Purpose: We are assessing women’s understanding of alterations to the Affordable Care Act and their opinions based on their political and religious affiliations. We aim to bring awareness to shifting legislation and allow for planning of contraceptive coverage.
Background: Recent changes to Affordable Care Act blur the separation of church and state by allowing employers to “opt out” of contraception coverage secondary to religious/moral beliefs. These changes will leave many U.S. consumers without coverage regardless of why they are prescribed contraception.
Methods: Eighteen question anonymous survey distributed to women eighteen and older at the WVU Outpatient OB/GYN office.
Results: Of 154 surveyed, 64.3% are current contraception users for purposes such as preventing pregnancy (74.7%), regulating menstrual cycle (29.7%) and reducing menorrhagia/anemia (19.8%). Overall, 76.5% believed employers should be required to cover contraception. Of Christian-identifying women (63%), only 18.5% believed employers should be allowed to opt out secondary to religious beliefs. Political affiliations displayed similar results in republican-identifying women (51%) with only 24.3% agreeing. If left without contraception coverage, women indicated they would use OCPs (28.3%), condoms (23.9%), or tubal ligation/vasectomy (15%).
Discussions: Women\'s beliefs about contraception coverage transcend political party and religion. Majority surveyed, in all categories, believe employers should be required to cover contraception prescriptions without the possibility of opting out. Results of this survey display the reliance on insurance for contraception coverage for purposes other than preventing pregnancy. Women, if left uncovered, are likely to resort riskier contraceptive methods such as surgery or barrier only compared to what they are currently using.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2021, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Patient Care, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, GME, CME, UME, Public Health, Advocacy, Contraception or Family Planning,
Megan Stemple, MD, WVU Medicine; Mahreen Hashmi, MD
