The Ohio Prevention First Act was introduced today in the House by Rep. Tyrone Yates (D-Cincinnati). The bill was introduced yesterday in the Ohio Senate by Senator Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and eleven co-sponsors.

You can read about the specifics of the legislation over at the Coalition for Family Health website.
I though there were two interesting points from yesterday's press conference. First, Senator Fedor's remarks reflected on how work to protect women's health is a continuation of the work toward gender equality. She arrived at this point after reflecting on how the Ladies' Gallery (where the event was held) is her favorite room in the Statehouse. Her comments were received not only by event attendees, but also the portraits of suffragettes and early female legislators from Ohio history.

Rep. Yates added, “Whether you are a pro-choice or pro-life advocate, this legislation is clearly an important step in helping young men and women make smarter decisions. This issue is not about the political Left or Right; it is about doing what is right for our communities throughout the state.”

Rep. Yates also had a thought-provoking reply to supporters in the room. Before taking the podium, Yates was thanked by several health care activists for his work on the bill. His answer reflected the common-sense approach this bill takes towards protecting Ohio women and teens: "Don't thank me, This [sponsoring the bill] is easy. Everyone should be sponsoring this."

Everyone who believes in reducing STD rates and providing the education and tools to prevent unintended or unwanted pregnancies should be in favor of Prevention First. It's common-sense, and, fortunately, Tyrone Yates gets it.

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The Ohio Prevention First Act is a signature piece of legislation that focuses on the prevention of unintended pregnancies through comprehensive sex education for teens, including abstinence, and affordable, accessible birth control. To mark today's introduction of this critical health care measure, we are issuing a dual "Thanks" this month to the Senate and House sponsors!

A former classroom teacher, Sen. Fedor understands the need for effective and proven strategies to prevent unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections. She is a champion when it comes to women's issues and, in particular, protecting reproductive freedoms.
Sen. Fedor will also soon be introducing the Act for Our Children's Future (that advocates for honest, realistic sex education that teaches our teens about both abstinence and birth control.) and contraceptive equity legislation (to forbid a health insurance company from limiting or excluding coverage for FDA-approved prescription contraception if the policy covers other prescription drugs or devices.)
For her commitment to women's and family issues and her tireless advocacy on behalf of Ohio's children, we offer our most sincere thanks!
Rep. Yates first sponsored the Ohio Prevention First Act in 2006. He has re-introduced it in 2007 and again in 2009. An historian, he knows that our society's greatest successes often come after years of struggle.
In his sponsor testimony last year, Rep. Yates stated that "while reproductive rights are often the subject of great debate, it is clear that some manner of common ground must be reached." Rep. Yates' statesmanlike approach to sensitive issues represents what should be the model among his colleagues.
It is his advocacy on behalf of Ohio's youth and his understanding that reproductive health care is not a partisan issue that have earned him the everlasting gratitude of Planned Parenthood.

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Youth, parents and educators from throughout the state will be coming together for a day-long conference filled with informative and fun activities aimed at bringing greater attention to the need for Comprehensive Sex Education in Ohio. You'll learn why abstinence-only programs don't work and how to advocate for this issue in your community and schools.

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Reproductive health care is a goal supported by a wide variety of individuals and groups that value increased access to birth control and comprehensive sex education. To work together toward these goals, more than 30 organizations across Ohio joined together to form the Coalition for Family Health.

Formed in 2008, the Coalition for Family Health has been supporting the Ohio Prevention First Act in the Ohio General Assembly. The bill is a comprehensive – and common ground – approach to reducing the number of unintended pregnancies in Ohio. The Ohio Prevention First Act will be introduced by Sen. Teresa Fedor and Rep. Tyrone Yates.

In addition to the Ohio Prevention First Act, the Coalition for Family Health supports the passage of three individual components of the bill that will be introduced as separate, stand alone bills:

• Act for Our Children’s Future (Sen. Teresa Fedor / Rep. Steve Slesnick)
• Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act (Rep. Dan Stewart)
• Contraceptive Equity (Sen. Teresa Fedor / Rep. Dan Stewart)

The Coalition will be holding their annual meeting later this month at the Ohio Statehouse. More information is available on their brand new web site - http://www.ocfh.org/.




-Gabriel

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