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C.O.L.O.R.
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) supports the basic human right of Latinas to have access to safe and affordable abortion options. COLOR believes that the decision to have an abortion is a private matter decided by a woman with her doctor, her family and her faith. Unfortunately, many myths about abortion are common in our society. COLOR seeks to spread factual information about abortion and other reproductive health issues in order to improve the health of Latinas and their families.
MYTH: Abortion causes breast cancer. FACT: In 2003, experts from the National Cancer Institute confirmed that research studies have clearly shown that “abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk.” (National Abortion Federation, 2003) Also in 2003, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concluded that there was no evidence to support a link between abortion and breast cancer. (www.komen.org)
MYTH: Latinas do not have abortions. FACT: According to 2000 data from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 20 percent of women who had abortions that year were Latina, 32 percent were African-American and 41 percent were white. Among Latinas between the ages of 15 and 44, 25 percent of pregnancies ended in abortion.
MYTH: Abortions are dangerous. FACT: Abortion is one of the safest surgical procedures for women in the United States. Less than 0.5 percent of women who have an abortion experience a problem. The risk of death associated with abortion is about one-tenth of the risk of childbirth. (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2004) Before abortion was made legal in 1973, women faced dangerous self-induced abortions or underground abortions performed by unlicensed individuals.
MYTH: Abortion is used as a birth control method. FACT: In 2000, 54 percent of women who had abortions were using a form of birth control in the month they became pregnant. Women who were not using birth control did not think they would get pregnant or had concerns about using birth control. (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2004)
MYTH: Women have abortions for selfish or careless reasons. FACT: Women who decide to have abortions do so for serious reasons that protect their families and their futures. The most commonly cited reason for having an abortion is that having a child would interfere with a woman’s education, work or ability to care for other children (74 percent of women who have abortions). Many women have abortions because they cannot afford a baby now (73 percent of women who have abortions.) Finally, 48 percent of women who have abortions did not want to be a single mother or were having relationship problems. (Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2005)
MYTH: Taking emergency contraception causes an abortion. FACT: Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy – it does not cause an abortion. When taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, emergency contraception prevents ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries), prevents fertilization (the union of the sperm and the egg), or prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. Emergency contraception does not affect an existing pregnancy.
MYTH: All women can exercise their right to abortion. FACT: Although the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision gave women the right to safe and legal abortion, the service is not available to some women, including many Latinas. Legal restrictions like parental notification and limitations on public funding create barriers to women who seek abortions. The cost of an abortion can make it difficult for many women to obtain the service. Lack of availability of abortion providers also creates obstacles for women seeking abortions. In Colorado, 78 percent of counties have no abortion providers. This forces women to travel long distances to obtain an abortion.
COLOR exists to protect the community from attacks on Latina reproductive freedom and takes a value-based, multi-issue, inclusive approach. For Latinas, advocating for reproductive rights includes more than just abortion. Pursuing a holistic approach to improve the reproductive health status of all Latinas, COLOR’s areas of action include breast and cervical cancer, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, family planning and contraception, abortion, and comprehensive sexuality education. Fundamentally COLOR believes that if the mind, body and spirit of a Latina are strong then she will be empowered to make healthy decisions concerning her body and, ultimately, her life
The mission of COLOR is to educate on, to advocate for, and to promote the quality of healthcare and reproductive rights for the sisterhood of Latinas. For more information about COLOR, contact 303/393-0382 or info@colorlatina.org.
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