As some states have recently enacted further restrictions on abortion rights, women's health care startup Pill Club — a company that sells birth control subscriptions via telemedicine — is trying to fill a gap in service at a time when women need help the most.

The company has announced that it is donating 5,000 units of the generic version of Plan B for women in need as part of a collaboration with the nonprofit Power to Decide. The pills are a form of emergency contraception taken immediately after sex.

"I think there's a real need and an increased role for the private sector to really be able to help," Nick Chang, the CEO and co-founder of Pill Club, told Cheddar.

"If a number of public companies and nonprofits are facing restricted funds, or are facing headwinds, this is the right moment for private sector companies to be able to help out."

The company has also promised to match up to $10,000 in donations to the partnering nonprofit's contraceptive access fund.

2019 saw several states drastically restrict abortion rights. Amnesty International reports that 42 restrictions on abortions were enacted in the first half of the year. Five states — Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Kentucky, and Mississippi — have passed so-called 'heartbeat' bills, which would ban abortion about two weeks after a woman first misses her period due to pregnancy.

"Our ability to serve women in these states is only becoming an increasingly important dynamic," Chang said.

Chang says the company doubled in size this year, and that demand has increased in the regions most impacted by recent restrictions on abortion.

Share:
More In Business
Tech leader who navigated the internet’s 90s crash weighs in on AI
Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania. And now he is seeing potential signs of the cycle repeating with another transformative technology in artificial intelligence. Chambers is trying take some of the lessons he learned while riding a wave that turned Cisco into the world's most valuable company in 2000 before a crash hammered its stock price and apply them as an investor in AI startups. He recently discussed AI's promise and perils during an interview with The Associated Press.
Tesla sales jump after months of boycotts
Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30. The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk’s foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company’s cars and even protested at some dealerships. Sales rose to 497,099 vehicles, compared with 462,890 in the same period last year.
Load More