Salem To Stock Emergency Contraception In Public Bathrooms

SALEM, MA — Salem officials are taking bold steps they say are "intended to safeguard abortion and reproductive health care access in Salem" — including purchasing emergency contraception and making it available in public restrooms.

Mayor Kim Driscoll, who is also a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and members of the City Council said the city is looking to provide added reproductive access and safeguards for "residents, visitors and those who work in the community."

"Right now, these rights are under attack across much of our nation and, as a welcoming, inclusive, and forward-looking city, we have an obligation to stand up to protect these important rights by every means possible," Driscoll said on Thursday.

Salem is in the process of purchasing, installing and maintaining emergency contraception-dispensing machines in public restrooms. The machines will be stocked with at-cost, over-the-counter emergency contraception, as well as free or at-cost other public health items.

"At this time of open attack on the civil liberties and the right to safe and legal reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare in our nation, codifying protections, and publicly committing to protecting people, is an imperative responsibility of those in government any and everywhere it may be possible," Ward 2 City Councilor Caroline Watson-Felt said.

Patch reached out to the Salem Mayor's Office for clarification on some aspects of the dispensed "emergency conception" and was told planning is focused on providing the "Plan B-type" products that are currently available over the counter at many retail locations.

Under Food and Drug Administration regulations and authorizations for emergency contraception, there is no age requirement for the purchase of emergency contraception, and therefore "we do not plan to place any age restrictions" on purchases.

Current planning does not include the installation of the dispensers in schools. Initial locations will be "select publicly accessible areas" with the "potential to expand to other locations throughout Salem in the near future."

The City Council is also planning to consider and vote on a reproductive health care access ordinance designed to build on the state's new law protecting providers of abortion and other reproductive services against prosecution in other states and jurisdictions.

"As a community, it is important to reaffirm our support for human rights and health care equality," Ward 6 City Councillor Meg Riccardi said. "This matter is of grave importance, and we need to treat it as such."

The ordinance would prohibit any city employee, contractor, or recipient of city funding from providing information or assistance to any jurisdiction or individual engaged in a prosecution, lawsuit, or extradition due to a lawfully protected health care service in Massachusetts. It also prevents municipal resources or funds from being used to do so.

"Equitable access to legally-protected healthcare is a human right, and should not be under assault in this country from any corner," City Council Chair Patti Morsillo said. "I look
forward to discussing the ordinance in City Council and ultimately, to unanimous support."

The ordinance will be before the City Council at its next regular meeting on Sept. 14.

"I am so pleased to see Salem taking these extra steps necessary to protect access to health care services, particularly for abortion, reproductive, and gender-affirming healthcare," At-Large City Councillor Alice Merkl said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)