National Abortion Federation Blog: Saporta Reporter

Yesterday, Spain announced plans to make Plan B available over-the-counter in pharmacies without a prescription. Plan B, also known as emergency contraception, will be sold with no age restrictions within the next three months.

Currently, access to Plan B varies greatly by region. Some areas of Spain make it available free of charge in government health clinics, while other areas have more restrictive policies. Women in these areas are sometimes forced to visit several doctors before finding one who will prescribe Plan B. The new measure will require all regions to dispense emergency contraception without a prescription.

This broadened access to Plan B follows Spain’s announced preparations to draft legislation easing the country’s restrictive abortion law.

>Learn more about international abortion issues.

Labels: Contraception, international, Plan B, Spain

Over one-third of women of reproductive age have an abortion by the age of 45. However, women who have chosen abortion are often absent from the public debate. In order to break the silence surrounding abortion, we will be featuring real stories from real women each Wednesday on our blog. If you would like to share your story with us or have it published on our blog, go to http://www.prochoice.org/pregnant/hotline/share.html.

Labels: Contraception, patient stories, wednesday's words from women, women

Over one-third of women of reproductive age have an abortion by the age of 45. However, women who have chosen abortion are often absent from the public debate. In order to break the silence surrounding abortion, we will be featuring real stories from real women each Wednesday on our blog. If you would like to share your story with us or have it published on our blog, go to http://www.prochoice.org/pregnant/hotline/share.html.

I became pregnant while on birth control and that is what brought me to this decision. I am a full-time nursing student and want to fulfill my career goals. I am grateful for the freedom to make my own choices.

--submitted by Anna* through a member clinic


When I found out I was pregnanct a sick feeling went through my stomach. The world just stopped, and I felt so lost. I didn’t know what to do. The past couple of years have been really rough, and this didn’t help. I knew what my decision was going to be, but it was a hard decision to make. I love kids, and I can’t wait until I have my own. However, I would like to be married and in a stable environment, something that I do not have now. I found out how much this procedure was going to cost, and I felt like it was a lost cause. I barely had a penny to my name, and I just started a new job, so I wouldn’t get the money for a long time. In order to get the money, my ex-boyfriend had to ask his mom’s boyfriend’s mother, and that wasn’t enough. It was my turn to get the money, and fortunately I have friends that supported my decision, and agreed to help me. I am so happy that there are understanding people out there that understand and are supportive.

--submitted by Melanie* through a member clinic

Restrictions on federal funding for abortion care have severely restricted access to care for women who depend on the government for their health care.

>Learn more about these polices, which create an unjust obstacle to necessary health care and disproportionately impact low-income women and women of color.

*Names have been changed to protect patient privacy

Labels: Contraception, wednesday's words from women, women

This week, the Guttmacher Institute published a report on the benefits of publicly funded family planning services. The report found that, through the provision of contraceptives to young and low-income women, the national family planning program prevents 1.94 million unintended pregnancies and saves significant amounts of taxpayer dollars each year.

More than nine in 10 women receiving publicly funded family planning services would be eligible for Medicaid in the case of a pregnancy. By avoiding these costs associated with unintended pregnancies and pregnancy-related care, taxpayers save $4 for every $1 spent on family planning.

“Publicly funded family planning is basic health care that empowers disadvantaged women to decide for themselves when to become pregnant and how many children to have,” said Rachel Benson Gold, the study’s lead author.

>Read the full report here.

Labels: Contraception, funding, Medicaid, studies, women

The Bush Administration issued a final regulation Thursday that would undermine a woman’s ability to access important health services and information about all relevant health care options.

The proposed rule, published in August, generated hundreds of thousands of comments, including public opposition from leaders in Congress, governors, medical organizations, patient advocates, faith-based groups and even members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). However, the Bush Administration released a final rule Thursday that failed to meaningfully address many of the concerns raised by these comments.

Existing federal laws already protect employees from religious discrimination in the work place and accommodate health care professionals who refuse to provide abortion services, while ensuring patients have access to necessary care. This regulation purports to create a right for individuals and institutions to refuse to provide necessary health care services, including contraception, reproductive health care information, counseling and referrals, which is unprecedented under current laws.

A woman seeking health care should be able to trust that her health care provider will give her accurate, unbiased medical information about all of her options. Navigating the health care system can be overwhelming, and this regulation disparately impacts low-income women who depend on federally-funded safety net providers for family planning services and information. If a medical professional or counselor refuses to provide information about reproductive health care options, including referrals for abortion care, a woman may not have the ability or resources to visit multiple providers to obtain non-judgmental care.

