[Peace-discuss] ~ MEETING ON EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION! ~

[Brooke Anderson]

                       ~~ Please forward ~~

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          You are invited to attend the first meeting of the..

            CAMPAIGN FOR ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION!

                     Thursday, May 6th, 2004 at 5pm
                  at the Illinois Disciples Foundation
                   610 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign
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Emergency Contraception (EC) is a special dose of ordinary birth 
control pills that has been approved by the FDA as safe, effective 
back-up birth control method that can prevent pregnancy after 
unprotected intercourse, if contraception fails, or if a woman is a 
victim of sexual assault or incest. EC is not medical abortion and 
does not work if a woman is already pregnant.

Because EC is most effective the sooner it is taken, delays in taking 
the medication raise the risk of unintended pregnancies. Therefore, 
immediate access to EC is essential. For many women, precious time is 
lost because the doctor's office is closed on the weekend or they 
cannot get an appointment in time for an EC prescription to be 
effective. In addition, some Illinois hospitals do not provide EC to 
rape survivors and, as a result, many of these women can't get the 
medication until after it is too late.

Join us in mobilizing support for greater access to EC at the state 
and national levels, via:

  (1) The Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act (IL House Bill 6577) now 
before the Illinois General Assembly which would allow pharmacists to 
dispense EC to a woman without a prescription.

  (2) FDA approval of EC for over-the-counter sale.

For more information about the Campaign for Emergency Contraception, 
contact Brooke Anderson at Champaign County Health Care Consumers at 
(217) 352-6533, ext. 17 or at brooke at shout.net.
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Brooke Anderson
Champaign County Health Care Consumers
44 E. Main St., Suite 208
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone = (217) 352-6533, x 17
Fax = (217) 352-9745
Email = brooke at shout.net
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