BALTIMORE, MD (July 22, 2016)- Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen joined clinicians, health professionals, and public health advocates for a strategic roundtable on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) hosted by the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD).

The event is part of the LARC Project, a citywide, multi-agency initiative led by BCHD that seeks to increase equitable access to quality reproductive health counseling and all contraceptive methods for women of reproductive age in Baltimore City. Dr. Wen and other speakers focused on the responsibility that providers have in developing a network of care that supports individual, patient-focused decision-making for each woman in selecting a birth control method that is best for the individual.

“Together with our partners, we are working to ensure the health of mothers and babies in our city,” said Rebecca Dineen, Assistant Commissioner for the Baltimore City Health Department’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. “We want all women in our city to have the resources they need to reach their highest potential and support their own family when they choose to have children.”

LARCs are methods of birth control, such as Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) and sub-dermal implants. Research shows that women who use LARCs have lower rates of unintended pregnancy.  

The LARC Project is part of B’more for Healthy Babies (BHB), a program led by the Baltimore City Health Department that works with 150 partners across the city to reduce infant mortality. Women participating in BHB expressed the need for improved access to contraception, which led to the development of a more robust family planning component that is directly tied to trying to improve health outcomes for infants.

 “We want to ensure that all women – regardless of race, age, income, insurance, or legal status – have access to all methods of contraception,” said Dr. Wen. “Patient-centered decision making and family planning are powerful social justice tools that can ensure a healthy future.”