REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ACCESS PROJECT: PROTECTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS TO CHOOSE

As we await the results of an election that could have lasting impacts on women’s rights to choose safe legal abortions, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of one of our grantees that has been so effective working on the front lines of this struggle.

The Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP) works with primary care providers helping them integrate abortion, contraception, and miscarriage care into their practices. One of the programs they run is the Reproductive Health Access Network. This 2,100 strong member organization operates in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and 12 other countries. Family physicians make up about 65-70% of the Network constituency, with a growing number of internal medicine physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, physician assistants, adolescent pediatricians, and other specialties represented. Network members come together nationally and regionally at major conferences and also work on-the-ground in 21 states through “Clusters”, groups of practitioners working together to help provide a full range of reproductive health care services in particular areas. As the Network expands, its Clusters have been able to mobilize in new and exciting ways, pushing their community-based work to new heights. For example, the NYC Cluster recently hosted a physician who has provided medication abortion in Africa to speak to a crowd of at least 50. In Washington state, Cluster leaders invited experts to speak about the potential effects of the Title X “gag rule” in the state and in Massachusetts, Cluster leaders led a medication abortion clinical training.

Pennywise was attracted to RHAP’s approach because they are working to see that reproductive health care services are integrated into an existing system- primary care. This makes sense in so many ways. It is cost efficient, politically savvy and decreases burdens on individuals seeking services- particularly those in underserved communities and areas where barriers to obtaining these critical health care services are growing.  

We hope that you will join us in supporting this life changing and life saving work.