Our Legislative Priorities
Every year in the spring the Florida Legislature convenes in Tallahassee for 60 days. During their annual legislative session 120 Representatives and 40 Senators enact laws that affect every Floridian.
The Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates (FAPPA) is the voice for reproductive justice in Tallahassee. FAPPA's lobbyist, individual affiliate Chief Executive Officers, public affairs staff, volunteers and supporters can often be found in Florida’s capitol working with Legislators on issues of reproductive healthcare.
Also during the legislative session Florida Planned Parenthood affiliates participate in “Lobby Days”. This event brings Planned Parenthood staff, activists and supporters from across the state to actively lobby the Florida Senate and House. For more information on "Lobby Days" contact Planned Parenthood of North Central Florida at 352-377-0856.
Below are our legislative priorities for 2008.
.JPG)
SUPPORT THE PREVENTION FIRST ACT
Put Prevention First!
Reduce the Need for Abortion by Preventing Unintended Pregnancies
The best way to reduce the need for abortion is to prevent unintended pregnancies. The Prevention First Act is legislation that will significantly reduce the need for abortion by helping women and families prevent unintended pregnancies through increasing access to health care, including contraception.
Provides compassionate care to rape survivors
The Prevention First Act requires health care practitioners and facilities to provide compassionate care to rape survivors including information and access to emergency birth control.
Emergency Birth Control (EC) is simply a higher dose of the hormones found in regular birth control pills. EC can be taken within 120 hours of unprotected sex and is 89% effective when taken within the first 72 hours.
Emergency Birth Control is NOT the abortion pill (RU-486/Mifepristone) and will not harm or terminate an existing pregnancy.
Protects the right to access to birth control
The Prevention First Act codifies the right to access birth control by stating that contraception is not abortion and shall not be treated as such in the law.
Ninety-eight percent of sexually active women in the U.S. use contraceptives at some point during their lifetimes.
Overall, 62% of the 62 million women aged 15-44 are currently using a contraceptive method.
The typical U.S. woman wants only 2 children. To achieve this goal, she must use contraceptives for roughly 3 decades of her life.
Protect patients right to get valid and lawful prescriptions filled
The Prevention First Act requires pharmacies to ensure that lawful prescription and over-the-counter contraceptives are dispensed to customers without discrimination or delay.
Pharmacies are on the frontlines of our health care system. Health-related decisions made by providers should be based on the welfare and health-care needs of the patient — not the biases or personal beliefs of the caregivers.
Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of American voters including 73 percent of Catholic voters believe that a pharmacist should NOT be allowed to refuse to fill a prescription based on moral or religious objection.
Visit the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates website for more informationon the Prevention First Act!
Protect Florida’s Teens
The Healthy Teens Act protects Florida’s teens by requiring that public schools receiving state funding provide comprehensive, medically-accurate, and age-appropriate factual information when teaching about sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, family planning, or pregnancy.
Parents and teachers agree that youth need comprehensive sex education that is age-appropriate, including the facts that help protect them from diseases that threaten their health.
73% of Floridians believe public schools should teach a comprehensive sex education program.
90% of Florida teachers feel sex education should be taught in schools.
The Healthy Teens Act Promotes Communication and Responsible Decision-Making
Comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as the only certain way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; encourages family communication about sexuality; and teaches skills for making responsible decisions, including how to avoid unwanted verbal, physical, and sexual advances and how not to make unwanted verbal, physical, and sexual advances.
Responsible sex education programs do not increase sexual activity, but studies demonstrate they can help young people delay sexual activity and increase contraceptive use among those who are sexually active, as well as decrease the number of partners among those who are sexually active.
It is irresponsible to withhold information from teens that can protect them from unintended pregnancy and dangerous infections — and that may just save their lives.
Florida’s Teens Need to be Safe & Informed
In Florida, AIDS-related illnesses are the 9th leading cause of death for teens and teens report 31% of all newly acquired cases of sexually transmitted infections.
Florida has the 2nd highest AIDS case rate in the country, with 4,960 new AIDS cases in 2005 and 100,809 cases overall.
Florida has the 6th highest syphilis rate of any state, with 724 reported cases in 2005.
Florida has the 6th highest teen pregnancy rate and each year 48,440 teens get pregnant.
In 2005, 12% of female high school students and 21% of male high school students in Florida reported having had four or more lifetime sexual partners.
For more information visit the Campaign for Healthy Teens website!
|
