Throughout the country, many emergency care facilities fail to offer women who’ve been raped the treatment they need to prevent pregnancy and some fail even to inform women seeking care after an assault that such a treatment is available. Emergency contraceptive (EC) pills, sometimes referred to as the “morning-after pill” can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, including rape. The failure of hospitals and other facilities treating rape victims to provide EC unacceptably leaves these women at risk of becoming pregnant as a result of assault.

House Bill 865 and Senate Bill 1670 would require hospitals to provide rape survivors with medically and factually accurate oral and written information about EC, let them know about their right to access EC at the hospital, and dispense EC when requested.

Ensuring Access to Emergency Contraception for Rape Survivors