Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109620

Lourdes A. Rivera, JD, National Health Law Program, 2639 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034, 310-204-6010, rivera@healthlaw.org

Latino communities have identified access to reproductive health services and information as a priority need to address pressing concerns such as teen pregnancy, cervical cancer, and HIV infection rates among Latinas. Yet, national health policies and developments in the health care infrastructure are creating insurmountable obstacles to access. These include the rising numbers of the uninsured; the potential block granting of Medicaid, Medicaid budget cuts, and/or state Medicaid waiver programs; immigrant health policies; and policies on language access. Specific restrictions on reproductive health services and information also are being promoted, including abortion restrictions placed on federal appropriations; the disproportionate funding of abstinence-only programs; and the failure to allow emergency contraception to be available without a prescription. In addition, the health care marketplace has experienced dramatic consolidation involving religiously controlled and for-profit health systems affecting access to affordable health care, including reproductive health. This session will discuss how these and other issues converge to deny Latino communities access to comprehensive, culturally and linguistically competent, and quality services that they want and need. We will discuss advocacy initiatives that participants can pursue to help ensure healthy communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify emerging national health and reproductive rights policies that directly impact Latino communities.
• Understand how these policies work to either impede or facilitate access to comprehensive, quality, culturally and linguistically competent reproductive health services and information.
• Engage in advocacy to protect and promote broad reproductive health needs as defined and identified by the Latino community.

Keywords: Latino Health, Reproductive Health

Related Web page: www.healthlaw.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation