In recent years, state and federal policies have had a major impact on access to sexual and reproductive health care across the nation. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has enabled more women to obtain sexual and reproductive health care by expanding access to Medicaid and private insurance coverage and strengthening the scope of that coverage. Federal Title X changes, on the other hand, placed restrictions on program participation and reduced federal support to the family planning safety net. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged providers to find new ways to make contraceptives, STI services, and in some cases abortion care available via telehealth and has brought the structural inequities in the health system into stark focus.

On April 21, 2021 KFF held a web briefing to highlight key findings on sexual and reproductive health from KFF’s national Women’s Health Survey. The presentation was followed by a discussion with leaders in sexual and reproductive care about what those findings mean for policy and practice, how the pandemic has begun to reshape the provision of sexual and reproductive health care, and implications for the future of the family planning safety net and the people who rely on it.

The key findings of the survey were presented by KFF study authors Usha Ranji and Brittni Frederiksen.

The discussion was moderated by KFF’s Senior Vice President and Director of Women’s Health Policy Alina Salganicoff, featuring:

• Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, CEO of Power to Decide (formerly National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy)
• Kami Geoffray, JD, CEO, Every Body Texas
• Monica McLemore, RN, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor, University of California, San Francisco
• Sue Kendig, JD, MSN, WHNP, Director of Policy, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health