Faith and Choice Forum to Focus on Contraception

Annual Forum at SUNY Scheduled for May 27, 2010

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Photo, Rev. Mathew Westfox

ALBANY, NY (04/21/2010)(readMedia)-- SUNY Albany's VOX,Project SHAPE, and Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP) will present the seventh annual "Faith and Choice Forum" Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 7:30 pm in the Assembly Hall of the Campus Center at the University at Albany. The program this year will address Birth Control. Clergy from various denominations will speak about pro-choice faith perspectives on contraception including Emergency Contraception, gender roles and responsibilities for family planning.

There will be two presenters. Rabbi Dennis S. Ross, Director of Concerned Clergy for Choice at Family Planning Advocates of New York State, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the access to a full range of reproductive health services. Reverend Matthew Westfox, National Coordinator for Field Services for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. He also serves as Associate Pastor of All Souls Bethlehem Church in Brooklyn, New York, and is ordained through the United Church of Christ.

The goal of the Faith and Choice Forum is to educate and enlighten students about the fact that-media coverage and popular belief to the contrary-many people of faith and many faith institutions are supportive of birth control, medically accurate sex education and reproductive choice; that people of faith including clergy were involved in the struggle for reproductive rights since the beginning of this movement and remain strong and important advocates today. Each year the forum has taken on a different aspect of reproductive health and/or choice, based on student interest.

They University at Albany VOX group is a recognized student organization working to increase awareness among students about sexual health and responsibility and access to reproductive health services and to advocate for reproductive choice. The group does informational tabling, participates in events such as Take Back the Night, and sponsors educational programming.

Supplemental funding for this program has been provided by Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom (SYRF) For more information about the forum contact Blue Carreker, UHPP Vice President for Public Affairs and Marketing at 434-5678 x133 or blue@uhpp.org. Also helping sponsor the program is the University's Project SHAPE which provides health education program on a variety of topics to students.

Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP) is a community-based non-profit organization providing advocacy, education and medical services for reproductive health care since 1934. In 2008, over 11,000 patients made 22,257 visits to UHPP health centers located in Albany, Hudson and Troy. UHPP health educators present over 500 education programs reaching over 6,000 youth and young adults each year. UHPP services are delivered with special concern for the underserved.