim is medically inaccurate and not supported by mainstream science.This isn’t just about misinformation. It’s about chipping away at your right to choose when and if you want to become pregnant. It sets the stage for legal battles, confusion at the pharmacy and restricted access to essential care.

Who This Affects

This bill impacts anyone who uses birth control or emergency contraception — whether you take the pill daily, keep EC on hand just in case, or rely on long-acting methods like the IUD or implant. This bill impacts anyone who wants to plan when and how many children they have.

It will also affect healthcare providers and pharmacies, who may be hesitant to prescribe/dispense these medications if they fear legal consequences such as lawsuits, losing their license, or going to jail.

And let’s be clear: this disproportionately affects women, people assigned female at birth, and marginalized communities who already face barriers to care.

What You Can Do About It

We’re not helpless. Here’s how to protect yourself and your rights:

1. Order Ahead

At Pandia Health, you have the option to order birth control and emergency contraception in advance. If you’re paying out of pocket, you can stock up with up to a year’s supply. If you’re using insurance, we can help you request a 12-month prescription—supply (if allowed by your state/plan). Having emergency contraception on hand is just good planning, even if you hope you never need it.

2. Share This Information

Share this with your friends, family, and followers. Most people have no idea this bill exists. Raising awareness is the first step toward mobilizing action.

3. Call or Write Your Representatives

Let them know you oppose H.R. 722. Tell them:

• • You support science-based reproductive healthcare
  • You want access to all forms of birth control and emergency contraception
  • Laws should not be based on religious interpretations about when personhood begins
  • You don’t want politicians interfering with your personal medical decisions. “Leave medicine to the patient and their doctor”.

You can find your elected officials here.

The Bottom Line

H.R. 722 isn’t just a bill. It’s part of a much bigger effort to restrict reproductive rights in the U.S. By redefining personhood to start at fertilization, it opens the door to limiting or banning access to safe, effective, science-backed birth control and emergency contraception.

Don’t wait to see what happens. Take action now. Pandia Health is here to help you stay informed, protected against unwanted pregnancies, and in control of your body.Stay empowered. Stay protected. Stay loud.

For questions about ordering birth control or Emergency Contraception, email us at support@pandiahealth.com or visit https://www.pandiahealth.com/birth-control-treatment/