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HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Women comprise more than half of the population of
3the United States of America and are solely responsible for
4childbearing; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Women who plan their pregnancies are more likely
6to seek prenatal care, improving their own health and the
7health of their children; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The United States of America ranks 30th in the
9world in its rate of maternal mortality and has one of the
10highest rates of maternal mortality among all developed
11nations; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Family planning services improve health care
13outcomes and wellness for women and families, access to family
14planning is directly linked to declines in maternal and infant
15mortality rates, and women who do not receive prenatal care are
16three to four times more likely to die after a live birth than
17are women who have received even minimal prenatal care; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Contraception enables women to better prevent
19unintended pregnancies and plan for pregnancy when they do want
20to have a child, and publicly funded contraceptive services and
21supplies prevent nearly two million unintended pregnancies

 

 

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1each year in the United States; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Nearly half of all unintended pregnancies end in
3abortion and abortion rates in the United States of America
4increase during times when contraception is less accessible to
5low income women; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The United States of America has one of the
7highest rates of unintended pregnancy among the world's
8developed nations, half of all the pregnancies in the United
9States are unintended, and half of unintended pregnancies occur
10in women who are not using contraceptives; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In addition to the primary purpose of allowing
12women to plan and prepare for pregnancy, other health benefits
13of contraception include reduced risk of endometrial and
14ovarian cancers, ectopic pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia
15related to heavy menstruation, osteoporosis, ovarian cysts,
16and pelvic inflammatory disease; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Racial and ethnic health disparities are
18particularly pronounced in reproductive health, including
19disparities in rates of contraception usage, unintended
20pregnancies, maternal mortality, and sexually transmitted
21infections, and these disparities reveal significant barriers
22to access to sexual health care (including contraception),

 

 

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1medical care, and medically accurate sexuality education; and
 
2    WHEREAS, A majority of American voters believe that matters
3related to women's reproductive rights, including
4contraception and abortion, are personal issues that should be
5decided by women with their families, health care providers,
6and clergy members; therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9the week of January 22-28, 2012 be recognized as Reproductive
10Rights Awareness Week in the State of Illinois, to encourage
11public awareness, conversation, and support for reproductive
12rights and justice nationwide.