Nearly 30% of adult women under age 50 in New Jersey did not get the reproductive healthcare they needed in recent years, according to new survey data designed to measure the impact of the federal effort to limit access to reproductive healthcare in the U.S.
Initial results from the Urban Institute’s Reproductive Health Experiences and Access Study include input from some 2,800 women from New Jersey on accessing pelvic exams, cervical cancer screenings, birth control, fertility assistance, menopause treatments, care for irregular periods, and services for people who are transgender.
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The results show 29% of Garden State women ages 18 through 49 said one or more of their reproductive care needs were unmet, compared with 30% nationwide. The rate in New Jersey rose to 36% for women who lacked health insurance or were covered by a public insurance system like Medicaid, 37% for those who were lesbian or transgender, and 42% for women who were disabled.
“The differences among the subgroups are important to highlight,” said Emily Johnston, an Urban Institute researcher who is leading the work.
The first cohort of study data, released this week, is based on interviews from 2024 and 2025 with more than 50,000 women in 13 states, including New Jersey. While the survey also included a racial breakdown, Johnson said the differences in New Jersey were statistically insignificant.
The research does not confirm the cause of these gaps in care, but Johnson said states with restrictive abortion policies and limited Medicaid coverage appear to have higher rates of unmet reproductive care needs. New Jersey has codified abortion rights in state law, required insurance coverage for the procedure, and taken other steps to protect reproductive access. It also has an expansive Medicaid program that covers nearly 2 million residents.
Lawmakers in New Jersey are also poised to pass a bill that would strengthen protections for reproductive and LGBTQ+ healthcare providers and patients, following a push from advocates who warn these services are endangered by the Trump administration and conservative state governments.
The Urban Institute survey shows access to specific services varies in New Jersey. Some 16% of respondents were unable to get cancer screenings or other preventative procedures; 1 in 10 missed out on treatment for heavy, painful bleeding, often a sign of uterine fibroids; and 8% could not get birth control.
Most respondents were not seeking care for menopause, but of those who did, nearly half went without treatment.
Assemblywoman Heather Simmons (D-Gloucester), the champion of a new law that expands insurance coverage for menopause treatment, is also looking for ways to reduce the unmet need.
“I’m going to tell you unabashedly that New Jersey is the leader now in terms of health insurance coverage for perimenopause and menopause,” she told the New Jersey Monitor earlier this month.
