Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon tells committee, "It's as easy as ABC"to support women's health
Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon Tells House Committee, “It’s as easy as ABC” to Support Women’s Heath Salem, OR – The Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon is calling on the legislature to adopt legislation that will improve women’s health and safeguard the health of survivors of rape or sexual assault. On Wednesday, February 28th the House Committee on Human Service and Women’s Wellness will take up HB 2700, the Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act. This legislation will prohibit insurance companies who provide a prescription drug benefit from excluding the provision of birth control, and it will require all hospital emergency rooms in Oregon to offer emergency contraception (EC) to survivors of rape or sexual assault. Access to birth control is essential to women and families because it allows them to plan for their children. Current information indicates that half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. Women, on average, spend over $500 out of pocket each year on birth control supplies. The ABC Act would also ensure survivors of sexual assault have access to emergency contraception in hospital emergency rooms. According to statistics cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: One in six women (17%) reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some time in their lives. EC offers a safe, effective and humane option for sexual assault victims. “The Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon knows that pregnancy has profound social, emotional and economic implications for a woman. That is why prescription birth control methods are a basic health care need that is overwhelmingly supported,” stated Michele Stranger Hunter, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, “and the EC in the ER component is just common sense. Survivors of sexual assault deserve the best medical care, which includes preventing a pregnancy from such a traumatic experience.” This will not be the first session many of the legislators have seen legislation relating to contraceptive coverage in prescription drug plans. Advocates in Oregon have been working for over 14 years to pass such legislation. Twenty-six states already require insurers that cover prescription drugs to also include coverage for prescription birth control. Eight states have passed EC in the ER laws. -###-
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