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Fast Facts
Emergency Contraception (EC)
What is emergency contraception and why is it important to women's health? |
Emergency contraception (EC), often referred to as the "morning-after" pill, contains the same active ingredients as ordinary birth control pills and can significantly reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant if taken soon after sex. EC can prevent pregnancy; it has no effect on an existing pregnancy. It may be used when other birth control methods fail or are not used, such as when women are sexually assaulted. In August 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency contraceptive Plan B® for over-the-counter sales for individuals aged 18 and over. However, many women do not know about EC, and anti-choice groups and activists frequently resist efforts to improve access to the medication. |
CURRENT STATE LAWS21 states have 32 laws and/or policies that improve women's access to EC: AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OK, OR, SC, VT, WA.
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14 states have laws that increase sexual-assault survivors' access to EC or information about EC in hospitals: AR, CA, CO, CT, IL, MA, MN, NJ, NM, NY, OR, SC, WA, WI.
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9 states allow pharmacists to provide EC to any woman without a prescription: AK, CA, HI, ME, MA, NH, NM, VT, WA.
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8 states provide Medicaid coverage of over-the-counter EC: HI, IL, MD, NJ, NY, OK, OR, WA. |
2007 STATE LEGISLATION21 states and the District of Columbia considered 50 measures that would allow women greater access to EC: AZ, AR, CO, CT, DC, FL, HI, IL, MN, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, WV, WI.
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18 states and the District of Columbia considered 33 measures that would ensure that sexual-assault survivors receive access to EC or information about EC in hospitals: AZ, AR, CO, CT, DC, FL, HI, MN, MO, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, WV, WI.
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Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Oregon enacted laws improving sexual-assault survivors' access to information and/or EC in hospitals.
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3 states considered 5 measures that would allow pharmacists to provide EC to women without a prescription: IL, NJ, NY.
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2 states considered 4 measures that would provide Medicaid coverage of over-the-counter EC: HI, NY. |
2007 FEDERAL LEGISLATIONLawmakers have sponsored several pieces of pro-choice legislation related to emergency contraception, including bills to ensure that EC is offered to sexual-assault survivors in hospitals, and to make EC available to women in the military. Unfortunately, anti-choice lawmakers blocked these bipartisan measures to increase women's access to EC. |
| For a map of all states with Emergency Contraception (EC) - click here. | |
