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Rural Appalachian Women Will Suffer Disproportionately if Attempts to Further Restrict Emergency Contraception are
Amie M Ashcraft1, Sarah Dotson2, Sara Farjo2
1West Virginia University, amashcraft@hsc.wvu.edu.
Journal of Appalachian Health
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Access to emergency contraception (levonorgestrel EC) is decreasing, particularly in underserved areas. This is concerning given the rise in abortion restrictions and existing health disparities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Reproductive Health
- Health Disparities
Background:
- The overturn of federal abortion protections has raised concerns about potential restrictions on contraception.
- States with abortion bans often have high rates of unplanned pregnancy and poor health outcomes.
- Levonorgestrel EC (LNG EC) access is already variable, with lower rates in rural independent pharmacies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess current access to LNG EC in West Virginia pharmacies and health clinics.
- To contextualize LNG EC access with socioeconomic demographics and regional health disparities.
- To highlight the impact of recent policy changes on EC availability.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from 509 pharmacies and 400 health clinics across West Virginia.
- Analysis of LNG EC availability.
- Socioeconomic and demographic data contextualization.
Main Results:
- Existing disparities in LNG EC access were identified.
- Recent policy changes and legislative actions are further limiting EC availability.
- Independent pharmacies, more common in rural areas, show particularly low rates of access.
Conclusions:
- Access to LNG EC is worsening at a critical time for reproductive healthcare.
- Disparities in access are exacerbated by geographic location and pharmacy type.
- Misinformation about EC's mechanism of action is contributing to calls for bans.
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