Why the WNBA’s Partnership With Opill Is So Groundbreaking

As states across the country continue to revoke access to reproductive rights, the WNBA is taking a clear stand, announcing a new multi-year partnership with the OTC contraception, Opill.

“At the WNBA, we’ve always said that women’s health is society’s health — and so for a long time, many of our players have been engaged with organizations who are doing work in this space. But for us, it’s about bringing more attention, more awareness and more education to those who need it, and our partnership with a brand like Opill will allow us to do that,” says Colie Edison, WNBA Chief Growth Officer, who spoke to PS in an interview.

The union between the two brands will create touch points across the country for access and education, starting with the WNBA Draft where Opill is an associate sponsor. Fans can expect to see Opill activations at the draft, says Edison, in addition to other tentpole events for the league. A college campus tour is also on the horizon where Opill and the WNBA will provide educational programs on contraception.

“With the WNBA, we will highlight the progress being made toward creating a world where we no longer need to ask permission to make personal decisions.”

“We’re so excited for this season as we’re concentrating our social justice work around civic engagement, but also reproductive health advocacy,” Edison tells PS.

At a kickoff event for Opill x WNBA, New York Liberty’s Betnijah Laney expressed just how much the partnership resonated with her.

“It really means a lot because we want to help provide the access to everyone,” Laney told PS in a press-conference-style interview. “I think that we’re starting something very powerful, we’re using both platforms together to hopefully make a change, to bring awareness, to bring education — all those things that are very important being a woman,” Laney went on to say.

The resource has been a long-time coming. “‘The pill’ has been used to manage sexual health for over half a century, but Opill is, for the first time, birth control on your own terms,” Leila Bahbah, US Women’s Health Brand Lead at Perrigo Company, said at the NYC kickoff event. Opill, which is intended for anyone who can get pregnant, doesn’t require a prescription or a doctor’s appointment, and can be purchased online or over the counter at major retailers like CVS and Walgreens for $20 for a one-month supply and $50 for a three-month supply.

Bahbah hopes that in partnering with the WNBA, more people will recognize the kind of autonomy and access they’re hoping to provide. “Opill is now the most effective OTC oral contraceptive option. This means it has enormous potential to reduce those unintended pregnancies,” Bahbah said. “With the WNBA, we will highlight the progress being made toward creating a world where we no longer need to ask permission to make personal decisions.”

Alexis Jones is the senior health editor at POPSUGAR. Her areas of expertise include women’s health, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, diversity in wellness, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining POPSUGAR, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.