"I totally didn't need to be there in person": New York women's preferences for telehealth consultations for sexual and reproductive healthcare in primary care.

The expansion of phone- and video-based consultations in the United States for sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) during the COVID-19 pandemic supported patients with needed continuity of care, while minimizing virus exposure. As COVID-19 becomes endemic, medical organizations and providers recommend sustaining and expanding telehealth for SRH and other primary care needs. No studies to date have explored patient acceptability of telehealth for SRH services broadly in primary care settings. This brief report explores preferences for telehealth for SRH in primary care among New York women of reproductive age through focus groups and interviews. Overall, participants preferred telehealth for "basic" SRH conversations, such as contraceptive options, and in-person consultations for more "complex" topics, like pregnancy and preconception. Benefits of telehealth services included convenience, simplicity of some SRH needs, and being able to minimize uncomfortable power dynamics in the patient­provider relationship. Challenges included the lack of one-on-one connection with a provider, the perceived seriousness of pregnancy-related conversations, privacy, and internet access concerns. Patients find telehealth for SRH in primary care preferable, especially for simple SRH conversations, which suggests the importance of continuing to offer services in this manner.