United States

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the landmark US health care law, guarantees millions of women insurance coverage of contraception with no cost sharing, making it one of the most sweeping reproductive health policies in the US to date. Given that the unintended pregnancy rate in the US continues to hover near 50%—one of the highest rates among industrialized countries—the new law stands to help many more women to be in control of their reproductive health and lives. But against that backdrop, policies restricting abortion and other reproductive health services are passing at an alarming rate. Since 2010, the number of proposed and passed state-level restrictions on abortion have reached record highs, likely increasing the stigma attached to abortion and decreasing or delaying women’s access to safe, high-quality, and affordable abortion care. Federal bans on abortion coverage create further harm, adding to the difficulty of obtaining care.

Ibis’s US-focused work documents the impact of abortion restrictions, coverage bans, and other reproductive health policies on women and health care providers. We also seek out and test innovative ways to improve women’s access to services and make services more responsive to women’s priorities.