January 13, 2009
REID, SLAUGHTER, DEGETTE INTRODUCE
PREVENTION FIRST ACT
Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) and
House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) today
introduced the Prevention First Act, legislation that will improve access to
women's health care, reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy and reduce
abortions – all while saving scarce public health dollars.
"The United States has among the highest
rates of unintended pregnancies of all industrialized nations. Half of all
pregnancies in the United
States are unintended, and nearly half of those
end in abortion," Reid said. "It is time to come together and enact effective
policies that will help to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the number of
abortions, and improve access to health care for women. We can find not only
common ground, but also common sense in our Prevention First
Act."
Said Slaughter: "If we want to reduce the number of
abortions in this country, the methodology is clear – empower women to prevent
unintended pregnancies through education and access to contraception," said
Congresswoman Slaughter. "For every dollar spent on family planning services, it
is estimated that almost four dollars is saved in public health spending. This
comprehensive approach to protecting women's reproductive health will not only
decrease the spread of STDs and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but
save money."
"It is imperative that we implement a comprehensive,
medically accurate, science -based approach to reducing the need for abortion,"
DeGette said. "The United
States has a much higher rate of unintended
pregnancy than other developed nations. The Prevention First Act is the key to
changing that."
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) shows that the nation's teen pregnancy rate has increased for
the first time in 15 years.
This legislation would take a number of steps to reduce
unintended pregnancies including:
- Increase Funding for
the National Family Planning Program (Title X)
- Expand Medicaid
Family Planning Services
- End Insurance
Discrimination Against Women
- Improve Awareness
about Emergency Contraception (EC)
- Provide
Compassionate Assistance for Rape Victims
- Reduce Teen
Pregnancy
- Ensure that All
Federal Programs Provide Medically Accurate Information
Research shows, and a majority of the public believes,
that improving access to family planning services is the most effective way to
reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and to reduce abortions.
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