KINGSTON, R.I.- February 19, 2008- Today there are more choices available to women when making decisions about birth control. The abundance of choices leaves many women confused about what is best for them.

Deb Erickson-Owens, a seasoned nurse-midwife, will guide women through the tangled web of information at the University of Rhode Island Wednesday, March 12.

Her talk, “Navigating the Birth Control Maze,” will be held at 7 p.m. in Independence Hall Auditorium, 60 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus.

Her lecture, free and open to the public, will address the current methods available and offer insight, education, and recommendations to assist women in making more informed choices.

Erickson-Owen has worked with women for 20 years providing family planning and pregnancy care. A former director of the URI Nurse-Midwifery Program, she is currently practicing in the Providence area.

“This issue is very important for college students because there are many new methods and choices for young women,” said Karen Stein director of URI’s Women Studies Program and professor of English. “The students need to know about the pluses and minuses of the different forms of birth control.”

Last year the price of birth control soared when drug companies ended their deep discounts, bringing a new financial challenge students have to face.

URI’s Women Studies Program presents the Fredrika Schweers Memorial Lecture on Women and Health each spring semester. For more information, call the Women’s Studies Program at 874-5150.