A Dallas non-profit health organization recently announced that its registered users can now access new birth-control programs at no cost. The program is funded largely by federal taxpayer funds.
Dallas residents can now get more family planning options, including the new Nexplanon implant, at any Healing Hands Ministry (HHM) certified clinic across Dallas.
Anyone living in Dallas, with or without insurance, can take advantage of this initiative created in partnership with the Child Poverty Coalition.
Nexplanon is a thin plastic rod placed under the skin of a woman’s inner arm. The etonogestrel implant continuously releases a pregnancy-inhibiting hormone in low doses.
It is allegedly no different from the daily pill variant except that users do not have to remember to take it or get refills.
The community health provider has also trained 15 local healthcare professionals to safely guide the thin rod birth control implant using dummy arms.
HHM is said to have recorded three times more patient visits in the past few months, according to Dr. Michael Lyons, the facility’s chief medical officer.
Lyons claims that Birth control access is “a miracle” for many patients as many women cannot afford birth control.
Spokeswoman Krista Ferrara believes the Supreme Court’s overruling of Roe v. Wade might have influenced the high patient influx at HHM’s clinics. Though few in number, Ferrara noted that some patients have come into the clinic believing that birth control is unlawful.
“We care about these patients,” she said. HHM’s spokeswoman added that the organization aims to create a safe space where people can freely share and discuss family planning.
HHM has two clinics in Dallas where people can get birth-control implants. One of the clinics lies along Pineland Drive in Vickery Meadows, and the other sits at Greenville near Lake Highlands.
Trained and certified providers can also carry out the implantation procedures at their clinics rather than referring patients to the two HHM clinics.
The implant lasts up to three years and can be removed whenever a person decides to do so.
Ferrara emphasized the benefits of the Nexplanon implant in comparison to oral forms. “It is a good option for those who don’t want to come back for refills for the oral pills,” Ferrera said.
While HHM is giving the new implants to the Dallas community, it continues to offer other contraceptive methods, including oral and injectable contraceptives, hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), and copper IUDs, among others.
HHM seeks to provide “accessible, affordable and compassionate care” to people who might not be insured or unable to afford care. Roughly 52% of HHM’s operating budget comes from taxpayer funding. The federal government issued the organization $4.8 million of grant money in 2021 alone.
Interested individuals can make an appointment on the clinic’s website hhmhealth.org.
