The Yellowhammer Fund Offers Free Emergency Contraceptives For Women in Quarantine

The Tuscaloosa-based non-profit organization Yellowhammer Fund is offering free emergency contraceptives (EC) sent through the mail. The contraceptives are available to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida panhandle.

On July 10, the fund provided 691 emergency contraceptives to women, according to a counter on their website. Now that number has risen to 3600, multiplying by almost five times as many ECs delivered in less than a week.

The Yellowhammer Fund is offering one contraceptive for every woman for every three months, completely free of charge. The EC will arrive by mail and those in need of an immediate EC can select emergency overnight shipping.

Orders placed after 6 p.m. CST will not be processed until the following morning. Orders made on Saturday or Sunday won't be processed until the following Monday.

"The best way to prevent abortion, as always, is to make sure that those who don’t want to be pregnant don’t get pregnant to begin with. That’s harder today, with so many contraceptive methods locked away in pharmacies that people may not be able to get to, or in stores that are on limited hours, or in doctor’s offices or health clinics that are overwhelmed right now," The Yellowhammer Fund posted on their website.

Another way the organization is addressing the access crisis is by increasing per patient financial support. Before March 25, the average patient pledge was $250 for a first trimester procedure. As many people struggle from job losses and financial stress during the pandemic, the Yellowhammer Fund more than doubled their patient funding.

The Yellowhammer Fund, like many organizations advocating for easy access to reproductive care, depends on donations from the public. The organization is desperately looking for all the funding they can get, with an option to contribute one time or monthly on their website.

To learn more about the free contraceptives or donating, visit their website yellowhammerfund.org