The proportion of reproductive-aged women who reported a barrier to desired reproductive health care services increased from 2017 to 2021, as did the number of barriers to care they experienced, according to new research. The largest increase in barriers to access, study authors observed, was disproportionately among individuals from historically underserved populations. Surveys asked questions about reproductive health care experience and participant opinions. Of the 12 351 (89%) of respondents who reported ever accessing reproductive health services, the racial/ethnic composition was:White 58.2%Hispanic 19.1%Black 13.7%Asian/Pacific Islander 5.5%Multiracial/other race/ethnicity 3.5%The majority in 2021 identified as heterosexual (no data were available for 2017). "Our findings suggest that barriers to reproductive health services were pervasive and disproportionately associated with reduced access for individuals identifying with historically marginalized groups in both 2017 and 2021,” the investigators wrote.

Source: CNN April 14, 2023 19:03 UTC