Access to family planning

On Tuesday, the Coalition for Family Health released a white paper on access to family-planning resources in Ohio. Ohio ranks 48th among the 50 states plus the District of Columbia for access to contraceptives. This equation includes the availability of publicly supported family-planning clinics, the number of women in need of services, and Ohio's laws and policies on access to contraceptives. Access is worst for women who can't afford well-woman visits or costly prescriptions.

This leaves low-income women at greater risk of unplanned pregnancies, which are stressful for the parents and can lead to poor outcomes for children. In the current economic climate and with more and more Ohioans uninsured, the importance of access to contraceptives cannot be overstated; planned pregnancies will result in healthier children and stronger families.

Melissa Federman
Federman is community outreach coordinator for the Center for Community Solutions.

http://www.cleveland.com/letters/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/125412662088870.xml&coll=2

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