Meeting Summary: State and Local Implementation Strategies for Increasing Access to Contraception During Zika Preparedness and Response — United States, September 2016

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2017-11, Vol.66 (44), p.1230-1235
• Main Authors: Kroelinger, Charlan D., Romero, Lisa, Lathrop, Eva, Cox, Shanna, Morgan, Isabel, Frey, Meghan T., Warner, Lee, Curtis, Kathryn M., Pazol, Karen, Barfield, Wanda D., Meaney-Delman, Dana, Jamieson, Denise J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Barriers; Birth control; Birth defects; Brain; Childrens health; Clinics; Contraception; Contraception - utilization; Counseling; Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control; Drug therapy; Evidence-based medicine; Family planning; Female; Flavivirus; Full Report; Generic drugs; Global health; Government agencies; Health aspects; Health care policy; Health Services Accessibility - organization & administration; Humans; Local Government; Maternal & child health; Medicaid; Microencephaly; Partnerships; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - prevention & control; Pregnancy, Unplanned; Pregnant women; Qualitative research; State Government; United States - epidemiology; Vector-borne diseases; Viruses; Womens health; Youth; Zika virus; Zika Virus Infection - epidemiology; Zika Virus Infection - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6644a6

Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other serious brain abnormalities (1). To support state and territory response to the threat of Zika, CDC's Interim Zika Response Plan outlined activities for vector control; clinical management of exposed pregnant women and infants; targeted communication about Zika virus transmission among women and men of reproductive age; and primary prevention of Zika-related adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes by prevention of unintended pregnancies through increased access to contraception.* The most highly effective, reversible contraception includes intrauterine devices and implants, known as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). On September 28, 2016, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) and CDC facilitated a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, of representatives from 15 states to identify state-led efforts to implement seven CDC-published strategies aimed at increasing access to contraception in the context of Zika virus (2). Qualitative data were collected from participating jurisdictions. The number of states reporting implementation of each strategy ranged from four to 11. Participants identified numerous challenges, particularly for strategies implemented less frequently. Examples of barriers were discussed and presented with corresponding approaches to address each barrier. Addressing these barriers could facilitate increased access to contraception, which might decrease the number of unintended pregnancies affected by Zika virus.