SR66

WHEREAS, the benefits of contraception are widely recognized and include improved health and well-being, reduced global maternal mortality, health benefits of pregnancy spacing for maternal and child health, female engagement in the work force, and economic self-sufficiency for women; and

WHEREAS, ninety-nine percent of women in the United States who have been sexually active report having used some form of contraception; and

WHEREAS, other benefits of using contraception may include decreased bleeding and pain with menstrual periods and reduced risk of gynecologic disorders, including a decreased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2020 Hawaii Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System report, between 2012 and 2016, approximately forty-seven percent of all pregnancies in Hawaii were unintended; and

WHEREAS, the women most likely to have an unintended pregnancy in the State were Native Hawaiian, Filipino, or Pacific Islander; those under twenty years of age, unmarried, and insured through Medicaid or uninsured before pregnancy; those who had three or more previous live births; or those who were at or below one hundred percent of the federal poverty level; and

WHEREAS, unintended pregnancy is related to adverse health behaviors including late prenatal care; smoking during pregnancy; placing the infant on their stomach or side to sleep, which is a major risk factor for sudden infant death; and a greater likelihood of postpartum depression; and

WHEREAS, one issue contributing to unintended pregnancies is lack of access to contraception, which includes availability, affordability, insurance coverage, transportation, and convenience; and

WHEREAS, pharmacist refusals to fill contraceptive prescriptions or provide emergency contraception, as well as pharmacies that refuse to stock contraceptives, are considerable barriers to access of this essential health care; and

WHEREAS, the placing of condoms behind locked glass is an access barrier to contraception that likely impacts the role condoms play in reducing unintended pregnancy and offering protection against sexually transmitted infections; and

WHEREAS, a study conducted by the University of Iowa in 2011 showed an increase in retail sales of condoms when they were moved from behind locked glass; and

WHEREAS, access to comprehensive contraceptive care and contraceptive methods are an integral component of essential health care and thus retail stores and pharmacies should adopt policies that ensure full, unrestricted access to contraception; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that retail stores and pharmacies doing business in the State are urged to adopt policies on a national and local level to guarantee an individual's unhindered access to all United States Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Companies, Inc.; Chief Executive Officer of Costco; Chief Executive Officer of CVS Health; Executive Vice President and President of Walgreens Pharmacy; President and Chief Executive Officer of Walmart Inc.; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Target Corporation; President of Times Supermarkets; and President of Retail Merchants of Hawaii for distribution to the store managers of every Safeway, Costco, Long's, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and Times retail location in the State that is located within one mile of a high school.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Women's Legislative Caucus; Retail Stores; Pharmacies; Contraceptives; Access

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	66
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII