Study Finds Inconsistent Access To Plan B In Indian Country
Despite high incidence of sexual assault on the Navajo Nation, many women in Indian Country have been denied access to Plan B.
The Food and Drug Administration has made the "morning after pill," as it’s often called, available over the counter for anyone, no matter the age.
When Micha Bitsinnie, a member of the Navajo Nation, recently tried to get Plan B at an Indian Health Service facility in Albuquerque, the pharmacist made her wait more than two hours.
“They huddled in the back corner,” Bitsinnie said. “The receptionist lady came back and said, ‘we’re going to have to have you see the nurse and get an exam to make sure you’re not pregnant.’”
A recent survey of Indian Health Service facilities shows not all provide emergency contraception and the majority that do require patients be a certain age.
Charon Asetoyer is CEO of the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center, which conducted the survey.
“There is no continuity and consistency,” Asetoyer said. “There are still service units that don’t provide it at all and there are some that are in total compliance with the law and have no age restrictions.”
Asetoyer said with the high rates of sexual assault in Indian Country, women should not have to deal with any more complications.
American Indian women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than any other race. Bitsinnie has seen it first-hand.
“They’ve been sexually assaulted in shelters where they’re supposed to have security guard,” Bitsinnie said. “They’ve been sexually assaulted in the streets. There’s just no safe place for them. This is why it’s so important to me they have at least this access to Plan B.”
The Indian Health Service denied these inconsistencies, saying the agency is fully in compliance with FDA guidelines.
