NARAL PRO-CHOICE COLORADO LAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF SB 60
Colorado House vote demonstrates commitment to putting prevention first for sexual assault survivors DENVER (Feb. 14) – NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado lauds the Colorado House of Representatives’ vote today to enact SB 60 (Boyd, McGihon), “Emergency Contraception Information for Sexual Assault Survivors.” Sponsored by Lakewood Democrat Senator Betty Boyd and Denver Democrat Anne McGihon, the measure would require hospital emergency rooms to provide information about emergency contraception (EC) to sexual assault survivors as a basic standard of care. “We applaud the House of Representatives’ commitment to supporting compassionate health care,” said Kathryn Wittneben, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado. “This important measure can ensure Colorado women have access to the resources they need to make informed decisions about their health while starting the process of healing from a vicious attack.” SB 60 received a unanimous, bi-partisan vote of support in the House Health & Human Services Committee on Feb. 12, where it was amended to require pharmacies to notify consumers, via a conspicuously placed sign, if Plan B® is unavailable at that pharmacy. Plan B is the brand name of an emergency contraception regimen sold in the United States. “With the amendment requiring pharmacies to notify consumers if Plan B is unavailable, this bill prevents a sexual assault survivor from being re-victimized in a public location where she should feel safe – her local pharmacy,” Wittneben said. “This amendment continues the process of educating Colorado women about the availability of EC in their communities, which is vital to providing access to tools to help reduce unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion in Colorado.” Emergency contraception (EC) is a high-dose of oral contraception approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex to prevent unintended pregnancy. Although some studies indicate EC is effective if taken within 120 hours, it has been proven to be up to 95 percent effective if taken within 24 hours. EC is not RU 486, a pill regimen with different hormones that terminates an existing pregnancy. EC works like ordinary birth control pills to prevent a potential pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation. In August 2006, the FDA approved Plan B for over-the-counter, non-prescription access to women 18 and older. Women under 18 still require a prescription to obtain the drug. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado works to educate health care providers, women and others in Colorado’s reproductive health field about the availability of emergency contraception. The organization recently published a bilingual resource, The Emergency Contraception (EC) Resource Handbook for Colorado, which describes what emergency contraception is, when to use it, and where it is available in Colorado. The guide is available for download at www.ProChoiceColorado.org. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado (NPCC) is the political-action arm of the pro-choice movement in Colorado. NPCC has more than 30,000 supporters statewide and works to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive health choices, including preventing unintended pregnancies, bearing healthy children and choosing legal abortion. ###For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Contact: Kathryn Wittneben
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
Office: 303.394.1973, ext. 12
kwittneben@ProChoiceColorado.org
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