Ensuring OB–GYN Care in Prisons Act

Key Points

• This bill would require every federal prison that houses women to have at least one full-time, board-certified OB-GYN on staff. This ensures that women in prison have direct access to doctors who specialize in female reproductive health rather than relying on general medical staff.
• New inmates would be required to see an OB-GYN within 14 days of arriving at a facility. These doctors would provide a wide range of services, including cancer screenings, pregnancy care, birth control counseling, and treatment for menstrual pain or other health conditions.
• The policy requires doctors to use 'trauma-informed care,' which is a sensitive approach designed for people who have experienced sexual violence or other trauma. It also protects a prisoner's right to give informed consent for medical procedures and the right to refuse care that is not an emergency.
• Prisons would be banned from denying specialized medical care just because of high costs or low staffing. If an OB-GYN leaves their job, the Bureau of Prisons must work to fill that vacancy within 42 days to ensure there is no long gap in medical coverage.
• To ensure the law is followed, the Bureau of Prisons would have to send a report to Congress every year. This report would track how many women are getting care, the number of births in prison, and any deaths related to pregnancy or childbirth.

Impact Analysis

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