Emergency Contraception (EC)
The Facts
1 in 7 adult women in Ohio have been victims of one or more completed forcible rapes during their lifetime. (.pdf) Rape is an extremely stressful situation for women, and the fear of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections following the assault increases the stress experienced by the survivors. Fortunately, there are medications that can be taken following the assault that can greatly reduce the chances of pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
Also known as the morning after pill, emergency contraception is a concentrated dose of ordinary birth control which can prevent pregnancy after a contraceptive method fails or after unprotected sex. It is critical to note that emergency contraception is not an abortion pill and will not affect an existing pregnancy.
In 2007, the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation conducted a survey of hospital emergency rooms (.pdf) and their policies toward the distribution of emergency contraception to women. This survey revealed that a sexual assault victim is not guaranteed access to emergency contraception in almost a quarter of Ohio hospitals.
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Refuting the Myths
Emergency contraception is safe and effective to use. (.pdf) EC prevents pregnancy via a course of hormonal contraceptive pills, taken in one- or two-dose regimens. EC is most effective if the first dose is taken within 24 hours after unprotected sex; however, it can be effective up to 5 days after intercourse. If the regimen is started within 24 hours, EC can be 95% effective.
Emergency contraception is not abortion. According to both medical science and legal convention, pregnancy begins only after implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. EC therefore acts to prevent a pregnancy. Studies show that EC has no effect on established pregnancies.
According to the 2010 study "Plan B": How it works, published in Health Progress: Journal of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, EC does not prevent implantation of the early embryo after fertilization has occurred. In other words, Emergency Contraception only prevents a sperm from combining with an egg, but it does not stop a fertilized egg from becoming a baby. Emergency Contraception does not cause an abortion.
The Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act
The CARE Act will make sure that women who need it get access to emergency contraception to prevent a pregnancy caused by a sexual assault. The bill would require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to female victims of sexual assault if they wish to take the medication. It would also require that the hospital provide medically and factually accurate, unbiased written and oral information on emergency contraception to sexual assault victims.
The bill also provides for sexual assault victims fearing sexually transmitted infections by providing them with an assessment of their risk of contracting infections from the assault and counseling them in preventative treatments for possible infections. The hospital would also be required to provide these treatments to the victim if he or she consents.
Currently, the state of Ohio requires emergency rooms to provide information about and dispense EC upon request, yet there is no mechanism in place to enforce this.
No woman should ever have to face the possibility of pregnancy following a sexual assault because she was refused the treatment that could have prevented it. All sexual assault victims should receive comprehensive care following the assault and an overwhelming majority of Americans agree. The CARE Act will work to ensure that every rape survivor will get access to comprehensive medical treatment in hospital emergency rooms following their assault.
TESTIMONY
Elizabeth Williams, Founder and Executive Director of Survivors To Alivers, Inc., is a living testimony of both the painful effects of rape and sexual abuse as well as the often frightening, yet empowering, journey of healing. Ms. Williams testified before the House Health Committee on November 18, 2009 in support of the Ohio Prevention First Act (HB 293) which contains the same language as in the CARE Act.
