Few ERs offer morning-after pills, survey finds
Staff members at 2 of 151 hospitals said drugs are available no matter the case By, Mary C . Bridgman
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH More than two-thirds of Ohio’s emergency rooms do not prescribe morning-after pills to women who have been sexually assaulted, according to a survey by a reproductive-rights group released yesterday. "Many (women) are turned away empty-handed," said Kellie Copeland, a member of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation, the study’s sponsor. The survey found only two of Ohio’s 151 emergency rooms, both rural, provide emergency contraception regardless of the circumstances, said Jaime Miracle, who led the study. But at least one local hospital disputed the results. Doctors at the Ohio State University Medical Center prescribe emergency contraception to women willing to undergo an examination, spokeswoman Emily Caldwell said. At Grant and Riverside hospitals, women also must specifically request the drug and sign a consent form, spokeswoman Christina Fitzer. Responses to the telephone survey came from ER employees. Miracle approximated a "real life" situation by calling into ERs, not asking for anyone in particular. What people answering the phone said to her might not accurately represent hospital policies, but Miracle said ER officials should know what their employees are telling people. She plans to educate them about what she found and encourage a wider distribution of the medicines. Click here to read the rest of the story (subscription required)
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