Betty Boyd
For State Senate
Reproductive Health Care
Reproductive health care encompasses much more than access to a safe, legal abortion, and decisions about reproductive care should lie with a woman, medical staff, family and any other support system she has. I have worked each year I have been in the Legislature to prevent unintended pregnancy to reduce the need for that difficult solution.
Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception, also known as the “morning-after” pill, prevents pregnancy simply by introducing a concentrated dose of ordinary birth-control pills. For victims of sexual assault, this form of birth control can be the difference between unwanted pregnancy and the beginning of healing. In 2007, I carried, the Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, legislation mandating that information about emergency contraception must be given to victims of sexual assault by emergency room staff as a routine part of sexual assault examination.
Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority
Given the time-sensitive nature of taking emergency contraception, in states where pharmacists can prescribe emergency contraception, abortion rates have dropped significantly because women have access to emergency contraception on nights and weekends, when doctors’ offices may be closed. In 2006, I introduced, and the Legislature passed, legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe the “morning-after” pill in a timely way to prevent unintended or unwanted pregnancy, thus allowing women to make decisions about happy, healthy families.
