Prevention First Act Introduced in House of Representatives

Representative Slaughter (D-NY) and Representative DeGette (D-CO) introduced the Prevention First Act in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. Passage of this Act would improve women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care services; fund medically accurate sex education and pregnancy prevention programs for teens; and increase federal funding for Title X, the nation’s family planning program.

Title X is the only federal program designed to fund family planning and reproductive health care services. More than 5 million low-income individuals annually take advantage of these preventative health care services. However, the Bush Administration has repeatedly attacked the Title X program. In addition to inadequately funding the program, last year Bush appointed anti-birth control ob-gyn, Dr. Eric Keroack to the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs, which oversees the Title X program.

The Prevention First Act calls for funding for a public education campaign focusing on emergency contraception (EC), and requires emergency rooms to provide victims of sexual assault with EC. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Reid (D-NV).