Oral

This session focuses on state political initiatives during the 2006 elections to limit access to reproductive health care and advocacy and activism responses. Three cases are presented: abortion legislation in South Dakota, and parental notification of abortion in California (Proposition 85) and in Oregon (Measure 43). The session includes discussion activism by health care providers in these cases, including the strategies they employed, and how they made a difference. While restrictive legislative trends continue to threaten access to comprehensive reproductive care, physician activism has increased as a result. Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health has created a platform that empowers physicians to advocate for comprehensive reproductive healthcare services through the medical system and in the public policy arena. Panelists present legislative trends as a foundation to discuss strategic advocacy tools used by healthcare providers and other public health experts.

Session Objectives: • Discuss the impact of abortion prohibition on women’s health • Analyze the coalitions that are working to protect access to reproductive health care and the role of physicians in this endeavor • Describe current challenges facing evidence-based reproductive health policy, including use and misuse of data regarding parental involvement in teen reproductive health

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing