TOPEKA — Kansas has the nation’s most restrictive policies for accessing contraceptives, resulting in health disparities for low-income and uninsured residents, a new report found.
Population Reference Bureau, a research-based nonprofit that focuses on health and well-being, released its first scorecard on contraceptive policies on Wednesday. The report evaluates every state on nine policies that deal with affordability, access and the environment of care.
Kansas is one of 16 states that restrict access to contraceptives, the report found. Kansas was considered the worst because of a combination of restrictive policies and significant policy voids, said Cathryn Streifel, a senior program director at PRB.
“Broad access to contraception is essential to helping people live with more freedom, health and possibility,” Streifel said. “Contraceptive access supports reproductive autonomy, which is a fundamental human right. When people are able to plan their pregnancies, they are more likely to complete their education and participate in the workforce, which leads to economic stability for themselves and their families.”
Streifel said the deterioration of federal policies, including changes to Medicaid in the president’s “big, beautiful bill” that will strip health insurance from 17 million Americans, means state-level policies are more important than ever in shaping access to contraception.
The report faults Kansas for failing to expand Medicaid coverage to more low-income families and for excluding family planning services. The state also doesn’t require insurers to pay for prescription or overthe- counter contraception.
“This means that many individuals, particularly those who are low-income or uninsured, face significant financial barriers to accessing contraception, which can ultimately limit their ability to plan and control their reproductive health,” said Christine Power, a senior policy adviser at PRB.
Kansas policy doesn’t allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives. There is no extended supply of contraceptives in the state, and emergency rooms are not required to offer emergency contraceptives, which can be urgent after sexual assault.
Additionally, Kansas law doesn’t require medically accurate curricula in sex education in public schools, and state law explicitly allows medical providers and pharmacists to refuse to provide contraceptive services based on religious or moral beliefs.
Minors in Kansas can consent to medical care only if they are deemed mature enough by a health care provider.
“This policy creates additional hurdles for young people seeking to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, potentially leading to delayed care, unintended pregnancies and negative longterm health outcomes,” Power said.
The report found 16 states, led by California and Washington, have policies that protect access to contraceptives. The other 18 states have mixed policies.
Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat who serves as the ranking minority member on the House Health and Human Services Committee, said the Legislature should be open to making changes in state policy that allow for easier access to contraception, and noted that it would lead to fewer residents seeking an abortion. But, she said, religious views were likely to get in the way.
The result, she said, is that the policies amount to “outright discrimination” against women and girls.
“Where is all of the outrage regarding the lack of sex education for men, for boys, and not holding them more responsible for their sexual health, their sexual activities?” Ruiz said. “It’s always the women. It’s always the girls. So women once again have the burden of being the ones always having to be responsible for sexual reproduction and having access to health resources.”
Robert Stiles, CEO of the Community Care Network of Kansas, said community health centers and clinics within the network are required to provide family planning services because they receive federal grants. He said those facilities could see more people depend on them for care because of federal cuts to Medicaid.
“We’re aware that that may place more burden on health centers or our member clinics that are serving everyone, even if they’re uninsured, regardless of the ability to pay for their care,” Stiles said.
