(Washington D.C.) Today, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) released an interactive map that examines which states at risk of the Zika virus provide access to key reproductive health and workplace protections to help women manage their risk. The map tracks five key policies: Medicaid expansion; expanded coverage of family planning services under Medicaid; public and private coverage of abortion, and workplace pregnancy accommodation laws.
The virus has been linked to serious health consequences, including microcephaly in babies born to women infected with Zika during pregnancy. Since the virus poses a particular danger during pregnancy, the map addresses whether women who are pregnant or may become pregnant have access to health care, including abortion, and workplace accommodations during pregnancy, such as being able to work indoors temporarily.
“The potential threat posed by the Zika virus this summer adds new urgency to what we already know: there is a critical need for states to step up to ensure women and their families have access to necessary health care, including reproductive health care,” said Emily Martin, NWLC General Counsel and Vice President for Workplace Justice. “And employers should accommodate women’s pregnancy-related needs so women don’t have to choose between keeping their job and having a healthy pregnancy.”
To complement the map, NWLC has also created a Zika Virus, Reproductive Healthcare, and Workplace Policies fact sheet, which provides more information on the virus as it relates to women’s health and the public policies that can help manage the risk it poses.
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Contact: Olympia Feil (ofeil@nwlc.org)
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