WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- According to data released by Power to Decide, an estimated
428,540 women living at or below 250% of the poverty level in
Indiana live in contraceptive
deserts, counties in which there is not reasonable access to a
health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. Of
those in need living in contraceptive deserts, nearly a quarter
live in counties without a single health center that provides the
full range of contraceptive methods. Currently, across the country
more than 19 million U.S. women of low income live in contraceptive
deserts.
"In Indiana, nearly 429,000 women must overcome significant
barriers to access the contraception they need and deserve in order
to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and
have a child," said Raegan
McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, CEO of Power to Decide. "The
challenge of covering costs associated with obtaining family
planning services—such as transportation, child care and unpaid
time off from work—may be too great a burden for those already
struggling to make ends meet."
Additional data from Power to Decide show that nearly 66,000
Indianan women of reproductive age (13-44) in need of publicly
funded contraception live in the five counties that lost resources
due to the Title X Family Planning Program "domestic gag rule" that
was lifted on November 8, 2021, after
more than two years of harm.
Despite these challenges, family planning providers are making
every effort to provide contraceptive services to patients across
the state. Still, Indiana can take
additional proactive steps to expand access to contraception. This
is more important than ever, as the pandemic continues to devastate
people's lives in various ways.
Indiana has already expanded
Medicaid to low-income adults, which helps decrease the percentage
of uninsured women, and by extension, give them the contraceptive
coverage they need to live healthy lives. In addition, Indiana provides Medicaid reimbursement for
postpartum long-acting reversible contraception. Indiana can also guard against additional
barriers to access by enacting policies that allow pharmacists to
prescribe contraception, extend the supply of prescription
contraceptives and protect contraceptive coverage.
More information about these policies can be found here. In
addition, information about Indiana's telehealth policies relevant to
contraceptive access can be found here.
Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, non-profit
organization that works to ensure all people—no matter who they
are, where they live or what their economic status might be—have
the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get
pregnant and have a child. Please visit us at
http://www.PowerToDecide.org or follow us on Facebook and
Twitter.
Media Contact
Paloma Zuleta, Power to Decide,
202-812-4477, pzuleta@powertodecide.org
SOURCE Power to Decide