Pacific Institute for Women's Health

Photos: Ann Johansson

The Pacific Institute for Women's Health believes that women's health is a human right, and that access to contraception, reproductive freedom and gender equality are central to women’s empowerment and social justice.

Our mission is to increase the ability of women to make informed decisions about their sexuality and reproduction. We advance reproductive choice and defend sexual and reproductive rights for women and girls around the world.

Pacific Institute for Women's Health
3440 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 205
Los Angeles, California 90010

Tel: 213.386.2600
Fax: 213.385.0705
E-mail: piwh@piwh.org

It works better!
Teen-Focused Emergency Contraception Media Campaign Hits Los Angeles Today

New Bilingual Campaign Designed to Raise EC Awareness, Accessibility Among Youth of Color

Los Angeles, CA - For young people seeking a way to prevent unintended pregnancy, today Pharmacy Access Partnership and the Pacific Institute of Women's Health launched a bilingual (English/Spanish) print media campaign in Los Angeles, CA, designed to raise Latina and African American adolescents' awareness of and access to emergency contraception (EC) in pharmacies. Los Angeles County has among the highest teen birth rates and lowest levels of EC awareness in California: 41.2 births per 1,000, higher than the statewide rate of 39.5 per 1,000. Moreover, birthrates among Latina and African American teens are even higher than the state or county average.

The concept for the post cards, above, was based on research showing that young women of color want more information about EC and where to get confidential, respectful EC services. The cards will be distributed first in Los Angeles schools, pharmacies, hair salons and cafes/restaurants, then across the state and nationwide.

Outcomes in Reproductive Health

The effectiveness of reproductive health education at the community level depends on how well integrated programs are. Integration is a proactive way of providing various types of information and services to the community at once. It increases the benefits that an individual or the community at large, gains from a single interaction with a community educator. This is achieved by training professionals and volunteers at community based organizations (CBOs) in the appropriate integration of reproductive health information into their on-going programs.

An on-the-ground collaborative project with three CBOs in Los Angeles illustrates the benefits of integrating reproductive health into programs serving Latina women. We have rooted an understanding about reproductive health and rights in the institutional capacity of partner CBOs, and established a training system that will allow for future staff development, continuing community education, and improvement in women's health.

Between July 2004 and August 2006, the Pacific Institute for Women's Health worked with the East Los Angeles Women's Center, the Los Angeles Indigenous People's Alliance, and the Organization of Lideres Campesinas.

The outcomes of this project include:

A Guide to Sexual and Reproductive Health that contains accurate, scientific information on sexuality and reproduction, as well as an overview of sexual and reproductive rights, social justice and a focus on gender power dynamics.

Training Exercises for use in group sessions, including a discussion plan, group dynamic, and suggestions for evaluation.

A Concise Visual Aid in the form of an easy to carry "flip chart" (or "rotafolio") for group presentations on the main sexuality and reproductive health issues addressed in the comprehensive Guide.

Pacific Institute Launches EC Media Campaign in Spanish

This spring, the Pacific Institute for Women's Health launched a Spanish-language version of its highly successful emergency contraception (EC) media campaign.

Developed with pro bono support from advertising agency McCann Erickson Los Angeles, the campaign is targeted at young Spanish-speaking women and youth in the Los Angeles area.

Although EC can be obtained in California pharmacies without a prescription, many women are unaware of its existence. Myths and misinformation abound, fueled by politically-motivated attempts to obscure the facts about EC and confuse it with abortion. The campaign is aimed at dispelling those myths by providing women with accurate information about how EC works and where they can get it.

As with all of our reproductive rights initiatives, the Pacific Institute's ultimate goal is to empower women with accurate knowledge that will help them make informed decisions about their reproductive lives.

To learn more about the campaign, contact us here.