Proposed Missouri bill would require hospitals to provide emergency contraceptive to sexual assault survivors
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- After a proposed Missouri bill suggested that hospitals should stock emergency contraception for survivors of sexual assault, an advocate with the YWCA shared her perspective on why it matters.
The "Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies" (CARE) Act, or House Bill 3460, was passed through the House in early April, and heads to the Senate.
Sara Lawson, a survivor outreach specialist at YWCA, said the Act is important because the change would give survivors a choice.
"Here we give the survivors a piece of mind, knowing that they are being heard and we can take care of them,” Lawson said.
While the YWCA doesn’t provide emergency contraception themselves, Lawson emphasized how the organization is deeply committed to supporting anyone who reaches out, and helping guide them through the process.
While the YWCA doesn’t provide emergency contraception themselves, Lawson emphasized how the organization is deeply committed to supporting everyone who reaches out and helping guide them through the process.
She stressed how important it is for survivors to feel peace of mind and to know that someone is truly there to take care of them.
“Help them through the process with everything they need in this time of struggle,” Lawson said.
In Kansas City, the Metropolitan Organization Countering Sexual Assault (MOCSA), helps survivors navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives by connecting them with the care they need during a crisis.
Melanie Austin, vice president of programs at MOCSA said their focus is on meeting survivors where they are and helping them figure out what healing looks like for them, because every journey is different.
“Anything that makes it easier to access a resources for survivor is just absolutely needed and necessary and hopefully we have the same access across the state of Missouri for victims,” Austin said.
While MOCSA doesn’t provide emergency contraception directly, they play a key role in guiding survivors to where they can get it.
“We have legal services that we can provide to victims or if someone needs an order of protection and we have attorney to deal with all of that and there are other support that we can provide here,” Austin said.
In the Kansas City metro, many hospitals already offer it, but if that weren’t the case, Austin said they would help survivors find the right place to go.
HB 3460 outlines that the health care facilities will screen patients and orally inform each alleged sexual assault victim of the option to be provided with emergency contraception.