Every woman deserves access to unbiased, medically accurate information so that she can make the right decision for herself in her particular circumstances. We join with the numerous voices opposing this regulation and urge the new Administration and Congress to take steps to reverse this ill-conceived regulation and ensure that women have access to the health care they need.

Labels: access, Bush Administration, Contraception, HHS

Here is my statement in response to proposed regulations related to reproductive health care released Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services:

The new regulations proposed by the Bush Administration are cause for concern, as they could impact women’s access to complete, accurate information and comprehensive reproductive health care services.

The regulations are so broad that they could permit those who erroneously define contraception as abortion to refuse to provide women with birth control or counseling about basic health care services.

These regulations are a solution in search of a problem. Longstanding federal employment anti-discrimination laws already strike a careful balance that requires employers to balance respect for their employees’ religious beliefs with meeting their patients’ health care needs.

This is yet another example of the Bush Administration playing politics with women’s health.

Labels: Bush Administration, Contraception, HHS

While Plan B has been approved to be sold on drugstore shelves instead of behind-the-counter in Canada, many women may still face challenges in accessing the drug in a timely manner. A reporter with the Edmonton Sun anonymously called 10 drug stores in the Edmonton area and found that none of them offered the medication on pharmacy shelves, only behind the counter. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities approved Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over the counter sale in Canada in mid May.

>Learn more about emergency contraception.

Labels: Canada, Contraception, Plan B

This week, the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) has accepted a recommendation and approved Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sale. Under current rules in Canada, women who want to buy Plan B have to ask pharmacy staff for the drug, a condition critics say may discourage some women from using it to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Allowing Plan B to be sold on drugstore shelves instead of behind-the-counter will give Canadian women the ability to easily access the medication in time for it to be an effective option.

NAPRA advises Canada's provincial regulatory authorities, which will have final say in adopting the new policy in their own regions.

>Learn more about emergency contraception.

Labels: access, Canada, Contraception, Plan B

Today we released the following statement supporting the recommendation of the National Drug Scheduling Advisory Committee (NDSAC) to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) to allow Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) to be sold over-the-counter:

The recent NDSAC recommendation is an important endorsement to allow Canadian women the ability to easily access Plan B in time for it to be an effective option. In August 2007, NAF sent a letter to NAPRA supporting the request to allow Plan B to be sold over-the counter.

Changing the status of Plan B from behind-the-counter to over-the-counter would allow more women to prevent unintended pregnancies. Additionally, allowing Plan B to be sold over-the-counter would also reduce the cost, since a consultation with a pharmacist would not be required.

Plan B contains a concentrated dose of the progestin hormone found in daily birth control pills, and reduces the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

Labels: access, Canada, Contraception, Plan B

Tuesday the 3rd District Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board to reprimand and limit the license of a pharmacist who refused to refill a woman's valid prescription for birth control pills in 2002, because of his religious beliefs. The appellate court ruled that while the pharmacist had the right to refuse to provide contraceptives, he was wrong in refusing to direct the woman to a place where she could get her prescription filled.

Additionally, pharmacist Neil Noesen interfered with the woman's efforts to obtain her birth control by refusing to transfer the prescription to another pharmacy.

"He prevented all the efforts (the woman) made to obtain her medication elsewhere when he refused to complete the transfer and gave her no options for obtaining her legally prescribed medication elsewhere," the appellate court ruled in a decision written by Judge Michael Hoover. "The Board could therefore properly conclude that he violated a standard of care applicable to pharmacists."

Labels: Contraception

This week the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a lawsuit, which challenged the FDA’s approval of Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sales to adults. After years of politically-charged debate, the FDA made Plan B available without a prescription in August 2007, but only for adults.

Anti-choice groups were seeking a reversal of this policy, but they failed "to identify a single individual who has been harmed by Plan B's OTC (over-the-counter) availability," according to the ruling.

In a separate case, the Center for Reproductive Rights is also challenging the FDA’s policy concerning over-the-counter access to Plan B; however, their case argues that restricting the drug for girls under 18 was based on politics and not science.

Labels: access, anti-choice, Contraception, Plan B

Millions of college students and low-income women have been drastically affected by the soaring cost of birth control, which has risen substantially this year because of a mistake made by Congress.

For nearly twenty years, pharmaceutical companies have been able to voluntarily provide low-cost birth control to university health centers and other providers. Unfortunately, last year Congress changed the law and inadvertently eliminated college and university health centers, along with some community health providers, from obtaining birth control at a low cost. As a result of this mistake, birth control prices have skyrocketed for over 3 million college students and approximately 750,000 low income women.

