My patient’s periods had been heavy her whole life. Having escaped a violent partner, she was living in a shelter. She didn’t have the resources she needed to cope with her heavy periods on top of all the other logistical challenges in her new life. Although she’d already had her tubes tied and didn’t need the pills for birth control, she asked for birth control pills to make her bleeding more manageable. Even when they’re not going to be used for birth control, having access to birth control methods is critical for women’s health and well-being.