Public Advocate's Corner

A Victory for Accessing Low-Cost Contraceptives

A new provision that will make birth control more affordable for college-aged and low-income women was included in the fiscal year 2009 omnibus spending bill President Obama signed into law last week.

The provision will restore an exemption from Medicaid pricing that allows young women (at college health clinics, Planned Parenthood offices, and other family-planning centers) to access low-priced contraceptives. The price break was originally eliminated in 2005 through the Deficit Reduction Act.

In December of 2007, Public Advocate Gotbaum called on members of the House to co-sponsor legislation that would allow college students and low-income women to have access to affordable contraceptives. At that time, she sent letters to all the NYC House representatives, stating that "Congress should take steps to improve access to affordable birth control to support efforts to encourage young people to be responsible for their reproductive health." Read the Full Letter to NYC Reps re Birth Control [pfd].

Taking (Birth) Control: Progress and Problems in Access to Contraception at City Clinics

In New York City, more than 80 percent of teen pregnancies are accidental. In 2006 alone, 24,373 girls age 15 to 19 became pregnant in New York City, a rate of 95.4 per 1,000. More than 15,000 of these pregnancies were aborted, and nearly 8,600 unplanned babies were born. 

A follow-up report released by Public Advocate Gotbaum today found that same-day pickup of emergency contraception at DOHMH STD clinics has decreased since 2007 by almost 18 %. DOHMH clinics still fail to provide an extra package of EC upon request at every single one of their locations.

But there's good news. Read more here.

Protecting a Woman's Right to Reproductive Health Services

Last week, the Public Advocate sent a letter to the United States Department of Health and Human Services urging them to reconsider the proposed Provider Conscience Regulation - a regulation that would severely limit women's access to reproductive health services. This regulation would interfere with women's access to basic health care services by allowing health care professionals to refuse services which conflict with their "religious beliefs or moral convictions" – services like emergency contraception for rape victims, insurance coverage for contraceptive services and birth control at pharmacies. Current federal employment law, Title VII, already protects the religious beliefs of all employees, including health care providers.

Read the full text of the letter here: Download letter_re_provider_regs.pdf

Betsy Gotbaum has long been a champion of women’s rights -- working hard to improve services for women over her two terms as Public Advocate. In 2003, she teamed up with NARAL NY and successfully lobbied the Health and Hospitals Corporation to institute an abortion training program for its medical staff and create separate facilities for women undergoing this procedure. Last year, she forced 100% of City Hospitals to prepare information for prospective mothers about c-section rates, epidurals, episiotomies, and other vital maternity information as required by state law. Her investigation into the lack of availability of the HPV vaccine – which prevents cervical cancer – led the city to make the vaccine available at all immunization clinics. 

Concerned about the proposed Provider Conscience Regulation?
Send comments opposing this regulation today to the Department of Health and Human Services at consciencecomment@hhs.gov.

Please post your thoughts here.