Western Urban Initiative for Reproductive Health
Regional Summit

Los Angeles, October 28-30, 2009

• Hosted by the California Black Women’s Health Project
• Participating cities will include: Eugene, OR; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Seattle, WA

Background

California Black Women’s Health Project and its coalition partners will host a Regional Summit in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to the host city of Los Angeles, this Summit will include Oakland and Sacramento, CA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; and, Las Vegas, NV.

Las Vegas is a high profile urban center with significant problems relating to reproductive health policy. For example, emergency rooms are not required to provide information about emergency contraception to sexual assault survivors, and policies regarding sexual education (including abstinence-only sex education in some districts) are in desperate need of reform.

Sacramento has several key reproductive health and justice organizations that have played an important and historic role in the reproductive justice movement and can share best practices and insights about local reproductive health needs and policies.

In Oakland, almost 70% of residents are people of color and the city is struggling with many urban challenges. Public health officials in Oakland are implementing exciting programs through which they partner with community members to engage them in advocacy, and part of the goal of the Summit is to see these innovative approaches broadened to include reproductive and sexual health.

The Reproductive Justice Coalition of LA, UCLA REACH Community Collaborative, Reproductive Justice Alliance, and SisterSong will help identify key stakeholders and participants in the Western Regional Summit.