TUCSON, Ariz.— A new report released today by the Center for Biological Diversity found that sexual and reproductive health items are left off all but two state emergency preparedness checklists. This leaves residents in the dark when it comes to protecting their sexual health during increasingly frequent and intense fossil fuel-driven climate disasters.

“Sexual health might not be the first thing people think of when preparing for disasters, but it’s a crucial component of overall health and safety,” said Kelley Dennings, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “By failing to include sexual and reproductive health on emergency preparedness checklists states are leaving residents vulnerable to life-changing consequences like unintended pregnancies, preventable diseases and potentially deadly birthing complications.”

The report analyzed emergency preparedness checklists across all 50 states to see if they included menstrual products, medications, personal hygiene products and sexual and reproductive health items like pregnancy tests, condoms and birthing supplies.

The analysis found that 48 states included medication on their checklists, but none specifically mentioned birth control pills or other hormone medications. Twenty-six states included menstrual products but only two states — Maryland and Rhode Island — specifically included sexual and reproductive health products such as condoms, pregnancy tests and birthing supplies.

“Taking care of your sexual and reproductive health can be just as critical as other medical needs during the long road of recovering from climate change-fueled disasters,” said Dennings. “When states help people prepare all parts of their lives for emergencies everyone can recover quicker and with dignity.”

Access to healthcare and sexual and reproductive health resources, such as contraception and abortion services, can become limited during and after environmental disasters. The United States averaged 23 environmental disasters per year between 2020 and 2024. These disasters, ranging from floods to wildfires, are becoming more frequent and more intense because of the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis.