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HealthQuiet 7d · day 8

21 million U.S. women lack access to affordable birth control, new data shows

Guttmacher and Power to Decide release county-level map revealing widespread contraception access gaps.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 7d ago9 pieces MastodonNewswiresReddit

What to know

  • More than 21 million U.S. women live in counties with limited access to low or no-cost birth control, according to new data from Guttmacher Institute and Power to Decide.
  • An interactive county-by-county map now visualizes where contraception access gaps exist across the country.
  • Researchers note actual access shortages may be worse than reported due to data lag in the figures.

“Data shared exclusively with NPR shows more than 21 million women in the U.S. need birth control that they can't access.”

Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR Health reporter · NPR ↗ · Sep 15

Guttmacher Institute Reproductive research organizationPower to Decide Reproductive research organizationSelena Simmons-Duffin NPR Health reporter

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 5 pieces in two hours at Sep 16, 3 AM; 9 pieces over 8 days (3 articles · 6 posts) Sep 16, 3 AM — 5 pieces · 3 articles · 2 posts — Newswires 3, Mastodon 2Sep 16, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Reddit 1Sep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 9 AM — quietSep 16, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 16, 1 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 16, 3 PM — quietSep 16, 5 PM — quietSep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 9 PM — quietSep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 1 AM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 5 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 17, 9 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 5 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 9 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 1 AM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 5:47 AM ET
  1. 2

    Researchers warn actual access shortage may be worse than data suggests

    NPR reporting notes that because of a data lag, the current reality of contraception access may be even worse than the 21 million figure indicates.

    “Because of a data lag, the current reality of access may be even worse.”
    — Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR Health reporter · source
    • zoocoup@mastodon.social

      “21.4 million women are living in a county in the United States where they have a need for no or low cost contraception, and availability of care in their counties is not there” https://www. npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-59568 69/birth-control-contraception-access-clinic

      zoocoup@mastodon.socialMastodon6d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch

    • New maps reveal massive gaps in access to affordable birth control across the U.S https://www. npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-59568 69/birth-control-contraception-access-clinic?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Abortion @ abortion-ElectionCentral

      theculturedesk@flipboard.comMastodon7d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    • aregenberg@mastodon.online

      New maps reveal massive gaps in access to affordable birth control across the US | NPR https://www. npr.org/2026/09/16/nx-s1-59568 69/birth-control-contraception-access-clinic

      aregenberg@mastodon.onlineMastodon7d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. 1

    Guttmacher and Power to Decide release birth control access data

    Two reproductive research organizations released exclusive data to NPR showing 21 million women in the U.S. need birth control they cannot access. The organizations created an interactive map showing county-by-county availability and need for low or no-cost contraception.

    1. 2 outlets 21 million women live in U.S. counties with limited birth control access

      first by NPR News, 8d ago · also NPR Health

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