Wisconsin Youth

Adolescents in Wisconsin face numerous policy-driven barriers to accessing contraception and abortion, restricting their reproductive autonomy. Title X-funded clinics, which are often the only places where minors can receive confidential and affordable contraceptive care, have experienced sharp declines in capacity due to policy changes under the Trump Administration. These changes are especially harmful in a state where minors cannot explicitly consent to their own contraceptive care outside of Title X clinics, leaving many teens without safe or confidential options.

Simultaneously, abortion access is increasingly restricted in Wisconsin. As of July 2025, abortion is banned after 20 weeks, and patients must attend two in-person clinic visits at least 24 hours apart — a logistical and financial burden for adolescents juggling school, work, or transportation challenges. The requirement for parental consent adds another layer of difficulty, at times forcing teens into the emotionally taxing judicial bypass process. With telehealth medication abortion banned and financial barriers exacerbated by limited public funding, many adolescents are left without viable paths to care.

However, researchers have yet to systematically document how these challenges affect adolescents in Wisconsin, and there is a lack of qualitative insight into how young people experience, interpret, and navigate these barriers. Without such knowledge, it is difficult to design effective, evidence-based policies and interventions that address adolescents’ unique needs and support their reproductive health and autonomy.