Central Texas Contraception Access Project

Expanding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in Central Texas

One of the greatest barriers to people receiving the contraceptive care they want is cost. Some of the most effective forms of contraception, long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) like intrauterine devices (IUD) and hormonal implants are often too expensive for people without insurance. In a project funded by the St. David’s Foundation, Every Body Texas partnered with providers in the Central Texas area to provide training and technical assistance on administering LARC and other contraceptives as well as funds to purchase LARC devices and financial incentives for other systems improvement.

We partnered with Community Action, Inc., Community Health Center South Central Texas, CARMAhealth, Travis County Jail and Lone Star Circle of Care for this project.

Partnering with CARMAhealth and the Travis County Jail presented a new opportunity to explore how non-traditional settings can expand access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. CARMAhealth provides treatment for addiction recovery integrating primary medicine, behavioral health and care management to promote lasting recovery, encourage self-care and improve treatment outcomes. Many people who find themselves in recovery are often uninsured or underinsured, our partnership with Carma Health ensures that everyone has access and autonomy over their reproductive health.

After a provider from the Travis County Jail system attended an Every Body Texas training, also funded by the St. David’s Foundation on person-centered contraceptive counseling we discovered that this population had limited access to a broad range of contraception including LARC devices. Every Body Texas and the Travis County Jail recognized a perfect opportunity for partnership, collaboration and further training. Having access to their contraceptive method of choice allows each individual full autonomy of their reproductive health.

As of November 2020, 700 devices have been purchased and providers have attended insertion and removal trainings and person-centered counseling sessions.

Supported by funding from the St. David's Foundation.