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Oregon women first to get yearlong birth control

Michael Winter
USA TODAY
On Jan. 1, 2016, Oregon women will be able to get a one-year supply of birth control under legislation signed June 11, 2015, by Gov. Kate Brown.

With Gov. Kate Brown's signature Thursday, Oregon women will be the first in the nation who can get a year's supply of birth control with one prescription.

When the change takes effect Jan. 1, women will no longer have to renew their prescriptions every 30 to 90 days. After an initial three-month supply, refills of the same prescription can be obtained for one year.

"We knew that the medical research was very clear that filling a yearlong prescription all at once is a significant contributor to improving the effectiveness of birth control," Mary Nolan, interim executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, told the Associated Press before the signing.

Her group said the change would reduce unintended pregnancies and expand access to birth control, especially for rural women.

Opponents argued the measure, House Bill 3343, could boost the cost of health insurance.

Religious employers are exempt.

Brown signed the legislation four days after the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking Supreme Court ruling Griswold vs. Connecticut, which struck down prohibitions on birth control and established a constitutional right to privacy for intimate relations.

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