On Wednesday, a bill—the Ohio Prevention First Act—which focuses on reducing unintended pregnancies through different steps including education and requiring Emergency Contraception to be available to rape victims, was introduced.  The sponsors of the Ohio Prevention First Act are two State Democratic representatives, Rep. Nickie Antonio and Sen. Capri Cafaro.

The Ohio Right to Life is opposing the bill. (One can only assume that the Right to Life groups all over the country  believe that education, i.e. an informed public, and protecting rape victims are bad things.)

The bill includes “…provisions such as reproductive health education, giving sexual assault victims access to emergency contraception (i.e., the “morning after pill”), creating a state teen pregnancy prevention task force, preventing a health insurance company from limiting or excluding coverage for FDA-approved prescription contraception and requiring a pharmacy to dispense any prescribed drug, device or over-the-counter medications.”**

The Right to Life argument claims that “[t]he abortion industry” is putting this logical bill forward and it will “decrease access to health care.”

Sponsors Rep. Nickie Antonio and Sen. Capri Cafaro say the bill is exactly about insuring health care and well-being.

“I invite members of the General Assembly to join us in supporting women as fully responsible and capable citizens who are entitled to full access to contraceptives, comprehensive reproductive health information and compassionate assistance for rape victims,” said Rep. Antonio in a press release. “Doctors take an oath to ‘first do no harm’ and I believe we legislators can apply ‘Prevention First’ as an important strategy to reduce unintended pregnancies and promote the health and well-being of all Ohioans.”**

The sponsors are introducing identical legislation in the Ohio House and Senate.

**newsnet5.com,6/24/2011