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For Immediate Release: March 26th, 2004 Contact: Contact: Jordan Isenstadt (c) 516.991.3842 (w) 212.490.9535 (f) 212.490.2151 ***PRESS
RELEASE*** Senator Liz Krueger
Denounces Senate Republicans for Voting Down Motion to Petition for Crucial
Legislation that Would Improve Access to Emergency Contraception New York, NY – State Senator Liz Krueger criticized
her Senate Republican colleagues yesterday for voting against a motion to
petition that would have brought S. 3837, a bill to improve access to
emergency contraception, to the Senate floor. “It is an absolute disgrace that the Majority has refused to
bring this fundamental piece of legislation to the Senate Chamber for
debate,” stated Senator Krueger. “The
Senate had a historic opportunity to join the Assembly in passing this bill
and to give women far better access to emergency contraception. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans have
once again placed politics before the needs of the people of New York” According to Planned Parenthood Federation of America,
Inc., 42 million, or seven in 10 women of reproductive age, are sexually
active and do not want to be pregnant.
Nearly half of America’s 6.3 million annual pregnancies are
accidental. The World Health
Organization found that when emergency contraception is used within 24 hours,
the chances of becoming pregnant is reduced by 95%. EC is already available throughout Europe and in the United
States and is considered to be safer than aspirin. New York State law requires EC to be dispensed in hospital
emergency rooms to rape victims upon request. Emergency contraception has been available for 25 years. Its effectiveness is enhanced the sooner
it is administered, preferably within 72 hours of unprotected sex. Giving women in New York State easier access to EC pills
would result in 122,000 fewer unintended pregnancies and 82,000 fewer
abortions every year and as a result cut health care spending in New York
State by $452 million annually, according to a 2003 study by State
Comptroller Alan Hevesi. “Consider that our State is in the midst of a fiscal
crisis,” remarked Senator Krueger, “and that we still face a budget shortfall of at least $4.5 billion. Now consider that if we had passed the
emergency contraception bill yesterday that we could have cut close to half a
million dollars from the deficit. The
numbers indicate to me that we made a big mistake.” Currently, women in New York State face barriers to
obtaining EC, as the law requires a traditionally licensed source, such as a
physician, a certified nurse practitioner or a certified nurse midwife to
prescribe EC. This bill would allow
New York State pharmacists and registered nurses to dispense EC from a
non-patient specific order written by a licensed provider, bypassing the
frequent difficulties encountered in obtaining medical appointments at
offices with limited hours, long waits and inconvenient locations. On December 16, 2003, a joint hearing of the FDA
Nonprescription Drugs and Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committees voted
24-3 to recommend that the FDA make emergency contraception available over
the counter. Virtually all major
medical and health care organizations, including the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), support the move. Unfortunately, the FDA announced last
month that it would delay it decision on over the counter status for the
emergency contraceptive Plan B. Advocates
of Plan B say that the delay is politically motivated and is a result of a
letter that of 49 members of Congress sent to President Bush that claimed
that making EC accessible could lead to increased sexual behavior and
sexually transmitted infections among teenagers. “One day the leadership of New York State will look back
and wonder why it took so long for emergency contraception to become
accessible and commonplace,” stated Senator Krueger. “Until that time, I will continue to fight
for women’s health initiatives, including over the counter access to
emergency contraception.” -30- |
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