Person-Centered Contraceptive Access Metrics Project

Efforts to expand contraceptive access in the United States are stymied by the lack of person-centered data, that is, they neglect whether individuals’ contraceptive access needs—as they define them—are being met. This project aimed to: (1) establish national levels of person-centered contraceptive access, including use of preferred method, use of preferred service delivery approach, met informational needs, and experiences of challenges or delays obtaining contraception; and (2) use these data to enrich national contraceptive surveillance approaches and develop targeted strategies to improve contraceptive access. Informed by a reproductive health equity framework, this project laid the groundwork for aligning efforts to expand contraceptive access with the needs of the most under-resourced communities.

Our project occurred in three phases from 2021 to 2023. In Phase 1, we conducted deep stakeholder engagement, eliciting input from a diverse range of stakeholders on better approaches to conceptualizing and measuring contraceptive need. In Phase 2, we developed a national survey, conducted cognitive interviews and solicited expert review to refine the survey items, and fielded a nationally representative online survey to estimate the national level of contraceptive need using a variety of measurement approaches. In Phase 3, we convened a working group of key stakeholders to identify priority metrics and develop and implement strategies to disseminate findings and transform contraceptive surveillance and access.