For Immediate Release:

December 12, 2007

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

Landmark Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill Passes Assembly
Rape Victims Will Finally Receive the Care They Deserve in Every Wisconsin Emergency Room

Madison, WI- After six years of testifying, lobbying and motivating fellow activists statewide, rape survivors enjoyed a moment of victory last night by accomplishing something many told them was impossible: they made Wisconsin a better place for women by helping the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Bill (Assembly Bill 377/Senate Bill 129) become law in Wisconsin. The bill, which passed in the Assembly by a vote of 56 to 41, codifies the medical standard of care for victims of rape by ensuring that rape victims learn about emergency contraception (EC) in every Wisconsin hospital emergency room and receive the medication upon request to prevent pregnancy following assault. The Assembly will cast a final procedural vote on the bill in January when the bill returns to the Senate for reconsideration because of a small technical amendment.

A last ditch effort by anti-birth control forces to stop the bill with several amendments failed. These amendments would have stopped the bill altogether.

While American Medical Association guidelines promote increased access to EC for rape victims, a recent Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Coalition study showed that only one-third of Wisconsin hospitals currently provide EC to rape victims on an unconditional basis. According to survivor Barb Wise, she had no choice but to spend the last several years working to change that.

“Our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends deserve far better than what they’ve been receiving. Their options should have never been at the whim of the particular health care providers they encountered. Their options should never have been limited by the particular religious or moral beliefs of emergency room staff, pharmacists or other health care providers, who may not agree with the options or choose it for themselves,” said Wise. “A standard of care should mean something.”

“I have worked very hard to reassemble the sense of self that was shattered the night I was attacked,” said Amanda Harrington, a rape survivor who also spoke out on behalf of Compassionate Care. “I can only imagine how much harder my struggle would have been had that crucial choice about emergency contraception been made for me.”

“Telling rape victims about EC and dispensing it upon their request is the standard of care, and it was ignored by too many hospitals for too long,” said PPAWI Public Policy Director Chris Taylor. “As an organization, we have been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with these brave survivors, who were determined to right this wrong. Thanks to these advocates and the leadership of Representatives Terry Musser and Mark Pocan in the Assembly and Senator Judy Robson, rape victims will finally receive the humane, comprehensive, compassionate care they deserve in every Wisconsin emergency room. A big thank you to these leaders who made the adoption of this bill possible. We look forward to the final procedural vote on the bill in January and finally getting this bill into law.”

To learn how you can become an activist and improve Wisconsin women’s access to health care, please visit www.ppawi.org. Together, we really can make a difference.

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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