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Why This Matters

Access to family planning services improves health outcomes, quality of life, and economic and educational achievement. However, many in the United States face substantial challenges in obtaining contraceptive services and supplies, and disparities exist along racial lines, rural/urban divisions, and income and insurance status. ​
The contraception and abortion workforce – those healthcare providers who offer contraception and abortion services – can enable or limit access to these essential healthcare services. While the reproductive health workforce has often been measured in terms of the supply and demand of women’s health specialists (e.g., OBGYNs, nurse midwives), primary care providers are also important providers of these services and may be key to ensuring access in some communities and populations. For the abortion workforce, in particular, growing restrictions on abortion care are likely to create significant changes in who provides abortions and where they provide this service. As restrictions on abortion services and providers grow, it is important to track these changes over time.

When access to contraception and abortion care is threatened, "the research tells us that there are adverse health effects, lower quality of life, and other consequences for bodily autonomy. Maintaining access to care relies on both a robust workforce that can provide that care and on providers receiving the support that they need."
- Julia Strasser in Contemporary OBGYN
The GW Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity (GWMI) is committed to conducting research and policy analysis to promote greater equity in healthcare and society. For all healthcare services, the provider workforce represents a critical piece of the puzzle in determining equitable access to essential health services. The Reproductive Health Workforce project focuses on the contraception and abortion workforce in the United States.​
Funding Statement: This work is supported by a private foundation.  
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