Developing a Post-Roe Contraceptive Access Strategy: Findings Report

By Nikita Malcolm and Jamie Hart

In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the constitutional right to abortion with their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This ruling eliminates longstanding federal standards for abortion access in the U.S. and enables states to restrict and even ban abortion. While the Dobbs decision focuses on abortion rights, the decision’s logic and the responses of lawmakers, clinicians, and others underscore the precarity of contraceptive access. Even prior to the Dobbs decision, contraceptive access had long been limited by patchwork policies and uneven resources.

Within this context, coordinated efforts to preserve and expand access to contraception are more important than ever. CECA is bringing together evidence and diverse stakeholders to understand the potential impact of these shifts and foster strategic collaboration and alignment of efforts among various coalitions, organizations, federal agencies, and individuals.

We are excited to release a findings report based on these initial efforts to identify current needs of the field and considerations for developing a post-Roe contraceptive access strategy. The report includes an overview of the development process, collectively developed equity-informed principles, collectively developed focus areas and goals, and dissemination and implementation approaches to support uptake and advancement of the findings.

Focus Areas and Goals

The report outlines five collectively developed focus areas and goals to advance Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity (SRHE), foster discussions about specific actions and next steps, and help inform conversations with federal and state policymakers.  

• Focus Area 1: Secure the right to contraception, as part of a broader right to reproductive freedom           

  Goal: Secure and preserve protections for the right to contraception at both the federal and state level

• Focus Area 2: Address misinformation and disinformation related to contraception among providers, users, and the broader public                

  Goal: Provide clear information about contraception—including clarifying the mechanisms of action, legality, availability, and parameters of safe disclosure of contraception—to various audiences

• Focus Area 3: Improve and enhance infrastructure for contraceptive care          

  Goal: Improve the capacity of the workforce and guard against erosions to quality contraceptive care, including institutional and individual provider refusal policies and the reach of religious healthcare facilities and crisis pregnancy centers

• Focus Area 4: Promote research and innovation in all aspects of contraceptive care        

  Goal: Advance novel approaches and research innovation in all aspects of contraceptive care to remain current with scientific evidence and changes in the healthcare system and better meet people’s diverse needs and preferences

• Focus Area 5: Advance SRHE for all, including individuals most impacted by inequities in contraceptive access       

  Goal: Prevent deepening inequities in contraceptive care and provide specific protections to those disproportionately impacted by Dobbs

A Call to Action

Findings from this work demonstrate that the consequences of the Dobbs decision already include elevated fear, confusion, and misinformation among policymakers, providers, and the public; emboldened anti-contraception actions; and increased burdens on the contraceptive care workforce. Without timely and strategic actions, these troubling trends will continue, amplifying inequities and barriers to care across the country.

We must craft a shared approach to safeguard contraceptive access, take actions to center those who could be impacted most by the consequences of a post-Roe era, and adapt our processes to meet community needs as the legal and public health landscapes continue to shift.