In Richmond, Democrats and Republicans are divided about what kind of birth control should be available to low-income women.
Before the General Assembly session started in January, Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam announced a $6 million pilot program that would use untapped federal funds to buy IUDs for low-income women.
IUD's, or intrauterine devices, are long-term reversible contraceptives growing in popularity across the country.
Related: Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam Wants Free Access to IUD's for Women in Virginia
The governor included the funding in his proposed budget. But then it hit a wall. House Republicans weren’t on board.
Jeff Caruso with the Virginia Catholic Conference says many lawmakers are concerned that in some cases, IUDs can prevent pregnancy after an egg has already been fertilized.
"Some have an abortifacient effect," Caruso says. "So what that means is that they would work after fertilization to stop a newly conceived embryo from implanting in the uterus.”
Northam, a pediatric neurologist, says that view is misguided.
“I think they don’t understand the science, and if you’d like to talk about how IUDs work I’d be glad to do that but they essentially prevent the sperm from ever meeting up with the egg. And so the egg is never fertilized because of the IUD.”
Northam says he can see the writing on the wall, and he knows the pilot project is probably done for now. But he expects to keep talking about it on the campaign trail later this year, as he runs for Governor.
