COLORADO VOTERS DEFEAT DANGEROUS AMENDMENT AND PUT WOMEN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY FIRST
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) stands with voters in Colorado who resoundingly rejected by a three to one margin a ballot initiative that would have eliminated a woman’s ability to make personal, private decisions about her health care.
Amendment 48 sought to grant legal rights to a fertilized egg. It could have banned all abortions and could have been used to block stem cell research and in vitro fertilization, among other reproductive health services. It could even have prevented doctors from providing lifesaving care to a woman if the medical treatment needed could harm a fertilized egg, and it could have triggered government investigations into miscarriages. Amendment 48 would have seriously endangered women’s health and family privacy.
“This rejection by voters of Amendment 48 sends a clear message: personal, private health care decisions should be made by women, their doctors, and their families, not by politicians,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “We need government policies that improve access to health care, not take it away.”
Planned Parenthood will continue to work to protect women’s health and safety by providing affordable, high-quality health care, including family planning services, cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, abortion services, and information and education.
###
Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.
Source
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Contact
Published
November 05, 2008
Updated
May 14, 2014