Advocacy Project: Emergency Contraception 101

Emergency Contraception 101

Purpose:

To provide education for people who are interested in knowing more about emergency contraception. Educating others' on this would help lower pregnancy rates, abortion, and adoption processes. It is also very important for both men and women to know where emergency contraception is readily available just in case of an accident.

-Read 10 Common Myths, Misunderstandings, and big Ol' Lies About Emergency Contraception to learn about common myths associated with emergency contraception (EC)

-Learn more about Emergency Contraception from Planned Parenthood. They are a great agency that offer many resources for people of all ages. (Hint Hint)

-Go to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and play the Method Match activity. You choose 4 different methods of birth control and it compares the cost, effectiveness, side effects, prevention of STI's, and etc. It is very informative!

Instructions:

• After reading 10 Common Myths, Misunderstandings, and big Ol' Lies About Emergency Contraception, please list 3 myths and why they are false.

• Next, do some research and find & list 3 places you could go to obtain emergency contraception in Duluth, MN.

Emergency contraception is a safe, effective way to prevent a pregnancy from occurring in the event of an accident. Hopefully after doing some research you can decide for yourself if this is something you would ever choose to use.

Advocacy Project: Letter and Fact Sheet

December 5, 2010

Amy Klobuchar

U.S. Senate

302 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

VOTE YES ON H.R. 5561: EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION EDUCATION ACT OF 2010

The proposed bill on educating others' about emergency contraception use is very important. Emergency contraception would significantly lower the rates of teen or unwanted pregnancies. Instead of aborting the baby or having to go through the adoption process, ovulation would never occur. As a soon to be health educator I feel every person should know there are options out there if an accident were to ever happen. The use of this pill would help lower the cost of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies.

This act would provide education to people who are interested in knowing more about emergency contraception. Educating others' on this would help lower pregnancy rates, abortion, and adoption processes. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), "Nealy half (49%) of the more than 6 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned". Also, the effectiveness for emergency contraception can be as high as to 89 percent (ACOG 2010). Mistakes and accidents happen so lets inform people there are options out there to help.

Opponents of this bill may say emergency contraception is abortion or parents/guardians may feel it will be an incentive for kids to be sexually active. Kids will do whatever they want to do. Parents and guardians need to face the reality that they cannot be there for every part of their children's lives so we need to have another plan, like education. If we are able to educate kids or people in general, they will know they have this option and can choose for themselves whether to use it or not. Also, emergency contraception is not abortion. It stops ovulation so the sperm and egg do not meet. With the use of education, we can reach out to many people and provide them with resources to meet their needs.

I appreciate your support on health care, education, and family and children. Family planning is very important in all three of these groups. I hope you realize how important this is for people out there and vote "yes" to H.R. 5561. If I could provide you with any other information, please contact me.

Alicia

Emergency Contraception Use

Fact Sheet

What is Emergency Contraception?

Emergency contraception, also called the morning-after pill, is a pill that prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex. It can be started up to five days after intercourse.

When should you use emergency contraception?

• condom broke or slipped off, and he ejaculated in you
• you forgot to take your birth control, you are not on birth control, or birth control was ineffective (e.g. ring fell out, diaphragm slipped out of place)
• miscalculated your "safe" days"
• you were forced to have unprotected sex or were raped

How does emergency contraception work?

Emergency contraception is made of progestin, one of the hormones found in birth control pills. The hormone in the morning-after pill keeps the ovaries from releasing an egg so sperm and the egg never meet. This pill also thickens the cervical mucus, which blocks the sperm and egg from joining.

How effective is emergency contraception?

There are many different brands of emergency contraception. Some of the more popular brands are Plan B One-Step, Ella, and Next Choice. These brands reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent when started within three days of unprotected intercourse. This is effective up until five days after intercourse but gets less effective as time goes on.

How safe is emergency contraception?

The morning-after pill is safe. It does not have the same risks as taking ongoing birth control because this is made for a one-time use.

What are the disadvantages of emergency contraception?

There can be side effects while using the morning-after pill. Nausea and throwing up are the most common side effects. However, many women feel fine after taking it. Other side effects of the morning-after pill may include:

• breast tenderness
• irregular bleeding
• dizziness
• period may become irregular (come earlier or later, last longer or shorter)

Where can you get emergency contraception?

Emergency contraception is available from drugstores, clinics, or outlook clinics. Women and men older than 17 do not need a prescription. If you are younger than 17 you will need to go to a health center like a clinic to get a prescription. Places like Planned Parenthood or outlook clinics are a convenient and fast way to receive the morning-after pill. They are also able to bill most insurance companies if you do not have sufficient funds to pay for it.

Information provided by Planned Parenthood

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:

Healthy People 2010 want to: Increase the proportion of family planning agencies that offer emergency contraception (9.5)

Thomas wants to pass bill H.R. 5561 Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2010

I decided to focus on emergency contraception use. I think everyone needs to be aware of the options that are out there for them. Receiving education will give them the knowledge to make the best decisions for themselves.