Congress need only make a small change to the law to permit pharmaceutical companies to once again offer low-cost drugs to university health centers and safety net providers. Call your Representative and Senators and urge them to support the Prevention through Affordable Access Act.

>Take Action and Save Birth Control Now!

Labels: access, Contraception

Tell Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt that family planning must remain a priority!

President Bush has just appointed Dr. Susan Orr as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA) in the Department of Health and Human Services. DASPA oversees Title X, the nation's family planning program, which provides high-quality family planning and preventive health care services to over five million low-income individuals annually.

This appointment raises serious concerns, as Dr. Orr previously served as the Senior Director for Marriage and Family Care at the Family Research Council (FRC), an organization that has advocated for limited access to contraception. She currently serves on the board of directors for Teen Choice, a nonprofit organization which advocates for abstinence in lieu of contraception.

Dr. Orr has spoken out against contraceptive coverage requirements in federal employees' health insurance. She has said, "…fertility is not a disease. It's not a medical necessity that you have [contraception]."

Dr. Orr should not be entrusted with the oversight of the federal family planning program and the health of millions of Americans.

Take action and speak-out against this appointment by signing NAF’s petition.

Labels: access, Contraception, Title X

NAF issued this press release today:

The National Abortion Federation (NAF) denounces the appointment of Dr. Susan Orr as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA). DASPA oversees Title X, the nation's family planning program, which provides high-quality family planning and preventive health care services to over five million low-income individuals annually.

This appointment raises serious concerns, as Dr. Orr previously served as the Senior Director for Marriage and Family Care at the Family Research Council (FRC), an organization that has advocated for limited access to contraception. She currently serves on the board of directors for Teen Choice, a nonprofit organization, which advocates for abstinence in lieu of contraception.

During her time at FRC, Dr. Orr spoke out in support of President George W. Bush’s proposed elimination of the contraceptive coverage requirement from federal employees’ health insurance. In 2001 she said to The Washington Post, “We’re quite pleased because fertility is not a disease. It’s not a medical necessity that you have [contraception].”

This is not the first time that President Bush has made a controversial appointment to this critical public health post. Last year, Bush appointed anti-birth control advocate Dr. Eric Keroack, who had previously managed Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) in Massachusetts, to this position. CPCs are designed to discourage pregnant women from seeking abortion care, and in many instances they misinform and intimidate women to achieve their goal. Dr. Keroack resigned in March 2007 following public outrage.

"This is just another example of the Bush Administration promoting politics over a sound health policy. Dr. Orr should not be entrusted with the oversight of the federal family planning program and the health of millions of Americans," said Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of NAF. "For more than 35 years, the Title X program has been a hallmark of quality preventive care, enabling practitioners to provide family planning services to low-income individuals."

Labels: access, anti-choice, Contraception, crisis pregnancy center (CPC), Eric Keroack, Title X

Roman Catholic bishops in Connecticut have reversed their position on Plan B by agreeing to let hospital personnel at the state’s four Catholic hospitals administer emergency contraception to rape victims. Today a new state law goes into effect, which requires medical personnel at state hospitals to provide survivors of rape with emergency contraception. The new law will increase women’s timely access to emergency contraception. Plan B can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

According to Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services Inc., 40 percent of survivors or rape were not offered or did not receive the full dose of emergency contraception at the hospitals where they were treated during the first half of 2006.

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

Today marks the one year anniversary of the FDA approval of Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sales to adults. In 2003, two FDA expert advisory committees voted overwhelmingly to recommend that Plan B be made available without a prescription, but political agendas kept the issue in heated debate for nearly three years. This approval was an important step in ensuring that women are able to access Plan B in time for it to be an effective option.

According to an Associated Press article in this week’s Washington Post, since the over-the-counter approval of Plan B: several states have enacted laws to improve rape survivors' access to the medication in hospital emergency rooms; legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to ensure that women serving in the U.S. military overseas have access to the pills at their bases; and pro-choice groups have advocated with national pharmacy chains to make it readily available.

Despite its approval, some women continue to encounter pharmacies which refuse to stock the medication, and the age restriction creates medically unjustified barriers for teens. There is still much we can do to ensure that women have access to a full range of safe reproductive health care options including timely, straightforward access to emergency contraception.

