Over 300,000 Women Living in Contraceptive Deserts in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) September 04, 2020

Recent data from Power to Decide show an estimated 321,830 women living at or below 250% of the poverty level in Wisconsin live in contraceptive deserts, counties in which there is not reasonable access to a health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. Currently, across the country more than 19 million U.S. women of low income live in contraceptive deserts.

"More than 300,000 women in Wisconsin, who are already struggling on limited incomes, face insurmountable barriers in accessing the contraception they need and deserve in order to live life on their own terms," said Gillian Sealy, CEO, Power to Decide. "Some of these barriers, such as costs associated with transportation, child-care and unpaid time off from work prevent them from accessing basic health care."

In this challenging landscape, states like Wisconsin can take proactive steps to expand access to contraception in various ways.  By expanding access to Medicaid to low-income adults, Wisconsin could help decrease the percentage of uninsured women, and by extension, give them the contraceptive coverage they need to live healthy lives. In addition, Wisconsin could enact state policies that allow pharmacists to prescribe contraception, require insurance to cover an extended supply of prescription contraception and protect insurance coverage of the full range of contraceptive methods. More information about these policies can be found here.

Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to ensure all people--no matter who they are, where they live or what their economic status might be--have the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Please visit us at http://www.PowerToDecide.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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