Senator Murray, Rep. Slaughter Introduce Bill to Help Women Access Information about Emergency Contraception

(Washington,
D.C) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray and U.S. Representative Louise
Slaughter (D-NY) introduced legislation in the Senate and House that will raise
awareness about the availability of emergency contraception. The bill
authorizes an education campaign to better inform women and health care
providers of emergency contraception.

“Women
deserve to have full knowledge of their health care options and doctors and
pharmacists need the training to be able to provide it,” Senator Murray
said. “We all want to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and
one of the most effective ways to do this is to increase awareness and
education of contraceptives.”

“We need
to do everything we can to ensure that all women continue to have access to
contraception and choices about what works best for them,” Rep. Slaughter
said. “Studies show that emergency contraceptive use in the United States
remains low, and 1 out of 3 women of reproductive age remain unaware of the method. 
We must educate women about their options so they can make well informed
choices about their reproductive health.”

This
bill directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to
establish an Emergency Contraception Public Education Program through the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The
program would provide a description of emergency contraception and an
explanation of its use, safety, efficacy and availability to nonprofit
organizations, consumer groups, institutions of higher education, Federal,
State, or local agencies, clinics and the media. Murray and Slaughter have
introduced this bill in previous Congresses.

Emergency
contraception is a responsible means of preventing pregnancy that works like
other hormonal contraception.  This method does not cause abortion and
will not affect an established pregnancy.  The Food and Drug
Administration has declared emergency contraception to be safe and effective in
preventing unintended pregnancy. Emergency contraception currently on the
market can reduce the risk of pregnancy by as much as 89 percent if taken
within 72 hours after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. However,
studies show that emergency contraceptive use in the United States remains low,
and 1 out of 3 women of reproductive age remain unaware of the method.