Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118958

Wendy L. Hellerstedt, MPH, PhD, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. 2nd St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, 612-626-2077, hellerstedt@epi.umn.edu

Unintended pregnancy is a deeply personal experience—yet it is a health condition that is politically charged and the focus of divisive public debate. To serve the needs of women and families objectively, public health professionals are compelled to examine scientific evidence and to think broadly about treatment in the context of efficacy, effectiveness, and social justice. Public health professionals are also responsible for conveying scientific knowledge to the public so that informed discourse about treatment options may occur. This session will review the evidence about three topics related to unintended pregnancy: abstinence, abortion, and emergency contraception. Each topic will be presented by an expert who has reviewed the scientific evidence. Abstinence education will be discussed by Naomi Seiler, JD, Minority Professional Staff to Representative Henry Waxman. Rep. Waxman recently released a report on the evidence that supports abstinence education funding and the quality of the information in abstinence curricula. Dr. Stanley Henshaw, from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, will evaluate recent research studies that implicate abortion in a wide range of negative mental health outcomes and discuss how findings are being manipulated and misreported in order to advance an anti-abortion political agenda. The final presentation, on emergency contraception, will be provided by Dr. Michael Greene. Dr. Greene is current member (and former chairperson) of an FDA panel on reproductive drugs. He will discuss the FDA rationale for its overwhelming recommendation of approval for over-the-counter access to emergency contraception.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session the participant will be able to

• Describe the distortions in abstinence curricula outlined by Rep. Henry Waxman in a recent report.
• Identify scientific standards for abortion and mental health research.
• Understand how evidence is mis-used for political gains with regard to surgical abortion.
• Understand how evidence was disregarded by the FDA in disapproving over-the-counter use of emergency contraceptives.

Keywords: Abortion, Contraception

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.