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Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) on Wednesday blocked a unanimous consent request to pass legislation that would have created a federal right to birth control use. Driving the news: Democrats moved to pass the bill through unanimous consent — meaning the bill would have been deemed passed had no one objected —in response to Justice Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, in which he said the Supreme Court should reconsider its precedents that protect access to contraceptives. (Gonzalez, 7/27)

Democrats' anxiety over access to birth control is peaking as more red states attempt to adopt restrictions on emergency contraception and IUDs and could move to potentially ban them. ... Republican-led states are particularly hostile to Plan B and other emergency contraception pills and IUDs, which are one of the most commonly used birth control methods. Experts believe that some abortion bans that these states have enacted could be interpreted to cover these types of contraceptives. (Gonzalez, 7/28)

Generation Z has some different thoughts on safe sex compared to older Americans.  In a new report published by Innerbody Research, 81 percent of Generation Z men said they would be willing to try oral contraception.  The online wellness guide called Gen Z’s willingness to try a birth control pill “impressive” compared to older generations. In the same survey, only 65 percent of Millennial men, 64 percent of Boomer men and 58 percent of Gen X men said they would be willing to try taking a pill to prevent unwanted pregnancy.  (O’Connell-Domenech, 7/27)

Shawn is one of many American men seizing control of their own reproductive health, as millions of American women are stripped of that right. Since the draft decision on Roe was leaked in May, data collected by Innerbody Research showed a huge increase in the number of daily web searches relating to vasectomies. Searches for “where can I get a vasectomy” swelled by 850%. Related queries – “how much is a vasectomy?” and “is a vasectomy reversible?” – also exploded. (Semley, 7/28)

But even before the Dobbs decision overturned a federal right to an abortion, some states already had passed laws on whether pharmacists can deny a prescription or items like condoms because of religious beliefs or moral objection. Other states leave it up to the discretion of the pharmacy location, and some don't require objecting providers to provide patients with alternate pharmacists or care. Many of those laws go as far back as 1992, when Congress passed a suite of laws under the Church Amendment. (Edwards, 7/27)

The abortion landscape has changed but the votes didn’t when New Hampshire Republicans rejected family planning contracts Wednesday for the fourth time in less than a year. The Executive Council — which approves nominations and state contracts — voted 4-1 to deny funding to the Equality Health Center, Lovering Health Center and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. The contracts, which were supported by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, would have funded cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and other routine health care services for more than 16,000 low-income women. (Ramer, 7/27)