Memorandum in Support

S.3661 Sen. Spano/A.116 Asm. Paulin

The New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers supports every woman's right to exercise reproductive choice, and to access Emergency Contraception (EC) as a safe and effective means of preventing an unintended pregnancy. NASW-NYS supports A.116/S.3661 known as the Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act, which authorizes nurses and pharmacists to dispense EC.

EC has been proven a safe and effective means of preventing an unintended pregnancy, used as backup for a consistent birth control regimen. A higher dosage of regular birth control pills, EC prevents pregnancy. It does not function as an abortifacent and should not be confused with mifepristone (RU-486), which terminates a pregnancy. If a woman is already pregnant and takes EC, it will not disrupt the pregnancy or harm the fetus. EC must be taken within seventy-two hours of contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse to be effective, and its effectiveness decreases with every hour within that time frame.

Research published by the Alan Guttmacher Institute reveals that in 2000, approximately 51,000 pregnancies that would have ended in abortion were prevented with the use of EC. The Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act allows women to rely upon local pharmacies, which are generally open later and located closer to home than healthcare facilities, to access EC. Pharmacists are trained professionals who are qualified to counsel consumers and responsibly distribute EC.

According to research conducted during an EC pilot project in Washington State, many unintended pregnancies occur on weekends when healthcare providers' offices are typically closed or the hours of operation limited. Delaying access to EC may interfere with a woman's ability to prevent unintended conception. Under the Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act, any woman will be able to keep EC, or a non-patient specific prescription for emergency EC, at hand so that immediate action can be taken should her regular birth control regimen fail.

Unintended pregnancies introduce many complicated ethical questions; those resulting from rape are yet more difficult to reconcile. Women must be given every opportunity to make choices that fit within their own unique moral, social, and spiritual frameworks. This sovereignty is critical to the survivor's mental, physical, and emotional well being, not only immediately following the crisis but also throughout her lifetime.

The New York State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers urges the Legislature to support A.116/S.3661 thereby protecting every woman's right to access Emergency Contraception.

Click here to read the Governors Veto Statement