HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	12
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

DESIGNATING THE FOURTH WEEK OF JANUARY OF EVERY YEAR AS "REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AWARENESS WEEK," TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC AWARENESS, CONVERSATION, AND SUPPORT FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AWARENESS.

     WHEREAS, women who plan their pregnancies are more likely to seek prenatal care, improving their own health and the health of their children; and

     WHEREAS, family planning services improve health care outcomes and wellness for women and their families; and

     WHEREAS, increased access to family planning is directly linked to a decline in maternal and infant mortality rates, and women who do not receive prenatal care are three to four times more likely to die after a live birth than are women who receive even minimal prenatal care; and

     WHEREAS, when pregnancies are intended and planned, there is greater motivation for women and their partners to maintain positive health behaviors, often leading to improved birth and infant outcomes; and

     WHEREAS, contraception enables women to better prevent unintended pregnancies and plan for pregnancy when they want to have a child, and publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies could prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions; and

     WHEREAS, nearly forty-five percent of all pregnancies in Hawaii are unintended; and

     WHEREAS, women with unintended pregnancies in Hawaii are less likely to be using contraception when becoming pregnant, and less likely to be taking daily vitamins during pregnancy.  They were also more likely to have a short birth interval, obtain late or no prenatal care, smoke, and use drugs during pregnancy; and

     WHEREAS, in addition to the primary purpose of allowing women to plan and prepare for pregnancy, other health benefits of contraception include reduced risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers, ectopic pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia related to heavy menstruation, osteoporosis, ovarian cysts, and pelvic inflammatory disease; and

     WHEREAS, racial and ethnic health disparities are particularly pronounced in the rates of contraception usage, unintended pregnancies, maternal mortality, and sexually transmitted infections, and these disparities reveal barriers to access to sexual education, medical care, and contraceptives; and

     WHEREAS, a majority of voters in Hawaii believe that matters related to women's reproductive rights, including contraception and abortion, are personal issues that should be decided by women with their families, health care providers, or clergy members; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, the Senate concurring, that the fourth week of January of every year shall be known and designated as "Reproductive Rights Awareness Week," to encourage public awareness, conversation, and support for reproductive rights statewide; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of Health.

Report Title: 

Reproductive Rights Awareness