Sandra Fluke responds to Nationwide Campaign Against Contraceptives

by Sandra Kay Fluke

Sandra Fluke responds to Nationwide Campaign Against Contraceptives

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Sandra Fluke

United States House of Representatives
House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee

February 23, 2012

Congressman Elijah Cummings:

As I had noted in my opening, there is currently a nationwide campaign at both the state and federal levels not only to restrict insurance coverage, but in some instances to outlaw many forms of commonly used contraceptives.

If those efforts are successful and prohibit commonly used contraceptives like IUDs and some forms of the pill, it would roll back the clock for women across the country.

Can you describe what the impact would be on you and your classmates?

Sandra Fluke:

Well I think for millions of women it would be an increase in the number of people who have the medical complications I've been talking about today.

One woman came to me recently, since this happened, and described that she needs contraception to prevent seizures. So she has several seizures a month if she doesn't have contraception to balance her hormones. And that's just an incredible intrusion on her life, her ability to manage her daily affairs if she doesn't have access to that medical prescription. So that's one of the huge impacts.

I think another impact that it's really important that we all think about, is that contraception when it first became available was a revolution in this country. It allowed women to enter employment and educational opportunities that had previously not been accessible because they were unable to control their reproduction in the same way. And I just can't imagine rolling back the clock on that progress.

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