VAST MAJORITY OF VOTERS BELIEVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION

Back-up Birth Control’s Time-sensitivity and Women’s Right to Health Information
Are Most Compelling Reasons to Fund National Information Campaign

Washington, DC – Washington, DC – An overwhelming 72% of American voters say they favor federal legislation that would provide the public with information about emergency contraception (EC), according to a recent survey conducted on behalf of the non-profit Reproductive Health Technologies Project. A “back-up” birth control method already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), EC can reduce the risk of pregnancy after unwanted or unprotected sex by up to 89%. Once they are informed about what EC is, voters believe government should play an active role in efforts to raise awareness of EC and its availability in this country.

"When the FDA approved the use of emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy four years ago, it was an important step for women's health," said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). "But the truth is, most people still don't know enough or are confused about EC. It's time for the federal government to promote awareness of emergency contraception, just like we provide women with information about other health options they have, such as exercise and mammograms."

More than 80% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 60% of Republicans favor legislation that would help to expand the public’s knowledge of emergency contraception. Voters consider its narrow window of efficacy – it works best if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex – the most compelling reason for a public health initiative. By two to one, Americans also agree that government involvement is a good idea because EC is an important way to reduce the numbers of unintended pregnancies in the U.S., which now has the highest rate of any country in the industrialized world. More than three-quarters of likely voters say that information about emergency contraception should be made available to both adults and teenagers.

Emergency contraception has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancies by 1.5 million each year and to reduce by half the number of abortions that occur annually in the U.S. However, knowledge and use remain limited: More than 60 percent of those surveyed initially said that they did not know of a product or drug that had been proven safe and effective at preventing pregnancy after sex. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in 2000 found that only 2 percent of women ages 18-44 reported ever using emergency contraceptive pills.

“Women often don’t even know to ask their health care providers about emergency contraception, and many will never hear about it during their routine birth control counseling,” said Kirsten Moore, President of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project. “Who better than the health agencies of the federal government to step in to make sure that the public is aware that this important back-up birth control method is safe, effective, and available today.”

Emergency contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy the same way that daily birth control pills do: by delaying or preventing release of the egg (ovulation), inhibiting fertilization, or preventing implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. They are not to be confused with Mifeprex (also referred to as RU-486 or mifepristone). Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy; it does not terminate an established pregnancy or harm a developing fetus. In fact, emergency contraception will not work if a woman is already pregnant.

In March, Senator Patty Murray and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) introduced the Emergency Contraception Act, which authorizes $10 million a year for five years to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HSRA) to develop and distribute information on EC to the public and to health care providers.

More information on EC is available at www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org

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