Hinson, Ernst Work to Ensure Rural Access to Safe Contraception

October 25, 2024

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) request ed information on the availability of birth control options to ensure Iowa families, especially in rural areas, have access to safe and effective contraception.

After data from 2017 revealed just 24 percent of all Community Health Centers (CHCs) in the country provide a comprehensive list of contraception options for patients to review on-site, the lawmakers specifically inquired about options available through Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which serve rural areas.

“Ensuring women, regardless of zip code, have access to safe birth control options is vital for women's health and family planning. Unfortunately, women in rural and underserved areas often have fewer contraception options. I’m working with Senator Ernst to expand access to safe birth control options for adult women who rely on Community Health Centers for care."- Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

“Families deserve access to safe and effective birth control when they visit their health care provider, regardless of where they live. To ensure rural areas are not overlooked, I’m working to identify the barriers that leave communities with fewer contraception options. We can build upon this fact-finding mission to address the real gaps in services that Iowa families are facing." - Senator Joni Ernst

In the letter, lawmakers wrote:

“Increased access to family planning services has proven to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and reduce rates of infertility and maternal mortality. The limited information that is available also indicates that women in rural communities are facing a significant lack of access. With millions of women in the United States living in areas with limited contraceptive access, it’s imperative we understand the deficiencies and why they exist."

In the letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the lawmakers requested:

An itemized inventory of available contraception,
Annual family planning counseling appointment requests and rates of return,
Expenditures of federal funds to reimburse facilities for contraception methods,
Financial resources and contraceptive options offered, and
Any additional barriers, including geographic, to those who wish to provide a wider range of contraceptive methods to patients.

Background:
Hinson has led legislation to propose commonsense solutions to improve women's health care access, including:

The Allowing Greater Access to Safe and Effective Contraception Act: Enables women ages 18 and up to access FDA-approved, routine-use birth control pills over the counter.
The Access to LARCs Ac t: Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on long-acting reversible contraception access at community health centers (CHCs) in health care deserts.

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