March 2, 2005: Alert - Emergency Care for Rape Survivors - SB1670/HB865 - Thank Sponsors

Dear Friends,

ACLU-TN is excited to be working with the Women's Health Safety Network to lobby for "The Emergency Care for Rape Victims Act of 2005," that would require hospital emergency rooms to provide rape survivors with medically and factually accurate oral and written information about Emergency Contraception (EC), tell them about their right to access EC at the hospital, and dispense EC when requested.

Please thank the wonderful group of legislators listed below for their leadership in sponsoring "The Emergency Care for Rape Victims Act of 2005." We will let you know when it is time to contact your own legislators and urge them to support SB1670/HB865.

House sponsors include:

Representatives Beverly Marrero, Mary Pruitt, Janis Sontany, Edith Langster, Mike Kernell, Michael Turner, Larry Turner, and Sherry Jones. The Senate Sponsor is Senator Stephen Cohen.

Contact information can be found at www.legislature.state.tn.us. Click on Senate or House and then on "Members" to pull up contact information for legislators.

Every day, rape survivors seeking treatment must deal with the risk of pregnancy. Each year, over 600,000 women in the United States are raped, and between 21,000 and 25,000 women become pregnant as a result. An estimated 88% -- almost 22,000 -- of those pregnancies could be prevented if sexual assault survivors had timely access to EC (commonly referred to as 'the morning after pill'). EC is the only contraceptive option for women who have been raped, and is simply a concentrated combination of regular birth control pills. It does NOT cause abortion and will not harm an existing pregnancy. It prevents pregnancy.

Your voice will be important as we pursue this important legislation.

Many thanks for ensuring access to health care for women!

Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director