Releases & Statements

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

October 6, 2008

Contact: Sarah Krauss

212.669.4193; 917.541.0936

Release #: 036-2008

PA Gotbaum: Teens Struggle to Access Emergency Contraception
HHC Announces New Emergency Contraception Access Policy

Read the Report

MANHATTAN – A follow-up report released today by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum found that while some improvements have been made since 2007, only one-third of Health & Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) clinics provide same-day emergency contraception (EC). HHC responded to the findings by creating a new policy that greatly expands access to EC.

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, “With tens-of-thousands of unplanned teen pregnancies a year, there's clearly a need for the city to provide better reproductive services. But too often my office found that emergency contraception was not available for same-day pick up. And too often, it was not available for free. As soon as we shared this information with HHC, they began taking corrective action. And, over the last two months, we have been working together to improve access to EC. I applaud HHC for their smart policy changes. Working together, we are solving problems and improving services. That's what good government is all about."

LaRay Brown, Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning, Community Health & Intergovernmental Relations, NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation said, "HHC has a uniform policy concerning the availability of comprehensive reproductive health services, which includes the availability of free and same-day emergency contraception, at all settings that serve women and adolescents. These settings include our women's health clinics, family planning clinics, adolescent health clinics and child health clinics (including the two HHC child health clinics in Staten Island), as well as the emergency departments at all 11 public hospitals."

"As the Public Advocate notes, we do have challenges with making sure that accurate information about our policy and services is consistently communicated to anyone calling our facilities. When we learned of the Public Advocate's findings, we immediately reviewed our facilities' practices concerning the provision of emergency contraception and have reinforced our commitment to ensuring access to emergency contraception by issuing a revised policy and embarking on staff training so they can accurately inform those seeking services about all of their options. The many committed adolescent health professionals at HHC are pleased to have the opportunity to work with the Public Advocate and the National Council of Jewish Women NY to improve access to needed reproductive services."

The report, “Taking (Birth) Control: Progress and Problems in Access to Contraception at City Clinics,” looks at changes in availability of emergency contraception, birth control and female condoms at HHC teen health clinics and DOHMH STD clinics since 2007, when the previous survey was conducted.

While EC is now offered at two more HHC teen health clinics, it is available for same day pickup at five fewer clinics. HHC teen health clinics also do not provide advance prescriptions for EC at a single location. Notably, about 61% of HHC teen clinics provide EC free of charge, up from 19% in 2007. Additionally, female condom availability at these clinics has increased by 26 % since 2007.

Same-day pickup of EC at DOHMH STD clinics has decreased since 2007 by almost 18 %. DOHMH clinics still fail to provide an extra package of EC upon request at every single one of their locations. All DOHMH clinics now provide EC for free.

To further improve access to contraception for New York City, the Public Advocate recommends the following reforms:

• All DOHMH STD clinics should provide EC for same-day pickup.
  All DOHMH STD clinics should provide an extra package of EC at a patient’s request.
  HHC teen health clinic staff should refer patients to another clinic if EC is unavailable.
  All staff members at HHC teen clinics should receive sensitivity training and be educated about EC

Beatrice Kahn, Co-President of NCJW New York said, "NCJW NY has long worked to ensure that all women have access to safe and legal reproductive health care. Our Plan A campaign includes various education and advocacy initiatives and works to secure and protect access to contraceptive information and health services for all. To this end, we are glad to be working with the Public Advocate and HHC to produce reference cards that would enable teen health clinic staff to provide complete and accurate information about emergency contraception."

The National Council of Jewish Women New York Section (NCJW), HHC, and the Office of the Public Advocate are working together to create laminated cards for clinic staff with basic information about EC, answers to common questions, and referral information for clinics. These cards would enable staff members who answer phone calls to supply accurate and complete information about EC.

The most recent survey was conducted in June 2008. Investigators from the Office of the Public Advocate called all 10 DOHMH STD clinics and all 38 HHC teen health clinics on weekdays between 9:30 am and 4:00pm using phone numbers provided on the DOHMH and HHC websites. Investigators requested information on EC, birth control pills, and female condoms.

In New York City, more than 80 percent of teen pregnancies are accidental. In 2006, 24,373 girls age 15 to 19 became pregnant in New York City, a rate of 95.4 per 1,000. More than 15,000 of these pregnancies were aborted, and nearly 8,600 unplanned babies were born.

      *Readily available means that EC is ready for same-day pickup.

      ** One additional clinic opened in 2008

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