Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan 2009-2010 Agenda
2009 is going to be a year of dramatic change on the political landscape. Michigan legislators must work together to create commonsense policies that protect our citizens’ health and safety during this economic crisis.
In this spirit, we call upon Michiganders from both sides of this debate to focus on ways to improve reproductive health care in our state while efficiently saving taxpayer dollars and maintaining a woman’s right to privacy. We challenge members of the Michigan Legislature and citizens of our state to join us in working for public policy included in the Prevention First package that will prevent unintended pregnancies and the spread of STDs and HIV .
The Prevention First campaign includes four of our five legislative priorities:
1) Increased access to reproductive health care and family planning services. Family planning enables responsible decision-making and creates healthy families. The best way to prevent unintended pregnancies and make abortion rare is to make sure that women, couples and teens have information about and access to birth control, which is ensured through the state and federally supported family planning program.
2) Passage of contraceptive equity legislation.
Contraception is basic health care, used by 95% of women at some point in their lives. Contraceptive equity provides women with critical access to birth control they might not otherwise be able to afford, in order to prevent unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. This is an issue of basic fairness and equity. Half of the states in the country have passed contraceptive equity laws that require insurance companies to cover the cost of prescription contraceptives as they would any other prescription drug. Women of reproductive age currently spend 68% more than men in out-of-pocket health care costs. Much of this gender gap in expenses would be eliminated if this legislation were passed. In August, 2006, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission issued a declaratory ruling that failure to cover contraceptives in the same way other prescriptions are covered constitutes sex discrimination.
3) Ensure comprehensive, medically accurate, abstinence-plus sex education.
Abstinence-only education has been supported by the federal government under the Bush administration. However, a number of studies have proven it to be ineffective at reducing teen pregnancy and dangerous in misinforming teens about ways to protect themselves against potentially life-threatening diseases. . Only medically accurate sex education, which includes information about abstinence and birth control, prepares people to make responsible decisions. While Michigan school districts vary vastly in the curriculum they utilize, the majority of the districts do not include a comprehensive approach to sex education. It is time to ensure that schools have a truly comprehensive policy that teaches a broad program designed to prepare adolescents to make responsible decisions.
4) Ensuring access to and education about emergency contraception
Emergency contraception is a birth control method that can reduce unintended pregnancies. Despite its ability to prevent unintended pregnancies, few health care providers and women know of its availability and effectiveness. By requiring health care providers to learn about this birth control method, we could reduce unintended pregnancies in Michigan. In recent years, pharmacists have refused to fill legal valid prescriptions for emergency contraception and even basic birth control based on their own beliefs. Pharmacists should not be able to impose their own beliefs on their customers. We must pass legislation to ensure health care providers fulfill their duty to dispense all legal and valid prescriptions.
In addition to advancing proactive polices to prevent unintended pregnancy through the Prevention First campaign, Planned Parenthood also believes that abortion should remain safe and legal. We believe in supporting women and their families, whatever decision they choose, recognizing that women have the integrity and judgment to make responsible personal decisions.
5) Safeguarding continued access to safe legal abortions.
For many years, the state of Michigan has led the nation in passing anti-choice laws to limit access to abortions through waiting periods, parental consent laws, bans on specific procedures, clinic regulations and the procurement of state-prepared materials. It is time to stop passage of further laws that restrict women’s ability to make their own personal medical decisions. Planned Parenthood believes that access to comprehensive health care is the real solution. Please work with us as we work to achieve these goals.
