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Women's Health Providers
Women's Health Providers in United States
United States

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United States Value:

49.5

Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older

Women's Health Providers in depth:

Women's Health Providers by State

Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older




Women's Health Providers Trends

Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older

Trend: Women's Health Providers in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report

Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older

United States
Source:

 U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System

View All Populations

Women's Health Providers

Trend: Women's Health Providers in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report

Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older

United States
Source:

 U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System

About Women's Health Providers

US Value: 49.5

Top State(s): Alaska: 103.1

Bottom State(s): Arkansas: 30.6

Definition: Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older

Data Source and Years: U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2021

Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.

Women’s health providers — including obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives — address reproductive health such as pregnancy, contraception (birth control) and menopause, as well as long-term health and wellness. They provide important preventive health services for women of reproductive age, including:

  • Breast and cervical cancer screening.
  • Contraception counseling.
  • HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing and screening.
  • Diabetes testing.

Moreover, women’s health providers give prenatal care during pregnancy. They provide tailored care based on the pregnant person’s medical needs and concerns and monitor for high-risk pregnancy conditions. Of note, many women of reproductive age choose to see a family or internal medicine doctor for well-woman visits rather than an obstetrician or gynecologist.

The number of women’s health providers is higher in urban areas compared with rural areas.

Strategies to increase access to, and use of, women’s health providers include: 

Healthy People 2030 does not specifically address increasing the number of women’s health providers but has several goals related to cancer screening, family planning, pregnancy and childbirth, including increasing the proportion of pregnant women who receive early and adequate prenatal care and reducing preterm births.

“ACOG Committee Opinion No. 586: Health Disparities in Rural Women.” 2014. Obstetrics & Gynecology 123 (2): 384–88. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000443278.06393.d6.

“Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities.” 2019. Issue Brief. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/rural-health/09032019-Maternal-Health-Care-in-Rural-Communities.pdf.

Tikkanen, Roosa, Munira Z. Gunja, Molly FitzGerald, and Laurie Zephyrin. 2020. “Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries.” The Commonwealth Fund. https://doi.org/10.26099/411v-9255.

Wyn, Roberta, Victoria Ojeda, Usha Ranji, and Alina Salganicoff. 2004. “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Women’s Health Coverage and Access To Care: Findings from the 2001 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey.” Issue Brief. KFF. https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-women-s-health-coverage-and-access-to-care.pdf.

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We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.