Maryland is making efforts to expand its contraception care in cities and rural communities through a new partnership with the nonprofit organization Upstream USA.

The state will provide free women’s contraception training to healthcare providers over the next four years through the partnership.

“It is imperative that we invest in and we believe in our women and girls,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moor said during a Tuesday press conference in Annapolis. “And that we believe in them enough to make sure they're getting the resources to learn about family planning options before abortion care even needs to be an option.”

Upstream USA was founded in 2014 with the mission of reducing unplanned pregnancies. It provides contraceptive training to healthcare professionals ranging from IUD insertion to postpartum contraction.

CCI Health Services, a federally qualified health center, will be the first provider to receive training services.

Maryland has one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancies in the nation and nearly 300,000 women in the state live in contraception care deserts, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

“Tens of thousands of women live in areas of Maryland where there is not reasonable access to health care,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “This partnership puts a much-needed emphasis on women’s health by protecting their rights and offering equitable access to a full range of contraceptive methods on demand.”

Moore declared that Maryland would be a sanctuary state for people seeking abortion and contraception services after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year.