Nearly 50,000 Women In South Dakota Live in Contraceptive Deserts

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- According to data released by Power to Decide, an estimated 46,530 women living at or below 250% of the poverty level in South Dakota live in contraceptive deserts, counties in which there is not reasonable access to a health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. Nationally, more than 19 million U.S. women in need live in contraceptive deserts.

"Nearly 50,000 women in South Dakota must overcome significant barriers to access the contraception they need and deserve in order to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child," said Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, CEO of Power to Decide. "The challenge of covering costs associated with obtaining family planning services—such as transportation, child care and unpaid time off from work—may be too great a burden for those already struggling to make ends meet."

In this challenging landscape, states like South Dakota can take proactive steps to expand access to contraception in various ways. South Dakota has already enacted a state policy that allows Medicaid reimbursement for postpartum long-acting reversible contraception, which gives people the contraceptive coverage they need to live a healthy life. Additionally, South Dakota can enact policies to expand Medicaid to adults of low-income, protect insurance coverage for the full range of contraceptive methods without cost-sharing, and require coverage for an extended supply of contraceptives. Further, allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraception would also help increase access to some methods.

More information about these policies can be found here. In addition, information about South Dakota's telehealth policies relevant to contraceptive access 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.

Media Contact

Paloma Zuleta, Power to Decide, 202-812-4477, pzuleta@powertodecide.org

SOURCE Power to Decide