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. 2021 Jul 1;138(1):e24-e34.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004429.

Reproductive Health Care for Incarcerated Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nonpregnant Individuals: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 830

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women
Collaborators

Reproductive Health Care for Incarcerated Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nonpregnant Individuals: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 830

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. Obstet Gynecol. .

Abstract

Obstetrician-gynecologists and other women's health care practitioners can support efforts to improve health care for incarcerated pregnant, postpartum, and nonpregnant individuals. The majority of incarcerated women are parents and are of reproductive age, which has important implications for their reproductive health care needs. The legacies of racism and resulting racialized medical outcomes shape inequities in reproductive health for all people, including those who are incarcerated. Reproductive health care for incarcerated individuals should be provided in accordance with the same guidelines and recommendations as for those who are not incarcerated, with attention to the increased risk of infectious diseases and mental health conditions common to incarcerated populations. Ensuring that incarcerated individuals receive respectful, consistent, high-quality reproductive health, pregnancy, and postpartum care is essential for ameliorating inequities and affirming these individuals' dignity. This revision provides comprehensive recommendations for pregnant, postpartum, and nonpregnant individuals and expands upon guidance to advocate for access to safe, quality, and dignified care.

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Conflict of interest statement

All ACOG committee members and authors have submitted a conflict of interest disclosure statement related to this published product. Any potential conflicts have been considered and managed in accordance with ACOG’s Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy. The ACOG policies can be found on acog.org. For products jointly developed with other organizations, conflict of interest disclosures by representatives of the other organizations are addressed by those organizations. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has neither solicited nor accepted any commercial involvement in the development of the content of this published product.

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