This post was written by Megan Corbett, RN, in January 2013 and updated by Brandy Bautista in March 2024. Today, many intrauterine devices (IUDs), a form of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), are small, T-shaped plastic rods with two arms and a string. They are inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. The history of the IUD is a tumultuous one, born within a harmful history and legacy of the eugenics movement and global population control. It was used to reinforce patriarchal and white supremacist ideals of reproductive control. The IUD was a popular choice for the 1900s eugeni ..read more

Updated April 18, 2023 Nearly three years ago, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of mifepristone and looked back on the history of this medication and how it expanded the options available for those seeking abortion care. French researchers developed mifepristone (also known as RU-486) in the 1980s to be taken with misoprostol for medication abortion care. Despite the outcry of anti-abortion activists, it was approved for use in France in 1988. In the United States, however, it was a very different story, as the FDA banned the importation of mifepristone in 1989. The manufacturer of mifepris ..read more

A day to give support and expand access to reproductive health care. #GivingTuesday is a digital day of giving and leveraging the work of our favorite nonprofits – like RHAP! We hope you will consider giving to RHAP on this day and showing your support for our work! On Tuesday, November 29 , #GivingTuesday will help us launch our End of Year Campaign and introduce our theme – “Access: Now More than Ever.”  Now more than ever, we see the importance of protecting and expanding access to reproductive health care, including abortion. Already 12 states have outlawed abortion, and at least th ..read more

Apply to Join RHAP’s Board of Directors!  RHAP is currently recruiting people to serve on the organization’s Board of Directors. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to further support an organization working to increase access to abortion and reproductive health care in primary care! We are particularly interested in candidates who have: Legal experience supporting nonprofits, reproductive rights/health/justice, and/or other social justice causes (attorneys welcome); Expertise in communications/public relations to help us communicate our mission and work; Expertise in finance and ..read more

Advocacy in Action in the AAFP! In late September, RHAP mobilized family physicians from across the country to advocate for progressive policy changes at the American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) annual Family Medicine Experience (FMX) conference in Washington, D.C. The AAFP is the country’s largest professional medical organization for family physicians, and is considered the expert body for family medicine. Our advocates’ week started with a testimony training in preparation for the AAFP’s Congress of Delegates (COD). Network members brought forth AAFP policy resolutions and testimon ..read more

RHAP Seeks a New Executive Director As you may know, our beloved founder and 17-year executive director, Lisa Maldonado, stepped down in October. While we move forward with a highly capable interim director and exceptional team, the search for a permanent executive director is ON!  The chance to lead RHAP is an opportunity of a lifetime for the right person, and RHAP is reaching out to you, our friends, and supporters, asking you to please spread the word to your networks. This is a fully remote position. This search is being led by Cara Pearsall and Danielle Higa of NPAG. Due to the pace ..read more

Meet RHAP’s New Team Members! RHAP has a lot of new faces – please join us in welcoming our new team members! Hannah Cavendish-Palmer (she/her), Interim Executive Director  Where are you located? The Seattle area. Why did you join RHAP? I am fired up about reproductive health and body autonomy. I love transition leadership and I am thrilled to have an opportunity to contribute to RHAP.  What do you hope reproductive justice will look like in the future? My hope is that any debate about body autonomy fades away as younger people become voters and get politically active. Ideally ..read more

RHAP is excited to re-introduce Insights, a revival of our short, monthly e-newsletter offering primary care clinicians evidence-based education on abortion and early pregnancy loss care. Modeled after Contraceptive Pearls, Insights will share practice guidelines, clinical tools, and resources that reinforce and support evidence-based, person-centered abortion and early pregnancy loss care and counseling, including post-abortion and self-managed abortion. RHAP recognizes that this counseling and care may not be possible in all states and settings around the country. We still hope tha ..read more

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Health Women’s Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, states where abortion access is secure (aka “surge states”) have experienced an unprecedented rise in patients who have the privilege and resources to travel out of state to seek care. This increased demand has put enormous strain on existing abortion care providers.  The Reproductive Health Access Project has always supported primary care clinicians and health care organizations to integrate abortion care into practice ..read more

It has been one week since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Health Women’s Organization overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, removing all federal protections for abortion access. In this past week, we have already seen states moving quickly to severely restrict or outright ban abortion care; as of today, there are five states where abortion is illegal. For up-to-date information on state laws, use this resource from the Center for Reproductive Rights.   As an advocate, one of the most important actions you can take right now is to talk about abortion wit ..read more