WNBA, Black Women’s Health Imperative push education on reproductive health care

The WNBA has teamed up with Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive available over the counter in the United States, and the nonprofit organization Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) for a new initiative designed to build health equity for Black women by providing resources to educate them about their reproductive health options.

“Level the Court,” which launched Tuesday, will feature a spring campus tour with stops at the University of Texas at San Antonio on April 1 and three historically Black colleges and universities: Lincoln University in Missouri on March 28; Spelman College in Georgia on April 16; and Southern University in Louisiana on a date yet to be determined.

Each institution was selected by BWHI in conjunction with the My Sister’s Keeper Foundation, an organization that assists women with personal and professional development. According to Leila Bahbah, the U.S. women’s health brand lead at Perrigo, the maker of Opill, they chose schools in “states where there is more restricted access and restrictive laws surrounding what [girls, women and those who can become pregnant] can and cannot do.”

Disparities in the health care system have disproportionately affected Black women, and this is the collective group’s effort to remedy those discrepancies. 

“Our focus is on empowering Black women to have access and the equity they deserve in terms of their health care,” Bahbah said. 

In addition to the tour, on Feb. 25 the University of South Carolina will host “WNBA on Campus,” an event presented by Opill featuring WNBA players Allisha Gray, Shakira Austin and Rickea Jackson. Along with health resources, the event will include DJs, giveaways, photo ops and games, WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison said.

Through the WNBA activations and community outreach, Opill and BWHI plan to provide Black women with information and options surrounding reproductive health care. 

“Systemic racism in health care has created distrust and bias from providers, which has led to Black women being dismissed or not given the full range of options for their reproductive health,” said Zsanai Epps, senior director of reproductive initiatives at Black Women’s Health Imperative.

The WNBA has historically been on the forefront of social justice, including supporting the 2016 and 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and helping to overturn the Georgia Senate in 2020. Adding health care is an extension of the league’s resume of activism.

Following the WNBA’s last collective bargaining agreement, which was signed in January 2020 and increased support for women, mothers and family planning, the league is heading into another negotiation period that is anticipated to increase rights even further. 

Through Level the Court, the league is looking to extend its efforts beyond its players and into the community.

“The WNBA has always said that women’s health is society’s health,” Edison said. “We’re really trying to mirror the work our players are already doing.” 

Minnesota Lynx player Napheesa Collier, a co-founder of the new 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league Unrivaled, emphasized women’s ownership of their health should be personal, too. Collier is also a working mother, raising a daughter as she continues her playing career. 

“It’s so important that we do everything we can to ensure that women know their options when it comes to reproductive health,” Collier said. 

Those options include pregnancy preventative practices. Discussions about contraceptives, abortion and other forms of reproductive health care have been historically stigmatized, widely debated and in some cases unknown. 

“Less than half of reproductive age women in the United States are aware of the current status of abortion policy in their state, 45%, nearly a quarter describe the status incorrectly, 23%, and a third are unsure about the status of abortion in their state, 32%,” Epps said, referencing the 2024 Women’s Health Survey by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research, polling and news organization. “Too often, young women don’t realize policy changes can directly impact their access to health care, so staying informed, advocating for themselves and knowing their options is crucial.” 

Opill, which the Food and Drug Administration approved for nonprescription use in July 2023, will be offered to attendees at all of the event dates.

Though the league is physically visiting only five campuses, the WNBA will share more resources on wnba.com/levelthecourt. 

“Although we won’t get to every college campus, we want every young woman to know that you deserve access to information and care, no matter where you are,” Epps said.