Increased Access to Best Contraceptive Methods for Underserved Women

Grantee: Planned Parenthood
Timeframe: July 2015 – June 2018 | Total Amount: $358,000

Year 1: July 2015 – June 2016. Amount: $100,000
Year 2: July 2016 – June 2017. Amount: $122,000
Year 3: July 2017 – June 2018. Amount: $136,000

The Increased Access to Best Contraceptive Methods for Underserved Women program will provide Long Acting Reversible Contraception, or LARCs (including IUDs and implants), to women who cannot afford them. LARCs have much lower failure rates and a recent study shows them to be significantly more effective than other forms of contraception.  Encouraging more young women to use effective forms of birth control, especially LARCs, can prevent unintended pregnancies and the resulting health disparities, especially because these methods remain effective, depending on which device is used, from 3-12 years. However, LARCs are the most expensive form of contraception, putting them out of reach for those who might benefit from them the most. This would include women with insurance who can’t afford their out-of-pocket costs, women who have high deductibles, women with no insurance yet who don’t qualify for Medicaid, or undocumented women who don’t qualify for the ACA.

These LARCs will be provided to patients in the highest need – patients without insurance or who are not eligible for insurance, including undocumented patients and those with income levels that disqualify them from other available funding sources.  Planned Parenthood will provide this reproductive care at our health centers in Seattle (Central District/Capitol Hill), First Hill, Kent Valley, Bellevue, White Center/West Seattle, Roosevelt, Northgate, and Federal Way, Washington.

Planned Parenthood clinicians and health center staff share information regarding all FDA-approved birth control options with each and every patient so that the patient may make her own informed decision about which method is right for her.  As LARC methods are most effective, many patients prefer an IUD or implant; however, these methods are also the most expensive.  In this project, we will partner with Pacific Hospital to eliminate the financial barrier to the most effective LARC methods for those with the highest need.

Planned Parenthood anticipates 100 women will be served by this project; data will be collected regarding the preference of LARC devices chosen, a full accounting of project funds used, and a needs analysis for LARC access to underserved and at-risk populations.