NARAL Pro-Choice America Endorses Bill to Protect Women's Access to Birth Control

Washington, DC - Today, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, joined Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) at a Capitol Hill news conference to introduce the Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act, a bill to ensure that women receive their birth control at the pharmacy counter. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) will introduce companion legislation in the Senate today.

Carrie Baker, a mother of two from Rome, Georgia who was unable to obtain the emergency contraceptive Plan B® at her local Kroger pharmacy, joined Keenan at the event to reiterate the importance of this legislation.

"I thank Reps. Maloney and Shays and Sen. Lautenberg, for addressing this very fundamental issue," Keenan said. "It should be as easy as ABC: a woman walks into a pharmacy to purchase birth control, she walks out with the medication--without intimidation, harassment or delay. Timely access to birth control is essential to preventing unintended pregnancies. Those who oppose abortion should be working to ensure women's access to birth control, not blocking their access."

Since Baker was refused Plan B® at her local Kroger pharmacy last December, she has worked with NARAL Pro-Choice America and NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia to call on the Kroger Co. to adopt a written, public corporate-wide policy ensuring that its more than 1,900 pharmacies in 31 states stock Plan B® and provide the medication to customers on site without delay or harassment. Currently, the Kroger Co. written policy continues to allow pharmacies to send customers to other locations if a pharmacist refuses to provide the medication.

"Pharmacies have an obligation not to endanger women's health by withholding basic health care," Keenan continued. "The ABC Act is vital to ensure that no other woman faces the frustration and embarrassment Carrie Baker faced when her pharmacist said 'No I object to birth control; therefore I will not sell it to you.'"

Keenan also said it is essential for Congress to pass this legislation since in 2007 alone, state legislators considered 18 bills that would permit pharmacists to refuse to fill women's birth control-prescriptions.

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032