Who is affected by the issue?

Many people and places will be affected by emergency contraceptive use. People and places that could potentially be affected would be sexually active people, places involved in family planning like Planned Parenthood, hospitals, and clinics. Most sexually active people will be affected by emergency contraceptive use. Whether you are the girl or women who could become pregnant or the boy or man who could become a father you are equally affected. This also effects organizations like Planned Parenthood or hospitals/clinics because they need to be just as educated about contraceptive use so they can give reliable information.

Who is affected most?

The people who are affected most by emergency contraceptive use and education would be the women who have the option of taking it. There are too many unwanted pregnancies in the United States. Women should have the choice to have a baby or prevent it. Emergency contraceptive education and resources would give girls or women the option of having a baby when they are ready. Just because education is given does not mean they have to use this product it would be just for their information.

Who loses and what do they lose?

Women who have an unplanned pregnancy and the father of the baby would lose a lot. Depending on their age, they would lose different things. Teenage parents would lose their life. Most teenage parents struggle for years because of all the items babies need. Many do not finish high school, they break up, experience high levels of stress, or lose friends or family. Older women may not have the resources to support a child either. Many loses come with unplanned pregnancies because of exactly what I just said....they are unplanned.

Who gains and what do they gain?

Women who use emergency contraceptives and do not get pregnant gain from this. They were able to receive education on the use of this pill and then find the resources to get it. Most hopefully knew the benefits and consequences before using the pill. Men also gain from contraceptive use. Even though they are not the ones using this they should be aware of what it is and that it is out there. Men and women who are not prepared to be parents should know where to go and how to use it so there are less pregnancies.

What are the consequences of the issue?

For Individuals:
Unplanned pregnancies will keep rising if people do not have the education on emergency contraceptives or resources to get them. Instead of preventing the process of implantation more women will have abortions or give their children up for adoption. (Do not get me wrong adoption is a great thing but it can be a very long process for kids to get adopted so most end up in a foster home for period of time.) Having a baby is also very expense. The cost for new parents usually causes a lot of stress and hardship for them.

For the families:
Depending on the age of the females the families could experience some consequences. Parents or guardians may not approve of emergency contraceptives. If they received proper education on the benefits of its use they may feel better about letting their kids use it. Also, if teenagers end up getting pregnant many times the parents are the ones that bare some of the responsibilities for the child because their kids are unable to raise it.

For Society:
In our society we have many unplanned pregnancies. We all bare the cost for this with our tax dollars. Instead of having unplanned, unwanted kids we should put more time and effort towards education and resources to preventing them. All family planning agencies should be able to administer emergency contraceptives as long as the people receiving this are given some education beforehand. Also, our foster-care homes are suffering. There are starting to become too full or do not have enough money or other resources to sustain the kids they have now.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

The cost of educating those about emergency contraceptive use does not even compare to the cost of unplanned pregnancies. The cost of having a baby, giving it up for adoption, or having an abortion are more expensive to the family or society than giving out information on taking a pill that cost between 30 and 50 dollars that will prevent a pregnancy. Most of the time the pill does not cost you anything as long as you have insurance. Society ends up footing out a lot of money for children because when they are put into foster homes or on assistance programs part of our tax dollars go to supporting them. Our society would benefit from having less people on assistance programs or children in foster homes because then we would have more money to put towards health insurance or other programs that benefit people.

What is the social impact of this issue?

Some social impacts that could result because of this issue could be the thought that more people will be sexually active because there is a pill that will prevent pregnancy. Hopefully with the proper education people will know this should not be used as a permanent form of birth control. Another issue could be whether parents will let their kids use this. Women may also be afraid to use it because of what people may think of them.

What are the barriers?

Barriers to this issue are getting people to support this and finding the money to support it. Parents may oppose the use of this because it could give the impression it is okay to have sex because there is a way to avoid pregnancy. Also pro-choice people are viewing this as a form of abortion so they do not support it. Some people are under the impression that because this pill is readily available more kids will want to have sex because there are ways to avoid pregnancy.

To overcome these issues we need to educate. We need to show people that this pill does not terminate a baby or cause harm to ones' body. Emergency contraceptives prevent the process of implantation so no baby is actually made. Receiving education and having the resources to get more information should help people feel better about making the decision to using contraceptives or not.

What are the resources?

The main resource we have is education. Communities need to be informed on how emergency contraceptives work. By going through a community meeting, getting hand outs, or talking to public health nurses people will be able to get the proper education on how to use these. People will then be able to address any concerns or questions they have and get reliable answers. This resource could be tapped by going through clinics, hospitals, or agencies like Planned Parenthood who could receive grant money from the government.

What is the history of this issue?

I found an article from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) stating that they are stepping up efforts to get emergency contraception to women. This article was released on May 8th, 2006. From personal experience within the last few years the amount of information regarding emergency contraceptives has increased from the use of hand-outs, posters, and discussion with health professionals.

