New Bilingual Campaign is Reaching Latino and African American Youth
with EC Information
Los Angeles, CA – For young people seeking a way to prevent unintended pregnancy, today Pharmacy Access Partnership and the Pacific Institute of Women’s Health launched a bilingual (English/Spanish) print media campaign in Los Angeles, CA, designed to raise Latina and African American adolescents’ awareness of and access to emergency contraception (EC) in pharmacies. Los Angeles County has among the highest teen birth rates and lowest levels of EC awareness in California: 41.2 births per 1,000, higher than the statewide rate of 39.5 per 1,000. Moreover, birthrates among Latina and African American teens are even higher than the state or county average.
The concept for the post cards, below in English, was based on research showing that young women of color want more information about EC and where to get confidential, respectful EC services. The cards will be distributed first in Los Angeles schools, pharmacies, hair salons and cafes/restaurants, then across the state and nationwide.
“The August 2006 FDA decision to make Plan B available over-the-counter (OTC) for consumers 18 and older was a step in the right direction. However, women 17 and younger and those without proof of age still require a prescription for Plan B,” said Pharmacy Access Partnership Executive Director Belle Taylor-McGhee and Pacific Institute for Women’s Health Executive Director Magaly Marques in a joint statement. “This new campaign will bring increased awareness about where and how to access EC to the young people left behind by the FDA.” In California and eight other states (AK, HI, MA, ME, NH, NM, VT, WA), women of any age can also obtain Plan B directly from specially trained pharmacists without an advance prescription. For more information, visit http://www.pharmacyaccess.org/ and http://www.piwh.org/.
EC: it works a lot better
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The mission of the Pacific Institute for Women’s Health is to increase the ability of women and young people to make informed decisions about and control their sexuality and reproduction. Because we believe that individual and social power are essential to achieving health and social justice for all, our work is focused on addressing the intersection of power, sexuality and health.
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