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

More than 100 million married women living in developing countries have an unmet need for contraception according to a new report released this week by the Guttmacher Institute. The study defines a woman with an unmet need if she “is married, in a consensual union, or never-married and sexually active; is able to become pregnant; does not want to have a child in the next two years or wants to stop childbearing; and is not using any method of contraception, either modern or traditional.”

The study identifies the populations with the greatest unmet need for contraceptive services in developing countries and examines why women with unmet needs are not using a contraceptive method. Some of the more common reasons the study finds that women do not use contraceptives include health concerns stemming from fear of possible side effects, and the belief that they are not at risk of getting pregnant.

“Family planning programs have made significant strides in reducing unmet need around the world and educating women about contraception, but there is still a long way to go,” said lead study author Gilda Sedgh, senior research associate at the Guttmacher Institute.

>Watch the slide show New Evidence to Address the Unmet Need for Contraception
>Get Facts About the Unmet Need for Contraception in Developing Countries

Labels: Contraception, studies

According to a study published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, one in seven doctors surveyed said they would not mention a procedure they believed to be morally wrong to patients as a viable treatment option. Fifty-two percent of the doctors in the study said they opposed abortion, and 42 percent opposed prescribing birth control to 14- to 16-year-olds without parental approval. The study, conducted by University of Chicago researchers, is the first to examine how the religious or moral beliefs of physicians might affect patients' care—especially when dealing with abortion, teen birth control, and emergency contraception.

Labels: Contraception, parental involvement, studies

Representative Slaughter (D-NY) and Representative DeGette (D-CO) introduced the Prevention First Act in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. Passage of this Act would improve women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care services; fund medically accurate sex education and pregnancy prevention programs for teens; and increase federal funding for Title X, the nation’s family planning program.

Title X is the only federal program designed to fund family planning and reproductive health care services. More than 5 million low-income individuals annually take advantage of these preventative health care services. However, the Bush Administration has repeatedly attacked the Title X program. In addition to inadequately funding the program, last year Bush appointed anti-birth control ob-gyn, Dr. Eric Keroack to the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs, which oversees the Title X program.

The Prevention First Act calls for funding for a public education campaign focusing on emergency contraception (EC), and requires emergency rooms to provide victims of sexual assault with EC. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Reid (D-NV).

Labels: access, Contraception, Eric Keroack, federal legislation, Title X

Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter and Planned Parenthood of Indiana signed a settlement agreement Thursday, ending almost two years of legal battles over the medical records of minor patients. Carter has agreed to return patient records his office obtained from Planned Parenthood and refrain from further record requests following a ruling from the Indiana Court of Appeals in September, which stated a minor's right to privacy trumps the state's desire to search for evidence of abuse. In March 2005, the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit attempted to seize the records of over 80 minor patients visiting Planned Parenthood clinics across the state for services including birth control, pregnancy tests, and counseling. At first Planned Parenthood surrendered partial records of eight patients to comply with the investigation, but sought an injunction when the unit expanded its request.

Labels: Contraception, Medicaid, parental involvement

This week, the Bush Administration appointed Eric Keroack, M.D., as the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA) within the Department of Health and Human Services. In this post Keroack will oversee the Office of Family Planning and the Title X program, which is the only Federal program designed to fund family planning and reproductive health services.

An anti-choice advocate, Keroack is the Medical Director of six Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Massachusetts, which oppose counseling and education on birth control, and attempt to dissuade women from obtaining abortions.

Labels: anti-choice, Contraception, crisis pregnancy center (CPC), Eric Keroack, Title X

The Court of Appeals, the highest court in New York state, has upheld the Women’s Health and Wellness Act, a law requiring employers that provide prescription drug benefits to include contraceptive coverage.

The Women’s Health and Wellness Act, which went into effect January 1, 2003 in New York, additionally requires insurance plans to cover preventative and reproductive health services including osteoporosis exams and breast and cervical cancer screening.

The six judges on the court voted unanimously to uphold this law.

Labels: Contraception

Here is the press release we issued today on Plan B (also known as emergency contraception):

Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, released the following statement today welcoming the decision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow Plan B to be sold without a prescription to adults, but expressed concern that women under 18 will still need a prescription:

The FDA’s decision permitting Plan B to be sold over the counter is an important step in ensuring that women are able to access Plan B in time for it to be an effective option. The agency’s previous ruling requiring that women obtain a prescription was not only medically unjustified, it was also a barrier to obtaining timely access to emergency contraception. By allowing the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, more women will now be able to prevent unintended pregnancies.

