Researchers at the Guttmacher Institute, a leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, have been working on a multiyear state-based study, and Wisconsin is one of the states on which they are focusing. In collaboration with UW CORE and other Wisconsin research and policy partners, Guttmacher Institute investigators analyzed the effects of federal and state policy changes on publicly funded reproductive healthcare between 2017 and today. These Reproductive Health Impact Studies (RHIS) also include Arizona, New Jersey, and Iowa.
Reproductive Health Impact Study: Wisconsin Fact Sheet
By Ruth Dawson, Jennifer Frost and Megan Kavanaugh
The fact sheets include state policy background, key reproductive health indicators and details about the state’s publicly funded family planning network. Information on the impacts of COVID-19 on reproductive health care is also available. Researchers found that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant interruptions in patients’ ability to access family planning—particularly for those who rely on publicly funded clinics. For example, data from the study shows that 33% of patients surveyed reported having to delay, skip, or cancel visiting their doctor or clinic for sexual and reproductive healthcare as a result of the pandemic.
The project’s objective is to illuminate the effects of policy change from a number of different angles: Wisconsin’s Family planning landscape, clinics, clinic staff, patients, and reproductive health indicators.
Click here for the full study: RHIS Wisconsin Fact Sheet
