Plum Health Blog
Reproductive Health Care in Detroit
Reproductive Health Care in Detroit
Abortion is a component of comprehensive medical care.
Healthcare decisions, including whether to have an abortion, are deeply personal and should be made between a patient and their physician.
The implications of today's Supreme Court decision are profound and will disrupt, and in some states, eliminate equitable and safe access to medical care for women and families in the United States.
This Supreme Court decision further threatens to exacerbate already unacceptably high maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the United States. (In 2018, there were 17 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S. — a ratio more than double that of most other high-income countries. In contrast, the maternal mortality ratio was 3 per 100,000 or fewer in the Netherlands, Norway, and New Zealand.)
In Michigan, abortion rights are in question due to a 1913 law that prohibits abortion unless the procedure is "necessary to preserve the life of such woman.” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has made clear that she does not plan to charge anyone under the 1913 law, but County Prosecutors could potentially charge doctors and/or patients under the existing Michigan Law.
This is truly an unprecedented change that has created a lot of chaos and confusion for both patients and their doctors.
At Plum Health, we are committed to upholding the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship and to protecting women's reproductive rights by delivering evidence-based healthcare services.
Pragmatically, we will continue to offer oral contraceptive pills, birth control implants, IUDs, STD testing, Pap testing, HPV testing, beta HCG or pregnancy testing, Levonorgestrel (Plan B One Step or the morning after pill), referrals to doctors who prescribe mifepristone and misoprostol, and referrals to local abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and other board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists.
Additionally, we will continue to provide the high-quality psychiatric health care resources, referrals for behavioral health, a listening ear, and the emotional support that is needed as our patients and members of our community navigate these difficult decisions.
When women have the right to choose, they build healthier families and healthier communities.
The real-world impact of making abortion illegal
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the legality of abortion across the world actually has little to no effect on abortion rates throughout the world.
Legal or not, abortions can, will, and do take place. The legality of abortion, however, does affect how safe those abortions are.
Women who do not have access to a legal abortion frequently turn to illegal or "homemade" abortion options, which are typically much riskier, more dangerous, and less effective than legal options conducted by professional doctors in a clinical setting would be.
Plum Health DPC Specializes In Comprehensive Women's Health
Plum Health DPC Specializes in Comprehensive Women’s Health
We strive to deliver excellent care and services for women in our community. We are fortunate to have two excellent female physicians at Plum Health DPC who go above and beyond for their patients at Plum Health DPC.
Specific Services Offered for Women’s Health at Plum Health
We offer a range of services for women in our community, both at our Detroit and Farmington Hills Office. Dr. Raquel Orlich practices at our Detroit office and Dr. Jamie Qualls practices at our Farmington Hills office. Both physicians are excellent in caring for women’s health concerns, including but not limited to:
Birth Control Services
IUD Insertion and Removal
Pap Smears or Pap Testing
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Testing
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing
Implanon Insertion and Removal
Dietary Counseling
Weight loss management
Aesthetics like Botox at our Detroit office with Dr. Raquel Orlich
Affordable and Accessible Health Care For Women
Health Insurance can often create a barrier for patients getting access to primary care services. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, getting access to a doctor’s visit can be difficult and expensive. With our direct primary care model at Plum Health DPC, we do not bill or use insurance. Therefore, most of our patients pay $49 or $69 monthly to be a part of our health care service (see our prices based on age, here).
In addition, many of the procedures and services that we offer at Plum Health are included in the membership. Included services include:
visits with the doctor
phone calls, emails, and texting with the doctor
many procedures like IUD insertion, IUD removal,
motivational interviewing like dietary counseling
educational services like birth control management
If you need oral contraceptive pills or birth control pills from our office, prices range from $4 to $9 monthly for medications like Sprintec, Aviane, Junel, Junel FE, and Apri.
If you need lab work performed at our office, it’s roughly $75 for Pap Testing with HPV co-testing and it’s roughly $45 for Sexually Transmitted Infection testing like HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea testing.
How to Sign Up For a Women’s Health Doctor in Detroit and Farmington Hills
If you’d like to sign up for this type of health care service for yourself, your family, or your business, you can enroll online here.
Thanks for reading!
-Dr. Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH and Dr. Raquel Orlich, DO