Immigrant Women’s Health Initiative

Immigrants constitute a significant portion of the underserved and un-served women in New York. Compared to any other group, immigrants are less likely to have a regular source of medical care, visit a doctor or receive preventive care. While even the most sophisticated consumer can find our complex health care system difficult to navigate, the addition of language, financial and cultural barriers can make the process even more daunting for immigrants. 

Family planning clinics are often the sole source of health care for uninsured and underinsured women. Due to the numerous barriers faced by both immigrant women and providers in our health care system, these clinics are finding it challenging to fully address the needs of immigrant women. Since 2001, the Education Fund has been working with immigrant women and family planning providers to develop strategies to increase access to culturally and linguistically competent, reproductive health services. Past and current initiatives include:

• Working Together to Increase Immigrant Women’s Access to Reproductive Health Care
• Strengthening Cultural Competency among Family Planning Providers
• Increasing Language Access to Health Care
• Immigrant Health Resource Exchange

Working Together to Increase Immigrant Women’s Access to Reproductive Health Care

In 2002, Family Planning Advocates with the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University at Albany brought together 28 representatives of immigrant-serving programs and 18 family planning providers from across New York State to strengthen reproductive health care for immigrant women. Grassroots immigrant women leaders and reproductive health providers from across New York State gathered for a one-day meeting to identify barriers to care and share innovative strategies for improvement.

Read more about this initiative or contact us at info@edfundfpa.org for more information.