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Prevention First Act

Our Position: support
Bill Number: S 844
Sponsor: Senator Harry Reid
Legislative Session: 2006

The Prevention First Act is a family planning and women’s health initiative to expand access to preventive reproductive health care services and education programs. It combines seven bills into one complete legislative package that would increase access to contraception and affordable family planning services, reducing the nation’s staggering rates of unintended pregnancy, and improving the health of women, communities, and the environment. Specifically, the bill includes provisions to:

• Increase access to family planning services through the national family planning program, Title X
• Allow states the option of expanding access to Medicaid family planning services
• Ensure that private health plans offer the same level of coverage for contraception as they do for other prescription drugs and services
• Ensure that emergency rooms provide factually accurate information about emergency contraception (EC) and access to EC upon request to women who survive sexual assault
• Provide federal funding for an emergency contraception (EC) public education program
• Provide federal funding for teen pregnancy prevention programs
• Require that all information provided about the use of contraception as part of any federally funded program is medically accurate and includes accurate information about the health benefits and failure rates of contraception

Status

The Prevention First Act was introduced in the Senate on January 24, 2005. For more information, including the full text of the bill and a complete list of co-sponsoring Senators, click here. The bill was introduced in the House on April 19, 2005. For a complete list of co-sponsoring Representatives, click here.

Action Needed

We must build strong bipartisan support for this legislation in the House and Senate to help ensure that all Americans have access to critical health information and services.

• Contact your Senators today and ask them to co-sponsor the Prevention First Act (S 20).
• Click here to find your Senators' contact information.
• Click here for a list of current co-sponsoring Senators. If your Senators are already co-sponsors, write or call to thank them for their leadership on this issue!
• Contact your Representative today and ask him or her to co-sponsor the Prevention First Act (H.R. 1709).
• Click here to find your Representative and his or her contact information. 
• Click here for a list of current co-sponsoring Representatives. If your Representative is already a co-sponsor, write or call to thank them for their leadership on this issue!

Contact

Sarah Fairchild

Global Population and Environment Program Director

sarah.fairchild@sierraclub.org

Background

One of the best ways we can ensure healthy communities here in the U.S. is to advocate for policies and programs that effectively work to reduce unintended pregnancies, by increasing access to a full range of safe, effective, affordable contraceptives and family planning services. Each year, almost half of all the pregnancies in the United States—about three million—are unintended, a high rate among industrialized nations. Of these three million, nearly half end in abortion.

By increasing women's and young people's access to affordable contraception, including emergency contraception (EC—the morning-after pill), and comprehensive sexuality education, the Prevention First Act would enact concrete steps to reduce unintended pregnancies, preventing the need for abortion and improving women’s health. Increased support for comprehensive sex education programs and access to voluntary family planning services are a vital part of the global effort to ensure healthier communities, curb population growth and advance sustainable development solutions.