President Obama Moves to Rescind Dangerous Bush-Era 'Conscience Rule'

For Immediate Release:	February 22, 2009
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Washington, DC (Friday, February 27, 2009) – Advocates for Youth applauds President Obama for taking an important first step toward eliminating the HHS “refusal rule” imposed by the Bush Administration that would have limited women’s access to birth control. The rule would have allowed health care professionals to refuse, on religious or moral grounds, to provide women with the family planning services they need.

“President Obama’s action to overturn this onerous anti-contraception rule signals that the health and well-being of women is a priority,” said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth. “Young women already face enough barriers to obtaining family planning services. The last thing they need is to have doctors and other health care professionals they trust turn their backs on them for ideological reasons.”

According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Department of Health and Human Services has sent a proposed rule change “Rescission of the Regulation Issued by the Department of Health and Human Services on December 19, 2008, Implementing the Church Amendments (42 U.S.C. 300a-7), Section 245 of the Public Health Service” for review to OMB.

Once a notice of the rule change is published in the Federal Register, the public will have a chance to submit comments.

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Advocates for Youth is a national organization that promotes programs and advocates for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.