Expanding Access to Emergency Contraception Through State Systems: The Washington State Experience

Abstract

Access to family planning and reduction of unintended pregnancy are long-standing priorities for Washington States Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Working together to ensure that all pregnancies are intended (consciously and clearly desired at the time of conception) the two agencies provide family planning counseling and a broad choice of contraceptive methods through a range of health and social service programs. When a dedicated product for emergency contraception became available in 1998 widespread integration of relevant information and services became one more strategy the agencies used to realize the goal of reducing unintended pregnancy in the state. Since 1997 the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) has collaborated with state colleagues to increase access to emergency contraception. In a series of interviews conducted in December 2003 PATH asked administrators managers and others who were involved in the initial process to describe the experience. The story that emerged described here is one of strong high-level support for family planning services that created an ideal platform for expanding emergency contraception services establishing collaborations between relevant agencies and increasing the number of state programs and the range of service providers offering emergency contraception services. The result was an innovative approach to service delivery that made it possible to reach underserved and low-income populations including those not served by Title X--funded clinics. Our objective in sharing Washington States experience is to stimulate further state-level innovation for expanding access to emergency contraception. (excerpt)