Bridgercare Is Changing the Conversation Around Reproductive Health Care

Reproductive health care is about making sure people have the support they need to make the choices that are best for themselves and their families.

Based in Bozeman, Bridgercare has been providing sexual and reproductive health care in Montana for more than 50 years. The organization also coordinates Montana Family Planning, a network of 20 clinics that helps approximately 15,000 Montanans each year access affordable care, including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing, wellness exams, and basic infertility care.

Bridgercare is one of the newest recipients of a grant through our Family Power Fund. Our support is focused on the research, storytelling, and public education pieces of their work. Through this project, Bridgercare is gathering data about how family planning services are used, addressing misinformation, and helping more people understand why access to this care matters, especially in rural communities. The goal is to build trust and stronger public support for Montana’s network of sliding-fee clinics.

We sat down with Bridgercare’s Development Director Emily Allison to learn more about this work and why it matters for Montana families.

Why is it important to think about reproductive health care as part of supporting families more broadly?

These issues tend to get siloed. We talk about abortion as one issue, birth control as another, unaffordable health care as another, or the lack of doula care in rural communities as something separate. But they’re all connected.

Reproductive health care isn’t just about preventing pregnancy. It’s also about achieving pregnancy and making sure people have the support they need to make the choices that are best for themselves and their families. Ultimately, these services help families raise children in safe, supportive, and healthy environments, and there shouldn’t be shame or judgment around accessing them.

Who uses family planning services, and what do you wish more people understood about them?

There’s a misconception that it’s mostly teens who use these services, when most of our patients are actually in their 20s and 30s. We also serve a lot of people who already have kids. They love being parents, but for all kinds of reasons, they know they don’t want to have more.

I think it’s important to get rid of this idea that family planning is somehow anti-family. It’s really about supporting people in making the choices that are right for themselves and their families.

What are some of the barriers Montanans face in accessing reproductive health care?

Cost can be a huge barrier. One story that sticks with me is a patient named Lydia, who really wanted an IUD but thought she would have to wait until she got a job and could afford one. When her provider told her she could get one for free that day because of the clinic’s sliding-fee scale, she burst into tears.

Where you live matters, too. Without this network of clinics, people in rural communities may have to drive two or three hours for care. That means taking time off work, finding child care, paying for gas, and maybe even staying in a hotel. And while telehealth can help, much of this care has to happen in person. You can’t insert an IUD, perform an STI test, or evaluate gynecological pain over a screen. If these services disappear from rural communities, the barriers become immense.

On a personal level, what drew you to this work, and what keeps you motivated?

I’ve always really liked working with young people, especially teens. I’ve done a lot of coaching and work with people that age, and I’ve always been a big believer in women being able to make choices that bring them joy.

The sliding-fee scale and serving people with low incomes also really spoke to me. I experienced this firsthand coming out of college, making very little money, and having $100 in my bank account with more than that in bills to pay. It’s so stressful. Being able to work with young people, women, and people with low incomes makes this work really meaningful to me.

And I’m really motivated by my amazing coworkers, the stories I hear from providers across the network, and getting to talk with supporters and community members.

Why are research, data, and storytelling so important to this work right now?

It’s easy to take critical care away from people by saying it isn’t effective or that people don’t want or need it. We need data that shows how many people are accessing this care, but we also need stories from people saying, “I wanted this care, and it helped me.”

That’s a big part of our communications work. We’re using facts and data, but also real stories from Montanans to combat misinformation about birth control and show how access to care helps them make choices that support the lives they want to lead.

Looking ahead, what’s your vision for reproductive health in Montana?

My vision is to take some of the politics out of reproductive health care and make it something people across all communities care about. It’s not just about women, and it’s not something that belongs to one side of the political spectrum. We all know someone whose life has been affected, positively or negatively, by their ability to access this kind of care.

Ultimately, I want people to be able to get the care they need without shame or judgment. I want accessing reproductive health care to feel like a normal part of taking care of your health and your family.

————–

Thank you to Emily and the team at Bridgercare for sharing their perspective and for their work to strengthen access to reproductive health care across Montana.

There are many ways to support this work. If you live in a rural community, consider becoming a community connector to help people learn about services available nearby (they are especially looking for folks in Anaconda and the Flathead). You can also support the network by choosing a Title X clinic for your own care. Even if you have insurance, your visit can help subsidize care for someone who may not otherwise be able to afford it. And if you’re a funder interested in strengthening reproductive health care and access in rural communities, Bridgercare would love to hear from you.

Learn more about Bridgercare and Montana Family Planning, find a clinic, or get involved at www.bridgercare.org.

Note: This interview was edited for length and clarity.