The approval of over the counter use of Plan B is a victory of science over politics and is long overdue. It has been nearly three years since two FDA expert advisory committees voted overwhelmingly to recommend that Plan B be made available without a prescription. Yet, it is extremely disappointing that age restrictions will create medically unjustified barriers for teens.

Plan B contains a concentrated dose of the progestin hormone found in daily birth control pills, and reduces the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

American women deserve to have access to a full range of safe reproductive health care options. Timely use of emergency contraception could prevent as many as half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies that occur each year in the US.

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

I was very surprised by President Bush’s comments yesterday at a White House news conference.

Bush was questioned by the Washington Examiner about Plan B and said, “I believe that Plan B ought to require a prescription for minors.”

Bush said he backed acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, who told Barr Pharmaceuticals, the makers of Plan B last month: “We believe that the appropriate age for [over-the-counter] access is 18.”
Bush noted at yesterday’s news conference that, “I support Andy’s decisions.”

I was quoted in today’s Washington Examiner on this issue and noted:
“This represents a turnaround in the position of the administration, which has been opposed to making Plan B available over the counter. It’s a step in the right direction. And I hope it means that the FDA will approve Plan B for over-the-counter use this week.”

Labels: access, Contraception, Plan B

It has been more than seven years since Plan B, the morning-after pill, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prescription use as an emergency contraceptive. In 2003, an FDA panel voted 23-4 recommending that Plan B be sold over the counter, yet three years later there is still debate about allowing Plan B to be sold without a prescription.

Last month, the FDA announced that they would discuss making Plan B available without a prescription to women at least 18 years of age or older.

>View a timeline of the FDA’s handling of Plan B

Labels: Contraception, Plan B

Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will discuss making Plan B available without a prescription to women at least 18 years of age or older. Plan B can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The announcement came one day before Acting FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach's Senate confirmation hearing. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) have vowed to block a vote on von Eschenbach's confirmation until the FDA makes a decision on Plan B.


Read the Washington Post article

Labels: Contraception, Plan B

NAF released a comprehensive report today detailing the many ways Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) have deceived and intimidated women. The report, entitled Crisis Pregnancy Centers: An Affront to Choice, highlights numerous instances where CPCs have harassed and given false information to women who have come through their doors, leaving them feeling betrayed and misled. The report also discusses legal action taken against CPCs, their current sources of funding, and what concerned citizens can do to combat their harmful tactics.

You can read the full report here.

On Tuesday, an Ohio State House committee heard testimony on a bill that would ban abortion in all circumstances, including when a woman’s life is threatened. At a rally protesting the bill, a woman told her story of having an unsafe, illegal abortion in the days before Roe v. Wade.

The Kansas City Star reports on a trend in state legislatures to consider “trigger laws,” which would ban abortion in their states if Roe v. Wade were overturned.

Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire is challenging a rule that would allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense prescriptions on religious grounds, including emergency contraception and birth control.

Labels: abortion bans, Contraception, crisis pregnancy center (CPC), Kansas, Roe v. Wade

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urged women to get an advanced prescription for emergency contraception as part of a new public education campaign. Read the Associated Press article.

NPR has an interview with the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, who has vowed to open an abortion clinic on the reservation.

The New York Times Magazine reports on anti-choice efforts to reduce access to contraception.

Labels: access, anti-choice, Contraception

The Washington Post reports on a rise in unintended pregnancies for low-income women.

In her column, Margaret Kimberly encourages the African American community to embrace pro-choice goals and ideals.

A New York Times article explores the recent decline in contraceptive use among women.

Labels: Contraception

President Bush has nominated Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach to head the Food and Drug Administration, but pro-choice senators have vowed not to confirm him until the FDA issues its long awaited decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of Plan B, an emergency contraceptive. Read the New York Times story.

The Indianapolis Star has a story about how pro-choice religious leaders are speaking out against anti-choice legislation in Indiana.

Labels: anti-choice, Contraception, Plan B

The Washington Post reports that more than 60 bills regarding emergency contraception (EC) have been filed in state legislatures this year. Some of the measures seek to expand access to EC, which can help prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. But other bills would make it harder for women to obtain EC, even if they have a valid prescription. EC received national attention in 2005 when the FDA refused to issue a decision on making EC available over the counter.

The Canadian Supreme Court declined to hear a class-action lawsuit regarding public funding of timely abortions in Canada. The case was brought by two women who had to pay for their own abortions at a private clinic because they would have had to wait more than two months to receive publicly funded care.

Labels: access, Canada, Contraception, state legislation