U.S. EC Restrictions are Nothing New to Women Overseas
Washington DC - August 8, 2005A debate is emerging in the United States over the availability of and access to emergency contraception. But for women in developing countries – whose access to this critical family planning method has been hindered for years by restrictive U.S. policies – this debate is hardly new.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s and New York Governor George Pataki’s vetoes of state legislation to expand women’s access to emergency contraception simply mirror the Bush Administration’s refusal to approve this contraceptive method for over-the-counter use, even though it has been scientifically proven to be safe and effective for most women. Rather than help diffuse it, the Administration exacerbates the misconception that emergency contraception is abortion, and in doing so, justifies its refusal to allocate family planning assistance funds specifically for the provision of emergency contraception to women overseas.
Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy by stopping implantation – one of the ways in which regular oral contraceptives can work – and it is vital to women here and abroad who are forced into unprotected sexual situations, who experience failure of other contraceptive means, or who do not have access to other forms of contraception. When made available as part of a comprehensive suite of family planning services, in both advanced and developing societies, emergency contraception can help enable women to regain control of emergency situations, and in turn, of the choices that affect their lives.
Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.
