Storytelling effort kicks off at Miami Dade College’s Kendall Campus
Miami, FL—In a community event today at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Kendall Campus, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy announced an effort to collect and amplify stories from some of the millions of women who have benefited from contraceptive coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“We chose to have this discussion in Miami and at MDC because South Florida is an excellent microcosm of America as a whole—a diverse population full of young people who have bright futures ahead of them. And that includes deciding if, when, and under what circumstances to become pregnant. These young people—and all people—should be able to obtain sexual health information and birth control, something that benefits everyone in our society,” said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, The National Campaign.
It is estimated that 55 million women have benefited from ACA coverage of preventive services, which includes all FDA-approved methods of contraception without co-pays or deductibles. Although there are threats to such coverage in the new Congress, ACA is still in effect and enrollment remains open through January 31. Any rollback of health coverage could result in dramatic declines in access to effective and affordable contraception.
Ehrlich was joined today by MDC’s Associate Dean John Adkins; Taylor Barnes, Director of Civic Nation’s United State of Women; Katie Roders Turner, a Navigator Project Coordinator for Florida Covering Kids & Families at South Florida College of Public Health; and Stephanely Rivas, an actress from Miami. Students from Miami Dade College attended and contributed to the conversation.
Rivas, the daughter of a teen mother, talked about her experience enrolling in ACA and why it’s so important to her to have contraceptive coverage. “Birth control allows me to create a better life for myself and for the kids I want to have someday. It’s really more for my future kids than anyone else.”
Ehrlich added, “When we talk about policy it’s easy to lose sight of the real people for whom ACA coverage has made a powerful difference.” She also noted recent National Campaign polling which found that 73% of those age 18-34 say birth control is important to them.
To participate in The National Campaign’s storytelling project, please visit https://thenationalcampaign.org/tell-us-your-birth-control-story
About The National Campaign: The National Campaign is a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families by preventing teen and unplanned pregnancy. Please visit us at www.TheNationalCampaign.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
About Miami Dade College: Miami Dade College (MDC) is the higher education institution with the largest undergraduate enrollment in the America, with more than 165,000 students. It is also the nation’s top producer of Associate in Arts and Science degrees and awards more degrees to minorities than any other college or university in the country. The college’s eight campuses and outreach center offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film, engineering, biological sciences, and others. In fact, its academic and workforce training programs are national models of excellence. MDC is also renowned for its rich cultural programming. It is home of the Miami Book Fair, Miami International Film Festival, the MDC Live Arts Performing Arts Series, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, a major sculpture park and large art gallery and theater systems. MDC has admitted more than 2,000,000 students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960. For more information please visit www.mdc.edu.
About Civic Nation’s United State of Women: Gender equality is at the forefront of national conversations taking place on the news, social media, and among individuals. The United State of Women believes now is the time to leverage this momentum to fuel further change. Learn more at http://www.theunitedstateofwomen.org/