Barriers to Reproductive Care

Women continue to face restrictions when they try to access the reproductive health care they need. We're working to defend access to reproductive care and to oppose challenges such as pharmacy refusals and religious restrictions by those imposing their beliefs on women.

Highlights

Fact Sheet | Requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to Disclose Limits on Care Is Part of a Long Tradition of Protecting Women’s Decision-making and Access to Reproductive Health Care

April 9, 2013

Women face many obstacles to receiving comprehensive, affordable, quality health care, including when individuals and institutions refuse to provide health care services.   Some even go so far as to refuse to inform women about their health care options or even to notify women that there are certain services or information that they will not provide.  This prevents women from participating fully in their own medical decision-making.  Not only are their rights compromised, their health may be harmed.

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Legal Briefs & Testimony | NWLC Amicus Briefs Supporting the Contraceptive Coverage Benefit

April 30, 2013

The Center is filing friend of the court briefs in lawsuits challenging the federal contraceptive coverage benefit, brought by employers who want to deny their employees this important benefit.  These cases involve suits brought under the First Amendment to the US Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  These cases will decide whether a boss’s religious beliefs trump women’s health and women’s access to the health care they need.

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Fact Sheet | If Opponents of Birth Control Have Their Way, Millions of Women Would Lose Access to Birth Control

September 14, 2012

Opponents of birth control in Congress are working night and day to enact new laws and policies that would deny millions of women access to birth control -- including access already guaranteed to women by law. Thankfully, so far, supporters of birth control have stopped the worst of these Congressional attacks.  Although the anti-birth control efforts have taken several forms, they all would have the same effect: taking birth control coverage away from women nationwide. A comparison of opponents’ and supporters’ legislative priorities makes the difference clear: while opponents of contraception would take it away from women, supporters work to ensure that women have access to affordable birth control.

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Fact Sheet | Accessing Non-Prescription Emergency Contraception: The Basics

April 22, 2012

This factsheet provides basic information on types of emergency contraception and answers frequently asked questions regarding obtaining and using EC. 

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More Resources

Webinars & Presentations | What's at Stake - Pharmacy Refusals 101: What You Should Know

March 19, 2009
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Webinars & Presentations | What's at Stake - Pharmacy Refusals 101: What You Should Know (Video Transcript)

March 16, 2009

Hi, I'm Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel with the National Women's Law Center, and I will be talking to you today about pharmacists refusing to dispense contraception to women at the pharmacy.

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Fact Sheet | Strong Support Shown by Republicans and Independents for Reproductive Health Care Agenda

January 27, 2009

A new national opinion survey sponsored by the National Women's Law Center and the YWCA USA demonstrates that Republicans and Independents strongly support an array of public policies to improve reproductive health care.

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Fact Sheet | The HHS Refusal Rule and Biomedical Research: What Biomedical Research Advocates Should Know About the HHS Rule

January 15, 2009

On December 18, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule that in addition to posing a serious threat to women’s health, significantly limits all patients’ access to health care and important information about their health care options. This rule has serious implications for biomedical research activities at academic, nonprofit, and corporate research institutions that receive federal funds. The following are some facts that every biomedical research advocate should know about the HHS rule.

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Fact Sheet | The HHS Refusal Rule and HIV/AIDS: What Every HIV Advocate Should Know About the HHS Rule

January 15, 2009

On December 18, 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule that, in addition to posing a serious threat to women’s health, significantly limits all patients’ access to health care and important information about their health care options. This rule has serious implications for those providing HIV/AIDS services and information. The following are some facts that every HIV advocate should know about the HHS rule.

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