Upstream USA provides training and technical assistance to health centers so they can offer patients in a single visit the full range of contraceptive methods, including Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC)―intrauterine devices and subdermal implants that are safe and 20 times more effective than birth control pills.
In the United States, nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned. The rate among low-income women is more than five times that of women with the highest incomes and contributes to the cycle of multi-generational poverty. Yet less than 20 percent of all clinics providing publicly funded family planning services in the nation offer the full range of contraceptive methods, particularly the most effective ones. The reasons for this include:
- Lack of trained providers
- Misinformation about medical eligibility
- Unnecessary multiple appointments
- Billing and coding problems
- Cost concerns
- Poor patient counseling
Upstream USA eliminates barriers at health centers that prevent a woman from obtaining the birth control method of her choice. Upstream's goal is to help women achieve their own goals and reduce the nearly 3 million unplanned pregnancies that occur annually in the U.S., improving upward mobility for both parents and their children.
In 2017, Blue Meridian Partners invested $60 million over 7.5 years to support the “first chapter” of Upstream USA’s Scaling Plan, bringing its intervention to full scale and serving 1.6 million women in five states.
"This Could Be Life Changing"
Upstream partnered with the Family Health Center of Worcester, empowering patients to make decisions about their reproductive health.