Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

In the near future I will introduce a resolution to declare October 2021 as Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than a million pregnancies in the U.S. end in miscarriage or stillbirth every year. One in four women will experience miscarriage or infant loss in their lifetime. While these experiences are not uncommon, many people are unaware of how prevalent pregnancy loss is until they experience it firsthand. There is a stigma and lack of openness about these experiences, and many feel isolated in their grief.    

It is time to raise public awareness and bring conversations about pregnancy loss out in the open. Loss of any kind is never easy to talk about, but people need to know their loss is recognized and have the space to share their grief in their communities. Individuals who are surrounded by people and organizations that recognize what they are going through will feel more supported and are more likely to access the resources they need to heal.   

In 1988, October was officially proclaimed as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Since then many organizations have continued to recognize the month of October in this way. In that light, please join me in declaring October 2021 as Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. I hope we can come together to recognize that many of our constituents cope with miscarriage and other pregnancy losses each year, and help eliminate the stigma about openly discussing these experiences with which so many of us struggle.