A Path Towards Reproductive Justice: Incorporating a RJ Framework into North Carolina's Improving Community Outcomes...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Racial disparities in birth outcomes persist, with long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) proposed as a strategy to mitigate these inequities.
• Black women-led organizations advocate for integrating Reproductive Justice (RJ) principles into LARC programs to ensure equitable reproductive healthcare.
• State-funded maternal and child health programs are exploring innovative strategies to improve birth outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe how a state-funded maternal and child health program reconceptualized an evidence-based strategy (EBS) for increasing access to LARC.
• To incorporate Reproductive Justice principles into a broader strategy aimed at improving birth outcomes.
• To evaluate the process of shifting from a LARC access-focused strategy to one centered on Reproductive Justice.

Main Methods:

• The Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal and Child Health (ICO4MCH) program in North Carolina funded five county health departments to increase LARC access.
• ICO4MCH leadership revised the strategy to center on the Reproductive Justice framework, emphasizing reproductive life planning and LARC utilization.
• Performance measures and scope of work for grantees were modified to align with the RJ-centered approach.

Main Results:

• Community sites hosted Reproductive Justice trainings for program team members.
• Local agencies adapted their language and approach to family planning services to reflect RJ principles.
• These modifications were tailored to specific community contexts and existing perceptions of reproductive health services.

Conclusions:

• The ICO4MCH program successfully modified a LARC EBS to better integrate Reproductive Justice principles.
• Local agencies seeking to implement similar shifts should prioritize feedback from individuals with lived experience.
• Partnerships with organizations committed to Reproductive Justice are crucial for successful program implementation.