WOMENS HEALTH CENTER OF DULUTH PA

WHC is a comprehensive reproductive health care clinic, providing pregnancy prevention, testing, gynecological care, annual exams, pregnancy options education/referral, speaking engagements, low cost birth control, pregnancy termination, sexually transmitted disease testing, treatment and education, and breast and cervical cancer screening. Women's Health Center (WHC) serves a wide geographic area of 44 Minnesota counties, 23 of the 44 counties classified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be medically underserved areas/populations. WHC also serves clients from northern Wisconsin, the upper peninsula of Michigan and southern Ontario.

WHC receives Family Planning Special Projects funding from the Minnesota Department of Health, and is able to provide subsidized family planning services in 5 counties. This funding is essential as several barriers impact these populations, including confidentiality, transportation, underinsured/unisured, or unemployed and increasing costs of birth control. Clients in small communities face the dilemma of securing highly personal reproductive services without adequate privacy. Transportation issues include isolation, lack of a vehicle, cost of gasoline, lack of public transportation, severe winter weather conditions and excessive travel time between subsidized health care facilities. In addition, some northern Minnesota counties are facing hard economic times. Loss of private insurance, budget cuts to Medical Assistance, General Assistance and Minnesota Care has increased the need for subsidized, low cost reproductive health care. These economically tough times force many people to choose between basic needs, such as food and rent, over healthcare, especially reproductive health. Lastly, the cost of contraceptives has risen drastically over the past few years since the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), which dramatically increased the cost of contraception for non-Title X clinics, of with WHC is not, making affordable birth control prohibitive to those most in need. In some instances, contraceptive costs increased by 900%. The average cost of one cycle of birth control pills is $50.00. Without subsidized family planning for birth control, unintended pregnancy rates rise in the most vunerable populations. Restoring the nominal pricing from pharmaceutical companies to clinics and health safety net providers that were eliminated in the DRA is an essential need. Until this happens, the cost of supplying birth control methods at WHC is extremely limited. WHC is very thankful for state family planning grant funding, which funds some birth control methods, but is not adequate to supply the five county needs for contraceptives. For example, the grant allows for 10 I.U.D.'s or 10 Ortho Evra patients/year for the entire 5 counties.

Current Programs:

Family Planning Special Projects (FPSP): WHC provides the only coordinated subsidized family planning services in Cook, Carlton, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis counties. Funding has been extended through June 30, 2013.

Free I.U.D.'s and Implanon: Funding granted in 2010 to purchase I.U.D.'s and Implanon contraceptives to provide 90 Minnesota clients FREE method, method insertion and follow-up services from the Healthier Minnesota Community Clinic Fund giving WHC the ability to provide long-term (up to ten years), easily reversible contraception. Previous to this grant funding, it was cost prohibitive for WHC to purchase I.U.D.'s as the cost per I.U.D. is $598- $703. Renewed funding unknown. This grant is from 2011-2013.

SAGE Screening Program: The WHC contracts with the Minnesota Department of Health Sage Screening Program to provide screening for breast and cervical cancer for women 40 years and older, including the medically underserved and those with inadequate insurance.

Women's Health Center is very grateful for the generosity of our loyal supporters, without which, we could not continue! We need you more than ever now as grants are ending and countless WHC clients will be denied essential services. Thank you so very much.