Delivering Accessible Reproductive Care in a Post-Dobbs Era: A Social Worker’s Narrative on Policy, Ethics, and Practice
Keywords:
contraceptive deserts, health, accessibility, digital, social determinants of healthAbstract
This narrative analysis examines the professional, ethical, and structural challenges of delivering reproductive healthcare in the United States following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Drawing on clinical experience, policy analysis, public health literature, and RStudio analysis of the 2022–2023 National Survey of Family Growth, I explore how the post-Dobbs landscape has reshaped clinical practice and access to essential services. Grounded in social determinants of health and reproductive justice frameworks, my article examines contraceptive care deserts, digital misinformation, insurance barriers, and restrictive policies as interconnected threats to reproductive autonomy, with disproportionate consequences for marginalized populations. It identifies digital health literacy as an increasingly important determinant of reproductive health and calls for a coordinated response encompassing legislative advocacy, digital care navigation, interdisciplinary partnerships, and systems-level reform. Within, I urge social workers and other helping professionals to strengthen ethical, equitable, and accessible reproductive healthcare within an evolving policy landscape.
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NARRATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL HELPING
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