MADISON (WKOW) — In the fall, Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) plans to expand hours and services at its Sexual and Reproductive Health clinic.
PHMDC reports the expansion comes after a $360,000 investment from Dane County.
“Access to a full range of reproductive and sexual health services has never been more critical than it is right now,” said Janel Heinrich, director of Public Health Madison & Dane County. “After consulting with partners, we identified preventative care services, including free and easy access to long-term reversible contraception, as one area we could extend our services.”
The Sexual and Reproductive Health clinic, located on 2705 E Washington Ave, already provides clients with "a wide range of sexual health services." According to PHMDC's website, some of the services include sexual health testing and treatment, emergency contraception and sexual health supplies. The services are free for teens and "low cost" for adults.
Officials say the funding will help the clinic expand staffing and hours, as well as offer "more comprehensive services." PHMDC highlights the additional staffing as something that will allow the organization to increase outreach and education efforts, and work with community leaders on reproductive rights.
“The Supreme Court decision on Roe vs Wade has created a health care emergency for women across Dane County, Wisconsin, and beyond,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “This unprecedented loss of rights requires an unprecedented response and that’s why I’m proposing using dollars from the county’s rainy day fund to jumpstart Public Health’s ability to serve more women in our community.”
The expansion is set to take place in the fall. Though the initial investment comes from Dane County, the annual cost of the clinic's expansion will be split between the county and city of Madison.
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