As part of Women’s Health Month and in recognition of Reproductive Health Justice Day coming up on May 28, AMWA spoke with Aleza Summit, Project Manager of the Reproductive Health Hotline (ReproHH), a free, confidential, clinician-to-clinician consultation service staffed by UCSF physicians specializing in sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Call the Reproductive Health Hotline: 1-844-737-7644  Mon-Fri, 7 am- 4 pm PT
For more information, visit reprohh.ucsf.edu

At a time when many clinicians face increasing challenges navigating reproductive healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved and rural communities, ReproHH serves as an important resource for healthcare professionals seeking real-time clinical guidance on topics ranging from contraception and pregnancy management to gynecologic procedures and menopause. In this Q&A, Summit discusses the hotline’s mission, the clinicians behind the service, the needs they are seeing across the country, and the importance of supporting practitioners in delivering evidence-based, person-centered reproductive healthcare.

Why did you start the Reproductive Health Hotline?

ReproHH was founded to help improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes by providing on-demand clinician-to-clinician information. Our goal is to address a wide range of reproductive and sexual health issues raised by healthcare professionals, including contraception, pregnancy management, gynecological procedures, menopause, and more.  In doing so, aim to empower clinicians to practice their full scope, enhance patient care, boost confidence in managing reproductive and sexual health, minimize unnecessary referrals and overtreatment, and support the care givers who are meeting patients where they access care.

Where do the wonderful clinicians who support your hotline come from?  Are they local or around the country?

All hotline clinicians are board-certified family physicians or OB/GYNs, collectively bringing over 90 years of specialized reproductive health experience and training. They are employed by UCSF, with most based in California and one physician located in New York as our newest team member. Our experts specialize in person-centered reproductive care, maternal and child health, prenatal care, contraception, miscarriage and abortion care, recurring vaginitis, menopause, STIs, and pain management for gynecological procedures. They work in diverse settings across the U.S., including community-based primary care, correctional facilities, labor and delivery units, urgent and emergency care, inpatient services, adolescent and pediatric clinics, Title X-funded programs, academic centers, freestanding abortion clinics, and telemedicine.

Have you seen a large number of calls from rural areas or areas where there are repro care deserts?

While we don’t track callers’ exact locations, we do ask whether they are inside or outside of California. Additionally, all phone numbers are scrambled upon entry into our system, ensuring no location information is provided. We ask callers if they serve populations that do not have access to care, and the answer is a resounding yes. Many callers have mentioned practicing in rural regions or struggling to access specialist consultation for their patients.

Does the team also help address questions related to policy and legal issues that may be hard to interpret?

No, our hotline exclusively provides clinical education and guidance. Fortunately, there are excellent resources available for legal questions, including The Lawyering Project, If/When/How, the ACLU, the Southern California Legal Alliance for Reproductive Health (SoCal LARJ), and other organizations dedicated to legal support in the reproductive health space.

Can allied healthcare practitioners also access the hotline?

Absolutely! We welcome questions from anyone working in healthcare. Over the past several months, our hotline has supported physicians, nurse practitioners, physician associates, nurses, midwives, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), pharmacists, doulas, and community health workers. All types of providers are encouraged to call!

Can international practitioners call in too?

Unfortunately, we are only able to serve healthcare providers located within the United States.

The Reproductive Health Hotline (ReproHH) is a free, confidential, and on-demand phone service staffed by UCSF physicians with over 90 years of collective experience providing direct comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare to patients and educating other clinicians on these topics.