Project Prevention’s Controversial Cash for Sterilization and Birth Control Program to Expand

PASADENA, Calif. — At a press conference today in California, Project Prevention announced that it will raise the cash incentive paid to drug addicted and/or alcoholic women who choose long term or permanent birth control to $300. Previously, the incentive was $200. In addition, the first 100 women in 2006 to take advantage of the program will be paid $500. The increased cash incentives are part of an aggressive national grassroots campaign to raise the total number of clients served by the organization to 2,006 by the end of 2006. Project Prevention’s mission is to reduce the number of substance-exposed births to zero.

“Nothing positive comes from an addict giving birth numerous times only to have her children taken away — it only sends the addict deeper into her addiction because of the guilt felt in losing yet another child,” said Barbara Harris, founder of Project Prevention. “I know this first hand, after adopting 4 of 8 children born to a Los Angeles drug addict, and decided to start Project Prevention after a failed attempt at legislation that would have made using birth control mandatory for drug addicts and alcoholics in California.”

{snip}

Founded in 1998, Project Prevention has paid 1,684 drug or alcohol addicted clients in 39 states and the District of Columbia to obtain long term birth control. With 42 local and state chapters nationwide, Project Prevention intends to meet its goal to increase the number of clients served by raising the dollar value of its cash incentive to $300, providing a higher cash incentive of $500 to the first 100 women who take advantage of the program in 2006, and expanding its grassroots network of local and state outreach chapters.

{snip}

To learn more about Project Prevention, how to volunteer, how to start a chapter in your community, or to make a donation, please visit: www.projectprevention.org.