Contact: Giovanna Rossi
(505) 620-6030
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 29, 2005
Bush Administration Broken Promise on ‘Morning-After Pill’ Highlights Need for Information in New Mexico
(Albuquerque, NM) – Giovanna Rossi, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico, issued the following statement in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s refusal yet again to decide whether American women should be allowed to purchase Plan B, or the “morning-after pill,” over the counter. The morning-after pill is an emergency contraceptive that significantly reduces a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant after sex or sexual assault.
This delay highlights the need for women in New Mexico to have information about availability of the “morning-after pill”. In New Mexico, a pharmacist can take a two hour training in order to write prescriptions, allowing women to access the pill faster than if she had to make an appointment to see her doctor. The pills are also available at Department of Health offices statewide. “Many women do not know this option is available and that they can get it directly from public health office and certain pharmacies,” stated Giovanna Rossi. Pharmacy information is available at www.prochoicenm.org.
The Bush administration explicitly promised the U.S. Senate that the FDA would stop dragging its feet and issue a decision by September 1. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) secured this written promise last month as part of an agreement to lift their hold on the nomination of Lester Crawford to the post of FDA commissioner.
NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico is a state leader in the effort to give women better access to the morning-after pill. NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico lobbied for and passed a bill that requires emergency rooms to offer the pill to rape survivors, and posts information on its website (www.prochoicenm.org) about which pharmacies will write or fill prescriptions for Plan B.
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