Allies and Opponents

People that would support this would be most people in the health field (doctors, nurses, health educators). If unplanned pregnancies can be avoided without harming the person or aborting a baby this would be the method of choice.

People who would oppose this would be some doctors or nurses and pro-choice activists. Some doctors or nurses would oppose this because there has not been any studies that go back long enough to see if there are any long-term effects. There has also been the controversy about hormones in birth control increasing breast cancer in women. Pro-choice activists are also arguing that using emergency contraceptives is just like abortion, when in reality it is not the same at all. To create a common ground between allies and opponents I think all women should have to talk to a nurse or doctor or go to a meeting to receive information about emergency contraceptives so they are fully aware of what they are taking.

Recommendations:

I think policy holders should vote yes for this bill because it is a safe way to lower the number of unwanted, unplanned pregnancies. Emergency contraceptives provide a second chance for those who happen to have an accident.

Resources:

Planned Parenthood, American Association for Health Education (AAHE), Women's Rights, Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP), American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG), THOMAS

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

After looking over the topics in Healthy People 2010 I decided to focus on Family Planning because it is such a controversial issue in the United States. It is very important for family planning agencies to offer emergency contraceptives. The only way to lower the number of unintended pregnancies is to educate those about contraceptive use or abstinence. This area also catches my attention because I think it would be a great job to interact and educate others on precautions to take when or if they want to become sexually active. The specific objective I chose to focus on is to increase the proportion of family planning agencies that offer emergency contraception.

Revised Objective Increase the proportion of family planning agencies that offer emergency contraception. Target: 90 percent. Baseline: 80 percent of family planning agencies offered emergency contraception in 1999. Target setting method: 13 percent improvement. Data source: The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Update on the progress:
According to the Progress Quotient Chart, this objective has actually moved away from its target of 90 percent. Between 1999 and 2003 it had actually moved away from the target by 10 percent.
9-5. Emergency contraception provided by family planning agencies (1999, 2003)

-10% - Moved away from target

The progress has been moving away from the target so more effort needs to be put toward this goal.

I was also not able to find any information about the disparities or opportunities and challenges.

Emerging Issues: It is hard to know when a person feels the pregnancy was intended or unintended. Using feelings towards pregnancy is a better way to understand how the women or couple feels about contraceptives and birth care. They are also questioning how you can decide what "pregnancy preparation" really means.

THOMAS BILL
39. H.R.5561 : Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2010
Sponsor: Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] (introduced 6/17/2010) Cosponsors (30)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 6/17/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Recommendation: Vote yes for H.R. 5561Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2010. Everyone should be educated on the advantages and disadvantages of emergency contraception. This is also a way to regulate unplanned pregnancies to women who are not ready for children.

My political representatives: Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken

Source for picture: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France License. You are free: to share or to remix

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

My Political Representatives:

President: Barack Obama (Democrat)

Contact Info:
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Contact Page





U.S. Senator: Al Franken (Democrat)
Contact Info:
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone:
(DC): 202-224-5641
(Duluth) 218-722-2390
Contact Page

U.S. Senator: Amy Klobuchar (Democrat)
Contact Info:
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3244
Contact

Governor: Mark Dayton (DFL)
Contact Info:
800 Minnehaha Avenue East, Suite 201
St. Paul, MN 55106
(651) 797-3600 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Contact

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U.S. Representative: Chip Cravaack
Contact Info:
Cravaack for Congress Campaign Committee P.O. Box 951
North Branch, MN 55056-0951
651.317.9245
Will be starting the new term
Contact

State (House): Tim Faust (DFL)
Contact Info:
567 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-0518
Contact

State (Senate): Tony Lourey (DFL)
Contact Info:
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Capitol Building, Room 303
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
651.296.0293
Contact

City mayor of Mora, MN: Greg Ardner
Contact Info:
611 Watkins Street
Mora, MN 55051
Phone: +13206794890
Email
Contact Page

City Council Members:

Dave Chmiel
Contact Info:
City Hall: 101 Lake Street South
Mora, MN 55051-1588
City Hall #: 320.679.1511

Mark Gravich
Contact Info:
Home: 573 Walnut Street South
Mora, MN 55051
Home #: 320.679.4235

Beth Hallin
Contact Info:
Home: 185 Riverside Street
Mora, MN 55051
Cell #: 612.390.1386

Mike Johnson
Contact Info:
Home: 747 Sunset Lane
Mora, MN 55051
Home #: 320.225.0072

Contact Page for all Council Members

Welcome to Out and About with Alicia

Hi I am Alicia! I created this blog for my Environment Health class. My blog is going to be about being environmentally healthy. As you see the title of my blog is Out and About with Alicia and that is because I like to do almost anything, especially if it is outside. If weather permits I am always outside either playing sports, running, walking on the shore of Lake Superior, swimming, or etc! Soon there will be more on my page. Come back and take a look!

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