Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz scored two legislative victories in his push to combat teen pregnancy. On March 14, legislation that Dinowitz sponsored called the “Healthy Teens Act,” passed the State Assembly. The Act establishes a grant program for sex education.

In addition, on March 20, the Assembly passed a Dinowitz-sponsored bill that will allow emergency contraception (EC), commonly referred to as the “morning after pill,” to be dispensed without prescription.

Of the “Healthy Teens Act,” Dinowitz commented, “Statistics have shown that intensive educational programs, with parent involvement, have a dramatic effect on teenagers’ decision-making skills.” According to Dinowitz, the state of New York had almost 40,000 teen pregnancies in 2004.

Dinowitz believes that his EC legislation will also help prevent unwanted pregnancies. Dinowitz’s office noted in a statement that in 2002, 123,048 abortions were induced in New York State, 9,400 of which were performed on girls aged 17 and younger.

“These statistics are a real eye opener to what women face,” Dinowitz said. “Immediate access to EC is so important because the critical window of time for its effectiveness will likely have passed by the time a woman can get an appointment with a doctor.”