Twenty Four Percent of OH Emergency Rooms Do Not Give Out EC to Rape Survivors
NARAL PRO-CHOICE OHIO FOUNDATION RELEASES COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY DETAILING ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION IN
OHIO EMERGENCY ROOMS
COLUMBUS, OH- At a press conference in Columbus today, representatives of the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation, the state¡¦s leading advocate for personal privacy and a woman's right to choose, unveiled the results of a first of its kind Access to Emergency Contraception in Ohio Emergency Rooms Survey. The survey's disturbing findings show that women in Ohio are at risk of not having timely access to this legal form of birth control.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio's Jaime Miracle and Kellie Copeland released findings from their report, Access to Emergency Contraception in Ohio Emergency Rooms, which surveyed all 151 Ohio emergency rooms. Ms. Miracle and Ms. Copeland were accompanied by State Representative Dan Stewart.
Throughout Ohio, women have a difficult time finding an emergency room to prescribe and dispense this safe and highly effective medication. Only two emergency rooms out of 151 stated that they gave out emergency contraception (EC), commonly referred to as the "morning-after pill," regardless of why women are asking for it.
"Most Ohioans would be shocked to know that their emergency rooms are withholding this vital form of birth control from women--especially when it is withheld from survivors of sexual assault," said Jaime Miracle, Outreach and Field Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, and the author of this study. "Even the Ohio Department of Health states in its Requirements for Treatment of Sexual Assault Victims that 'medical personnel must discuss and offer options for emergency contraception with [its female patients.]' At a time when everyone should be working to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, we find that women do not have access to one of the most promising forms of birth control."
Between June 2003 and August 2004, the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation called emergency rooms across the state of Ohio asking workers if they gave out EC and, if they did under what conditions. The survey includes the following findings that demonstrate Ohio women's lack of access to emergency contraception at their emergency rooms:
--Only two hospitals out of 151 stated that they gave EC to women in their emergency rooms, regardless of why they are asking for it.
--Only 31% of hospitals said they routinely give out EC to rape survivors.
--24% of hospitals said they never give out EC, even to rape victims.
--Of the 75 Ohio counties that have hospitals 20 (27%) have hospitals that claim they will give EC to rape survivors. But 40 (53%) of those counties have no hospitals that routinely give out EC, even to rape survivors.
"It is our hope that this survey will shine a light on the obstacles that Ohio women face every day. And that our work will result in hospitals changing their policy or doing a better job of implementing their policy so that in the future they will provide EC to all the women who need it," said Kellie Copeland, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio. "Women have the right to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies and should have access to all forms of birth control--especially emergency contraception." Background on Emergency contraception (EC): Often referred to as the morning-after pill, EC is a higher dose of ordinary birth control pills, which reduces a woman's chance of becoming pregnant by up to 89 percent when taken within days of unprotected sex. EC prevents pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation, fertilization, or implantation before a pregnancy occurs, and does not work if a woman is already pregnant. It may be used when other birth control methods fail or are not used, including when women are sexually assaulted. It can dramatically reduce unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion.
To obtain a copy of the complete report please call NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation at 216.283.2180 or 614.221.2594 or email Kellie Copeland at kellie@prochoiceohio.org
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