For more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has helped women and families prevent unintended pregnancies and plan strong, healthy families. The Ohio Prevention First Act is a signature piece of legislation that focuses on the prevention of unintended pregnancies.
Pulitzer Prize winning writer Connie Schultz speaks to Ohio women during The Prevention First Act lobby day 2009
Why Does Ohio Need Prevention First?
Voters in Ohio overwhelmingly support access to contraception, and public funding of contraception for low income women. Moreover, providing more access to contraceptives is viewed by Ohioans as more effective in reducing the number of abortions than enacting more restrictive abortion laws.-
This timely initiative will result in better health and well-being for all Ohioans.
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In Ohio, 1.3 million women are in need of family planning services and 666,670 women are in need of state funded family planning services.
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Ohio ranks 48th among states in public funding of contraceptive services.
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Ohio has the 28th highest teen pregnancy rate in the United States.
What the Ohio Prevention First Act will do.
After having been introduced in 2006 and again in the 2007-08 legislative session, the Ohio Prevention First Act has been re-introduced in the 128th General Assembly and includes the following provisions:- Forbid a health insurance company from limiting or excluding coverage for FDA-approved prescription contraception if the policy covers other prescription drugs or devices.
- Ensure that sexual assault victims have access to emergency contraception and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases in all hospital emergency rooms.
- Create a state teen pregnancy task force that would recommend medically accurate and scientifically proven effective programs for reducing Ohio’s teen pregnancy rate.
- If a school district offers any sexual health education programming, then it must be comprehensive, age-appropriate, medically-accurate, and abstinence-inclusive in order to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
- Require a pharmacy to dispense any prescribed drug, device or over-the-counter medication in stock without delay or judgment.
- Require the Ohio Department of Health to create materials to educate medical professionals and the general public about emergency contraception and to make them available on their website.
How you can help - Write a Letter to the Editor!
Show your support - Sign the Petition!
Ohio Prevention First also includes the following "Break Out" Bills:
- The Act for Our Children’s Future
- The Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act
- Contraceptive Equity
