No woman should ever have to face the possibility of pregnancy following a sexual assault because she was refused the treatment that could have prevented it. Unfortunately, Ohio law currently permits hospitals to deny emergency contraception to rape victims.  Some Ohio lawmakers are fighting to change that.  This month, Senator Nina Turner, Representative Nickie Antonio, and Representative Nancy Garland introduced the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act to ensure that every rape survivor will get access to comprehensive medical treatment in hospital emergency rooms following their assault.

These legislators understand that rape is an extremely stressful situation for women, and the fear of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections following the assault increases the stress experienced by the survivors.  They understand because all three of the bill’s sponsors have close friends or immediate family members who are rape survivors.  This is not surprising given that 1 in 7 adult women in Ohio have been victims of one or more completed forcible rapes during their lifetime.  For their demonstrated leadership and commitment to women’s health, we give thanks to the sponsors of the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act.

To send an email to your legislators about this bill, please use this web form.


Deciding what to do about an unplanned pregnancy can be very difficult. It may be made even more difficult by so-called "crisis pregnancy centers” that pretend to be real health care providers – but many are not.  They are anti-choice organizations masquerading as legitimate reproductive health care providers.  They are not licensed medical facilities. Instead, the CPCs’ goal is to intentionally deceive and misinform women about their reproductive health options.

In fact, these centers have been known to:

• Not give complete and correct information about all options — abortion, adoption, and parenting.
• Try to frighten women with misleading films and pictures to keep them from choosing abortion.
• Lie about the medical and emotional effects of abortion.
• Tell a woman that she is not pregnant even if she is. This may fool her into continuing her pregnancy without knowing it.
• Discourage women from using certain methods of birth control that are very safe and effective.

Despite the unscrupulous tactics employed by crisis pregnancy centers, this month Representatives Bill Hayes and Michael Henne sought to honor these centers with a resolution in the Ohio House of Representatives.  Surely the Ohio legislature has more important things to do than legitimize fake clinics that mislead women.  Representatives Hayes and Henne, we urge you to get back to the people’s work.  We want jobs, not silly politically-driven resolutions.

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The following statement can be attributed to Gary Dougherty, State Legislative Director for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio, in response to this morning’s Quinnipiac Poll revealing that Ohio voters are divided on the “heartbeat” abortion ban bill:

 “This poll confirms what we have been saying all along – this is a divisive issue that should be shelved in favor of a more focused effort to create jobs and improve the economy, something that all Ohioans can agree upon and what they have been waiting on their elected representatives to tackle since the last election.”

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CARE Act sponsors (left to right): Rep. Garland, Sen. Turner, and Rep. Antonio

Rape survivors are fighting back against victimization by unfair laws in Ohio.  The Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act was introduced in both the Ohio House and Senate today.  The bills will ensure rape survivors are able to receive emergency contraception (known as Plan B) in hospital emergency rooms.

Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and Representatives Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) held a press conference today to announce the introduction.  These three legislators are the main sponsors of the bills.

Current law allows hospital emergency rooms to deny this treatment to rape survivors.  Hospital staff, in some facilities, routinely refuse to provide women with this legal contraceptive medication that could prevent them from becoming pregnant by their rapist.  The CARE Act would require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to any rape survivor that requested it.

"Comprehensive and compassionate care helps women in crisis move from victim to survivor," said Rep. Garland.  "The CARE Act is a common-sense approach.  It will help ensure sexual assault victims are given accurate, unbiased information in a timely manner when they visit the hospital, allowing them to make informed choices about their lives."

"It is absolutely imperative that victims of sexual assault are provided with the full array of treatment information and options when they seek medical assistance," said Sen. Turner.  "This legislation will make sure that they receive the level of care they deserve."

"Make no mistake, this is not a Democratic or Republican issue, not is this an issue of ideology," said Rep. Antonio.  "This is an issue of fairness, compassion, and the right of survivors of sexual assault to have full access to emergency care and treatment - something that should resonate with all Ohioans."

The three legislators were joined by Jacque Jovic of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Katie Hanna of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and Jaime Miracle of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.

 "More women in the United States are raped than smoke," Jacque Jovic explained the need for the bills.  "Now, let's think of the money, time and resources spent on smokers... Compare all of that money and all of that awareness to what we do to support survivors.  There is a lot of work to be done."


-Gabriel Mann

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