A lack of adequate legal protection is not the only way our government fails Native women who have been sexually assaulted. Despite devastatingly high rates of sexual assault, more than half the facilities run by Indian Health Services reportedly fail to offer emergency contraception. Many more require a prescription, contrary to Food and Drug Administration rules that emergency contraception be available to women over 17 over the counter. If used within 120 hours after an assault, emergency contraception can safely prevent pregnancy, but for some Native women, the next pharmacy is hundreds of miles away, and transportation costs are insurmountable.Get the Story:
Charon Asetoyer: Native Americans and Rape (The New York Times 3/1)
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