Topeka — Medical facilities that provide care to rape victims would be required to give information about the availability of emergency contraception under a bill considered Tuesday by legislators.
Amber Versola, with the Kansas City metro chapter of the National Organization for Women, said providing information about emergency contraception would prevent the additional trauma to rape victims of a possible pregnancy.
Versola, a rape victim herself 14 years ago when she was 16, said that during her examination, nurses warned her about the possibility of having contracted a sexually transmitted disease but not about pregnancy. She said it was her mother who asked if there was anything to take to avoid pregnancy.
“She was given a prescription for a form of emergency contraception,” Versola told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “If it weren’t for this, I probably wouldn’t have realized that EC existed,” she said.
Emergency contraception can prevent pregnancy if used in a timely manner.
State Rep. Sean Gatewood, D-Topeka, said he believed Senate Bill 91 “was a common ground provision that we can all agree on to potentially prevent unwanted pregnancies.” NOW representatives said approximately 5 percent of rape victims become pregnant as a result of their attack. Sixteen states currently have laws that provide information about emergency contraception as part of the sexual assault examination process, NOW state coordinator Kari Ann Rinker said.
The committee took no action on the bill. No one spoke in opposition to the measure. State Sen. Tim Owens, R-Overland Park, said he hadn’t decided when the committee would work on the bill.
State Sen. Les Donovan, R-Wichita, asked if the victim, after she has explained to her the availability of emergency contraception, has the choice to take it or not. Gatewood said the victim wouldn’t be required to take emergency contraception. “This doesn’t require anyone to do anything but provide information,” he said.
Supporters of the bill said it would give victims of sexual assault critical information during an emotional time.
“These women were not able to control their rapists’ actions, but they need to know that to some extent they can control what happens to their body almost immediately after,” Versola said.
Comments
reverber 2 years, 2 months ago
It is a shame that legislation is needed to compel health care providers to do what they should be doing as a matter of course.
Paul R Getto 2 years, 2 months ago
The usual drill. Bless the zygotes; apparently the rapist's "potential baby" is sacred too. What a crock, but we should get used to this. Wait until the outlaw birth control for all in the name of their imaginary friend.
Cait McKnelly 2 years, 2 months ago
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/kansas-anti-abortion-bill_n_1258185.html And we still haven't heard anything out of the statehouse reporting about this "little" violation of civil rights.
FalseHopeNoChange 2 years, 2 months ago
Why are some men so liberal with women?
cowboy 2 years, 2 months ago
Its high time for the republicans to dis-invite themselves from the doctors offices of America. If we need any "counseling" from you we'll call 1-800-Pray away the Stupid.
rockchalk1977 2 years, 2 months ago
Speaking of contraception, Catholic pressure to get Obama (and his evil twin Sebelius) to back down from their insistence that they provide free contraceptives in their healthcare plans appeared to be paying off.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/obama-catholics-contraception-mandate/2012/02/07/id/428695?s=al&promo_code=E1EE-1
Finally a flip-flop I believe in.
Lisa52 2 years, 2 months ago
Liberty275:
Your comments are offensive. The 'parasite' as you name it, otherwise known in basic biology from conception is a tiny human being, and if indeed conceived through rape, has become the second victim of the rapist. The next 'rape' and 'violation' of the raped woman is the violence of abortion. Women who have kept / given up for adoption the babies who had been conceived through rape have reported a greater healing than those who have aborted. In fact, the latter DO experience a sense of violation yet again during the abortion. BTW, for others who are interested, EC also acts as an early abortificiant, whether after fertilisation otherwise known as conception (which biologically / scientifically speaking is the beginning of a new human being, or shortly after implantation. Don't believe me, look it up. I hope that's something that will also be included with the 'information' about EC, if the Bill is passed.
Jean Robart 2 years, 2 months ago
seems like a no-brainer to me.
Milton Bland 2 years, 2 months ago
I am very much pro life. But I can not oppose this bill.
deec 2 years, 2 months ago
Absolutely a good law...so it probably won't pass. On another front, California's Prop 8 has been overturned.
Gandalf 2 years, 2 months ago
Completely rational and an intelligent move. I'm sure Evilsam will veto if it makes it thru the legislature.
Joe Hyde 2 years, 2 months ago
A commonsense bill that helps protect women after the worst has happened. I hope it gets enacted.
Liberty275 2 years, 2 months ago
What female in America over 14 needs to be told you can take a pill and abort the rapist's parasite? Are women that uninformed about their "health care"?
Ray Parker 2 years, 2 months ago
Emergency contraceptives are abortifacient drugs, they can cause an early abortion, and can cause traumatic side effects and pain. Religious and pro-life facilities cannot distribute or recommend them. Rape victims who become pregnant should consider other alternatives. Execute rapists, not their babies.
kusp8 2 years, 2 months ago
Seems completely reasonable.
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