Call to Action: Preserving and Advocating for Essential Care for Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Robinson, Erica F.; Moulder, Janelle K.; Zerden, Matthew L.; Miller, April M.; Zite, Nikki B.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined ‘essential care’, and reproductive healthcare has become a frequently targeted and debated topic. As Obstetricians and Gynecologists (OBGYN), we stand with our patients and others as advocates for women’s reproductive health. With the medical and surgical training to provide all aspects of reproductive healthcare, OBGYNs are indispensable and uniquely positioned to advocate for the full spectrum of care that our patients need right now. All patients have a right to these services. Contraception and abortion care remain essential, and we need to work at the local, state and federal level on policies that preserve these critical services. We must also support policies that will promote expansion of care, including lengthening Medicaid pregnancy/postpartum coverage. While we continue to see patients, this is the time to engage outside clinical encounters by participating in lobbying and other advocacy efforts to preserve essential services, protecting the health, life, and welfare of our patients during COVID-19.