As soon as the pandemic began, it became clear to Health Services Specialist Samantha G. that her PPMM health center in Nevada would be an oasis for patients who desperately needed access to the most effective birth control.
Most other community health organizations and private medical offices in the area were closed, and people had been unable to get refills for prescriptions they needed.
“We had so many patients come in who were saying, ‘Thank heaven you’re open! I need my depo shot,’ or ‘I’m running out of birth control pills and can’t get them refilled until months from now,’ or ‘I just had a baby and need an IUD because I can’t afford to have another child right now.’"
All of these people thought they had nowhere to go until they found the health center – and some drove dozens of miles to get there.
The center also quickly began curbside pickup service for birth control and other prescriptions, so no one needed to go inside the building to pick them up.
“It made me feel especially proud of the work we’re doing during a time like this,” Samantha said.
“This really drove home for me not only how essential it is that we’re here to provide this service for people, but also how prevalent the need is. Ordinarily, you just don’t think how many people in your community rely on time-based birth control.
It’s such a basic part of reproductive health. It feels good to know that we’re here for all those people – during the pandemic and after it.”