A recent analysis by Power to Decide and the Guttmacher Institute found that more than 213,000 Iowa women live in a contraceptive access gap, where the need for low-cost or no-cost contraceptive care exceeds the capacity of publicly funded health clinics. In its coverage of these findings, The Gazette also highlighted FPCI’s landscape study on access to contraception in Iowa.
Newspaper reporter Fern Alling interviewed Dr. Tara Shochet, Director of Programs and Grants at FPCI, along with Nicole Baccam, a nurse practitioner at Eastern Iowa Health Center. Their perspectives underscored how limited appointment availability, scheduling constraints, and other barriers can make contraceptive care difficult to access for many low-income Iowans.
Of the 502 clinics contacted for FPCI’s study, only 28 offered evening or weekend appointments for contraceptive care. Dr. Shochet noted that many of the changes needed to improve contraception access are the same as those needed across the broader healthcare system. She also pointed to 12-month contraceptive supplies as a policy solution that could help reduce barriers for Iowans seeking care.
Read The Gazette’s coverage to learn more about the challenges facing Iowans seeking contraceptive care.
Explore FPCI’s study on access to contraception in Iowa for a deeper look at the findings and recommendations for improving access statewide.