Sexual and Reproductive Health

APHA believes access to the full range of reproductive health services, including abortion, is a fundamental right and integral to the health and well-being of individuals and to the broader public health. 

Featured Resources

Watch APHA @ 150 ON-DEMAND: Reproductive Rights and Justice

Read our fact sheet on Zubik v. Burwell (PDF), where the Supreme Court deliberated on whether religious institutions other than churches should be exempt from the contraceptive mandate under the Affordable Care Act.

Take Action

APHA has been actively speaking with the media, members of Congress and others in our continued fight to protect access and rights to reproductive health services. Examples of some recent advocacy efforts are below. Join us in this important fight. 

ACTION ALERT

Urge your members of Congress to protect abortion and support the Women’s Health Protection Act.

SHAREABLES

Download and use our social media shareables to spread the word about the need for reproductive health services. 

NEWS RELEASES:

• Texas Ruling for Preliminary Injunction of Mifepristone Reversed by Supreme Court
• Supreme Court’s Overturning of Roe v. Wade Jeopardizes the Health of All Americans
• Mississippi’s ban on abortions puts women and families at risk
• APHA dismayed over Texas abortion ban, court refusal to act
• Statement from APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin on Supreme Court decision
• APHA, medical groups celebrate Supreme Court decision affirming reproductive rights
• APHA says loss of Title X providers will be 'devastating'
• APHA opposes Title X changes restricting access to basic reproductive and sexual health services 

FROM THE NATION'S HEALTH:

• As attacks on abortion surge, some states move to protect access
• Public health workers taking action on rising US STD rates: Gonorrhea, syphilis making comebacks
• Reproductive health comes under attack by Congress, new president
• Long-acting reversible contraceptives making gains in popularity, availability
• Surge of legislation against LGBTQ youth threatens health: Measures censor lessons, discussions

RECENT APHA ADVOCACY:

• APHA letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of H.R. 8296, the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 (PDF)
• Organization letter to the Senate urging support for S. 4132, the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 (PDF)
• APHA letter to the Senate urging support for the Women's Health Protection Act to create a federal, statutory right to abortion (PDF)
• APHA filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Jackson Women's Health Organization and encouraging the court to uphold Roe v. Wade (PDF)
• APHA letter to the House of Representatives urging support for H.R. 3755, the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the right to abortion in federal law (PDF)
• Letter in opposition to Senate legislation to limit access to reproductive health care and exacerbate harmful and inaccurate rhetoric around the issue of abortion care (PDF)
• Health organization letter urging strong investments in the Title X family program in FY 2020 (PDF)
• Public health brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit urging the court to support Plaintiffs-Appellees’ emergency motion for reconsideration en banc of the decision to allow implementation of the final Title X rule (PDF)
• Public health brief filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in support of the Title X Family Planning Program in the case State of Oregon vs. Azar (PDF)
• Public health amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth District opposing the state of Oklahoma's decision to restrict access to abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF)
• Public health amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth District opposing the state of Tennessee's decision to restrict access to abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF)
• Public health brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit opposing the state of Arkansas's decision to restrict access to abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic (PDF)
• Health organization letter opposing the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (PDF)
• APHA comments opposing HHS proposed rule, "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Exchange Program Integrity," which threatens to eliminate coverage of abortion in the ACA marketplaces (PDF)

A SAMPLE OF APHA POLICY STATEMENTS:

• Universal Access to Contraception
• Renouncing the Adoption or Misapplication of Laws to Recognize Fetuses as Independent of Pregnant Women
• The Need for State Legislation Protecting and Enhancing Women’s Ability to Obtain Safe, Legal Abortion Services Without Delay or Government Interference
• Reducing Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Preterm and Low Birthweight Births
• Ensuring Minors' Access to Confidential Abortion Services
• Ensuring that Individuals are Able to Obtain Contraceptives at Pharmacies
• Abstinence and U.S. Abstinence-Only Education Policies: Ethical and Human Rights Concerns
• Reducing U.S. Maternal Mortality as a Human Right
• Promoting Transgender and Gender Minority Health through Inclusive Policies and Practices

Read more policy statements in our Policy Statement Database

Learn more about APHA's Sexual and Reproductive Health Section

RECENT AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH ARTICLES

• Perceived Access to Abortion Among Women in the United States in 2018: Variation by State Abortion Policy Context
• Disruptions to Abortion Care in Louisiana During Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Potential Impact of Telemedicine for Medication Abortion Policy and Programming Changes on Abortion Accessibility in the United States
• Abortion Criminalization: A Public Health Crisis Rooted in White Supremacy
• Advancing the Measurement of Structural Racism Through the Lens of Antiabortion Policy

MORE APHA REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESOURCES

Watch recent episodes from APHA's "That's Public Health" series on YouTube:

• Episode 12: Why are STIs still a public health issue?
• Episode 18: Healthy births & Black Americans: Why are death rates still higher?