For Immediate Release: May 8, 2007


Media Contact: Andrea Gage
414-213-3717 (cell)

 

Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill Moves Forward in Senate
Advocates applaud bipartisan support for commonsense proposal


Madison, WI - Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) applauds the members of the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Health for their bipartisan support of the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill, Senate Bill 129. On a vote of 6 to 1, SB 129 advanced out of committee and is now eligible for a vote on the Senate floor.

 

Planned Parenthood thanks the following senators for voting favorably on SB 129 to advance the bill out of their committee:

 

Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton)

Senator Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma)

Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee)

Senator Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa)

Senator Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh)

Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield)

 

PPAWI encouraged constituents residing in Senator Mary Lazich's (R-New Berlin) district to express their disappointment in her failure to support a commonsense initiative to prevent unintended pregnancy among victims of rape.

 

The Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill, which would require emergency rooms to tell rape victims about emergency contraception (EC) and dispense it upon request, is also gaining momentum in the Assembly. State Rep. Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls) has been circulating the bill among his colleagues since April 30.

 

"This bill is enjoying bipartisan support in all corners of our state for a fundamental reason--people truly believe that victims of rape should receive comprehensive, compassionate care in the emergency room setting," said PPAWI Director of Public Policy Chris Taylor. "As a state, we understand that a woman shouldn't have to search for the medication on her own, and risk facing even more trauma after something as devastating as a sexual assault."

 

EC is a high concentration of birth control pills that prevents pregnancy if taken within 120 hours of an assault. EC is at least 89 percent effective when taken within 72 hours, making timely access critically important for victims of rape. American Medical Association guidelines promote rape victims' access to EC, but studies show it’s not happening consistently. A 2006 survey of 109 Wisconsin hospital emergency departments shows that only 1/3 of Wisconsin hospitals provide EC on site without exception to rape victims. Forty-two percent do not offer EC at all and another 23 percent offer it but have exceptions to their policy.

 

Rape survivors, victims' rights advocates and members of the community have been calling on the Legislature to pass Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill for the last several sessions. Over the past two years, they have held community hearings in Oshkosh, Eau Claire and Milwaukee, and worked to raise awareness of the medication throughout the state.

 

"We urge all state senators to follow the example of their colleagues in the Health Committee, by listening to rape survivors and passing this important bill," said Taylor. "We must act now, so that no Wisconsin woman will be denied the humane care she deserves."

 

To learn more about EC and the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill, please visit www.ppawi.org.

 

                                                                                               

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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI). The mission of PPWI is to empower all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through direct services, education, and advocacy.  www.ppawi.org