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CUNY SPH faculty Diana Romero and Heidi Jones were awarded a grant by the Society of Family Planning Research Fund for a pilot study on how to best address the needs of immigrant and refugee women in Western New York State regarding medication abortion.
There are only two surgical abortion providers in Buffalo, the second largest city in New York State. Ensuring access to medication abortion services in this region is critical to mitigate the reduced access to surgical procedures, as well as to afford women as many options as possible.
Buffalo also saw a 95 percent increase in the foreign-born population between 2006-2013, including resettled refugees. Given the current political climate in the United States to both reduce access to abortion services and increase punitive measures against undocumented immigrants, immigrant/refugee populations are particularly vulnerable to reduced access to abortion services.
Drs. Romero and Jones will co-develop a larger research study with relevant stakeholders (community-based organizations, local community health centers, and patient advocacy groups) using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. This pilot CBPR project will result in a solid community-supported base from which to apply for resources for implementation of the data collection and analysis components in Buffalo and surrounding areas. In addition, it will provide a transferable CBPR-driven model for engaging immigrant- and refugee-serving partners in similar communities across the US that seek to increase knowledge of and access to medication abortion.
“What is particularly exciting about this grant is that the funder is supporting a true CBPR approach,” says Romero. “We look forward to partnering with a diverse group of health and social services providers in the region to develop a program that can address community needs and improve access to culturally appropriate services.”
