Increasing Access to Contraception

Access to the full range of contraceptive options is essential to having control over our bodies and our lives.

NIRH is committed to expanding access to contraception by addressing policy barriers, expanding insurance coverage, and implementing systems-level change in health care settings, using an approach that centers patient autonomy and choice.

NIRH supports policies that ensure access to the full range of methods of contraception and non-coercive, inclusive contraceptive counseling, and is committed to increasing knowledge of and access to underutilized contraceptive options in ways that center and honor patient autonomy and decision-making. NIRH also supports policies that ensure that all insurance coverage, whether offered privately, by employers, or through the government, provides coverage all methods of contraception and non-coercive contraceptive counseling with no cost-sharing on the individual and without barriers or delays.

Some forms of contraception, such as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and emergency contraception, have been historically underutilized because of lack of provider training, lack of public education, and high cost to providers and consumers. However, efforts to increase access to contraception have often targeted their efforts at marginalized communities, particularly women of color, who have historically experienced many forms of reproductive oppression, including forced sterilization. Our efforts to increase access to contraception must be informed by this knowledge.

OUR CORE STRATEGIES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION

Ensuring equitable access to the full range of contraceptive options without coercion
Securing insurance coverage for all methods of contraception

WINNING 12 MONTH PRESCRIPTIONS FOR BIRTH CONTROL