[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H1270-H1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SPEAK OUT FOR WOMEN ACROSS AMERICA
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flores). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to be here tonight to speak
out for women across America who rely on contraception for their health
and well-being. I want to emphasize the world ``health'' because at
it's heart that's what this debate is all about.
There has been a great deal of discussion about religion in this
debate, but we want to use tonight to remind policymakers and Americans
everywhere what's really at stake when we talk about contraception, and
that's the health and well-being of millions of women and their
families.
Ninety-nine percent of sexually active women have used contraception,
including 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women. More than half
of women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford
contraception. It's also important to recognize 28 States already
require contraception coverage, and 57 percent of Catholic voters
support the new policy requiring contraception coverage.
But today we want to move beyond statistics and tell human stories,
the stories of women all across America who rely on contraception for a
variety of vital health needs. Tonight I just want to share one of many
stories I have received from women in my district. The story I want to
share is from a young woman in my district in Chicago named Annalisa.
Annalisa was so moved by the story of the young woman from Georgetown
who was denied contraception to treat her ovarian cyst, she wrote me
this letter:
I would like to applaud your decision to walk out of the
one-sided talk about birth control coverage. I have a similar
story to that of the rejected witness' friend.
I had my right ovary removed shortly after I turned 18 due
to a large cyst that not only threatened my fertility, but I
was told if it grew any larger it could burst and also
threaten my life. My left ovary also had multiple smaller
cysts, but they were able to be removed while leaving the
ovary intact.
My doctor said I was one of the youngest with such a
problem, and the cyst was so large it was sent to be
researched. Before I was even sexually active I was
prescribed birth control pills to preserve my remaining ovary
and to take my fertility beyond the age of 18.
It saddens me to no end that some people don't understand
the many uses and lifesaving abilities of birth control. I
hope to be a mother someday, a darned good one, and I thank
you for standing up for women like me.
Well, I want to thank Annalisa for her bravery and sharing her story
with me and allowing me to share it tonight. But Annalisa is not alone.
Her story is the story of thousands of women around the country whose
health relies on contraception. We will hear more stories like
Annalisa's tonight.
But I hope that the next time we engage in a debate about restricting
access to contraception, we remember Annalisa and women like her, and
we remember that for thousands of women, contraception is not a
question of religion but a question of life and death.
In addition to non-contraception health benefits, the contraception
benefits of birth control cannot be understated. The simple fact is
millions of women use birth control to delay or avoid pregnancy.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:
A full array of family planning services is vital for
women's health, especially for the two-thirds of American
women of reproductive age who wish to avoid or postpone
pregnancy.
Nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and
unintended pregnancies can have serious health consequences for women.
For example, for some women with serious medical conditions such as
heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, a pregnancy could be
life threatening.
Children born from unintended pregnancies are also at greater risk of
poor birth outcomes such as congenital defects, low birth weight, and
prematurity. According to the National Commission to Prevent Infant
Mortality, 10 percent of infant deaths could be prevented if all
pregnancies were planned.
I want to share another story of a young woman named Katy from my
home State of Illinois. Katy, like millions of women across the
country, currently relies on contraception because she is pursuing her
career and wants to do so without getting pregnant. Here's what Katy
wrote:
Birth control is important to me personally because I am a
23-year-old medical student who would be distraught if I
became pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I love children and
dream of the day that I can become
[[Page H1271]]
a mother. That time isn't when I have $81,000 in medical
school debt after just 2 years of medical school. That time
isn't when I study for most hours of the day. That time isn't
when I have no job, and my only source of `income' is the
overpayment checks I receive for my financial aid.
Birth control is important to me because I can't be a
mother right now but want to have the option in the future.
Birth control gives me the option to retain a somewhat normal
intimate life with my partner of 8 years while still
protecting my dreams of a future in medicine. That future
would be extremely hard to obtain with an infant to care for.
Contraception has transformed our society by allowing women like Katy
to take their own health and their own future into their own hands.
Women have the power to decide when and how many children to have,
which has allowed them to pursue successful careers and enter the
workforce like never before.
But in the end, this is not about work versus home life. This is
about empowering women to decide for themselves. Birth control lets
women choose their own life paths, and that's why it is vital that we
protect it.
I also want to remind opponents of contraception coverage that
contraception prevents abortion. Nearly half--49 percent--of
pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended, and 42 percent of unintended
pregnancies end in abortion. Although abortion and contraception are
one degree removed, it is easy to see that increased use of
contraception will reduce unintended pregnancies and, therefore, reduce
abortion rates.
The data shore this up as well. According to a study published in the
American Journal of Public Health, the recent decline in pregnancy
rates amongst American teens ``appears to be following the patterns
observed in other developed countries, where improved contraception use
has been the primary determinant of declining rates.''
Teen pregnancy is at a 30-year low, due in large part to increased
contraception use. Another recent study found that California's family-
planning program averted nearly 300,000 unintended pregnancies, 100,000
abortions and 38,000 miscarriages.
Finally, a Guttmacher Institute study of nationwide family planning
programs found similar reports. According to Guttmacher:
Publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies help
women in the U.S. avoid nearly 2 million unintended
pregnancies each year.
In the absence of such services--from family planning
centers and from doctors serving Medicaid patients, estimated
U.S. levels of unintended pregnancy, abortion and unintended
birth would be nearly two-thirds higher among women overall,
and nearly twice as high among poor women.
There can be no denying that contraception prevents abortion. This
means abortion opponents should be bolstering contraception programs,
not banning them.
We should be able to find common ground on the issue of
contraception--a basic health service already utilized by the vast
majority of American women.
I hope we can work together to expand important investments in family
planning such as title X and Medicaid.
And I hope we can move forward with the important new rule requiring
coverage of contraception, to empower women, improve health, save
lives, and reduce abortions.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________