Washingtonians still need birth control during pandemic | Guest Opinion

As ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak in America, Washington was on the front lines of the response and set the bar for an effective, coordinated statewide response.

In recent weeks we have seen the pandemic slow in parts of the state, while gaining a foothold in others. Throughout the challenges presented, we’ve made incredible changes in healthcare delivery amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic. However, we cannot lose sight of another issue impacted by the pandemic: reproductive healthcare.

As we envision the new normal for Washington’s healthcare system during COVID-19 and beyond, patients across Washington need to know that reproductive healthcare remains essential and that birth control is just a call or click away.

During this crisis, it has become more difficult for women across the nation to plan if and when to become pregnant. While unequal access to healthcare is not a recent phenomenon, the pandemic has exacerbated and revealed the many, perpetual inequities in our healthcare system, and the discrimination that Black and brown Americans experience in accessing care. It’s not surprising that the women hit hardest by the pandemic are those for whom healthcare is already out of reach.

Barriers that existed before are even greater now, including logistical concerns like transportation and childcare. Even though health center doors are open, patients are thinking twice about seeking care out of fear for their and their family’s health and safety.

Before COVID-19, more than one-third of all pregnancies were unplanned in Washington. We know that birth control access and the ability to plan one’s pregnancy are important to women and are associated with positive outcomes for families and children. And, because COVID-19 is so new, we don’t have definitive research on its impact on pregnant people and infants.

The new challenges of the pandemic, layered on top of a long history of unequal access, means a renewed commitment to patient-centered reproductive healthcare is more important than ever. That’s why Governor Jay Inslee, has declared sexual and reproductive healthcare an essential service during the pandemic, and made clear we must keep this care available across the state.

But how do we do that when health center visits are down, patients are staying home, and people are worried about contracting the virus? As a nurse and a health system administrator, I’ve seen firsthand how small changes can make a world of difference for patients. In Washington, we are integrating primary care and reproductive health so that women should only need a single visit to their doctor to access birth control.

Providers in Eastern and Central Washington are rapidly innovating to make birth control accessible during the pandemic. Health centers such as Community Health Association of Spokane and Columbia Basin Health Association are scheduling telehealth appointments, starting the conversation via technology, scheduling follow-up appointments when necessary, and providing bridge methods like the pill if an in-person visit is required for methods like the implant and IUD.

Some providers have set up WiFi in their parking lots for patients without reliable internet access, and some pharmacies have implemented curbside pick-ups and mail delivery.

Creating change of this magnitude during a pandemic requires the entire system to work together. Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho continues to meet its patients’ contraceptive care needs, providing an additional access point through the Planned Parenthood Direct app, which helps women get birth control via their mobile device and schedule appointments at the nearest health center. Research institutions like University of Washington are creating clinical best practices for family planning in a pandemic, which are being adopted across the state.

At the Washington State HealthCare Authority, we have expanded access to telehealth software for clinics and simplified reimbursement policies. For newly uninsured Washingtonians, we’re working around the clock to enroll them in Medicaid and have increased funding for contraceptive access programs. As providers continue to navigate family planning amid the new normal, we are partnering with the nonprofit Upstream USA to provide training so that health centers can get help implementing these and other innovative solutions at no cost.

Choices about pregnancy are some of the most significant healthcare decisions women make, and access to contraception should not be a barrier in that process. As we face the most significant public health crisis of our lifetime, we must continue to close the gaps and disparities that exist in reproductive care. As healthcare providers, we must keep our doors open--whether that’s physically or virtually--and prioritize reproductive health.

This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Washingtonians still need birth control during pandemic | Guest Opinion."