Planned Parenthood Applauds Move to Ensure Access to Emergency Contraception for Military Women and Families
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
The Obama administration made the right decision this week when it decided to ensure that emergency contraception will be made available to women in the armed forces at all hospitals and health centers on U.S. military bases around the world.
“We applaud the Pentagon for ensuring that every woman honorably serving our country and the spouses of military personnel stationed around the world will have access to the same basic reproductive health care available to women in the United States,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “For far too long, politics trumped medical reason. This latest decision is certainly another step toward ensuring every woman has the ability to prevent unintended pregnancy and plan healthy families.”
In November, the Pentagon’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee recommended that emergency contraception (EC) be offered on the list of medications made available to service members overseas. Yesterday the Pentagon announced that EC will be made available at all hospitals and health centers on military bases around the world.
EC contains hormones that prevent unintended pregnancy when started within 120 hours of unprotected intercourse. The sooner EC is administered, the better it works, giving women serving our country better access to comprehensive health care.
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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.