Senators introduce Plan B awareness bill
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. and Patty Murray, D-Wash., introduced legislation Sept. 27 to raise awareness about the availability of Plan B emergency contraception, which FDA approved for OTC use last year for individuals ages 18 and over (1"The Tan Sheet" Aug. 28, 2006, p. 3). Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y. introduced companion legislation, H.R. 3372, in August. The proposed program would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a public education program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed to provide information to the public about emergency contraception. According to statistics cited by the lawmakers, one-third of U.S. women of reproductive age are unaware of Plan B's availability, and implementing an educational program will help reduce unintended pregnancies and decrease the number of abortions...