Iowa Nurses Fear Pause on Paying for Emergency Contraception Could Drive Away Rape Victims

Despite the decision of Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s to halt longstanding state payments for emergency contraceptives and abortions for sexual assault victims, health systems, including the Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, have pledged these medications will continue to be free for patients.

The hospital, which is part of the Methodist Health System in Nebraska, will rely on donations through its foundation to cover that expense, said Nicole Brunow, the hospital's sexual assault nurse examiner/sexual assault response team coordinator.

"We would never require survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and elder abuse to foot the bill if funding ran out," Brunow said. "Methodist forensic's nursing team is well aware that the fear of cost may prevent survivors from seeking help, which could lead to worse and potentially fatal outcomes, which is why crime victim balances at Methodist are eventually written off."

The Des Moines Register: Iowa Nurses Fear Pause on Paying for Emergency Contraception Could Drive Away Rape Victims