May 2024 – Page 2 – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

19 May

Abortion ballot measures could lift Dems in U.S. House races, campaign chief says

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Rights, legislation, United States

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene told reporters Friday that ballot questions on abortion access, which will go before voters in several states this November, can help vulnerable Democratic candidates in swing districts — potentially increasing the odds the U.S. House flips from red to blue.

18 May

The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans

AnnetteLatest News, United StatesAbortion Ban, Abortion Care, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Birth Rate, Birth Trends, California, COVID-19, Healthcare, North Dakota, Tennessee, United States

Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nation’s birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19. https://northdakotamonitor.com/2024/05/18/the-number-of-births-continues-to-fall-despite-abortion-bans/Only Tennessee and North Dakota had small increases in births from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline analysis of provisional federal data on births. In California, births dropped by 5%, or nearly 20,000, for the year. And as is the case in most other states, there will be repercussions now and later for schools and the workforce, said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow…

18 May

How Oregon’s new Planned Parenthood leaders are working to meet increasing need for reproductive health services

MollyLatest News, United StatesOregon, Planned Parenthood, Reproductive Health Services, United States

"Oregon’s two Planned Parenthood affiliates both welcomed new CEOs recently. Dr. Sara Kennedy will oversee Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, which operates clinics in Vancouver, Washington, the Portland metro area, Salem, Bend and Ontario. Amy Handler will oversee Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, which has clinics in the Eugene-Springfield area, Grants Pass and Medford. They’re taking over at a time when nearly half of U.S. states, including Idaho, have passed laws restricting access to abortion and other reproductive health services after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022..."

17 May

Louisiana may reclassify drugs used in abortion as controlled dangerous substances

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Pills, Controlled Dangerous Substances, Louisiana, mifepristone, Substances, United States

"Louisiana lawmakers are considering adding two drugs commonly used in pregnancy and reproductive health care to the state's list of controlled dangerous substances, in a move that has alarmed doctors in the state. Mifepristone and misoprostol have many clinical uses, but one FDA-approved use is to take the pills to induce an abortion up to ten weeks gestation...."

17 May

Private Programs Provide Access to Birth Control. They Can Also Deprive Women of Choice

PatLatest NewsContraception, Healthcare, Rights, Undocumented person, United States

If you’re an undocumented immigrant in Tennessee, you don’t have a lot of options when it comes to birth control. You can’t get an abortion—it’s been banned with very limited exceptions since 2022. You can’t get services from state public-health clinics, which lost federal funding with the abortion ban. The state has backfilled the funding, but a Tennessee law prohibits that money from being used for family-planning services for people without legal status.https://time.com/6978873/step-ahead-birth-control/

16 May

The Doctor Won’t See You Now!

BarbraLatest NewsDisability, Healthcare, People With Disabilities, United States

Women with Disabilities Face Barriers to Healthcare: Part 1https://womensenews.org/2024/05/the-doctor-wont-see-you-now/

16 May

In Missouri’s 2024 elections, Democrats hope to make GOP pay for threats to abortion rights

BarbraLatest NewsAbortion, Election, Missouri, Senate, United States, Vote

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is up for reelection this year, and Democratic challenger Lucas Kunce hopes to use Hawley's anti-abortion stance against him. The matchup could be on the ballot as the same time as a constitutional amendment legalizing abortion rights.

15 May

The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans

PatLatest NewsAbortion Ban, Birth Rate, legislation, North Dakota, Tennessee, United States

Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nation’s birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19. Only Tennessee and North Dakota had small increases in births from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline analysis of provisional federal data on births. In California, births dropped by 5%, or nearly 20,000, for the year. And as is the case in most other states, there will be repercussions now and later for schools and the workforce, said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow…

14 May

Medical residents are increasingly avoiding states with abortion restrictions

AlanLatest NewsAAMC, Abortion Care, Association of American Medical Colleges, Healthcare, Medical Deserts, United States

The AAMC analysis found the number of applicants to OB-GYN residency programs in abortion ban states dropped by 6.7%, compared with a 0.4% increase in states where abortion remains legal. For internal medicine, the drop observed in abortion ban states was over five times as much as in states where abortion is legal. In its analysis, the AAMC said an ongoing decline in interest in ban states among new doctors ultimately “may negatively affect access to care in those states.”

14 May

Telehealth abortions now account for nearly 1 in 5 in US, with thousands accessed under shield laws each month, report says

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Care, Healthcare, mifepristone, Telehealth, United States

Most abortions in the United States are medication abortions, and telehealth has become an increasingly common way to access abortion pills — especially since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to an abortion. In the last few months of 2023, nearly 1 in 5 abortions nationwide — about 17,000 each month — were medication abortions in which the pills were mailed to a patient after a remote consultation with a clinician, according to a new report from #WeCount, a research project led by the Society of Family Planning. When #WeCount started collecting data from abortion providers in April…

13 May

Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate

BarbraLatest News, United StatesAbortion, Catholic Church, Religion, Survey

New research shows that though abortion restrictions are often championed by evangelical lawmakers and activists, other Christian denominations and Abrahamic faiths hold a variety of views on the issue

13 May

Legislation boosts Maryland’s rating with LGBTQ+ policy tracking think tank

BarbraLatest NewsLGBTQIA+, Maryland, United States

While the 2024 session was a bit more understated on new legislative protections for Maryland’s LGBTQ+ population compared to previous years, a nationwide policy tracker reports that the state is creating a more LGBTQ+ friendly state based off recent legislation. The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) follows the ever-changing policy landscape across the United States and how it affects the nation’s LGBTQ+ population. The independent, nonprofit think tank regularly updates a policy map to indicate which states the group deems safer for LGBTQ+ individuals and which have more hostile policies. According to a recent update from the organization, the legislation passed…

12 May

Mother’s Day 2024 health special: Can older women enjoy motherhood through IVF? Know facts and myths

BarbraLatest NewsGeriatric Pregnancy, Healthcare, International, IVF, Mother's Day

n Vitro Fertilization has improved chances of live birth rate but is it the same when older women choose IVF? This Mother's Day 2024, know facts from myths

11 May

Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debateOne year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access

PatLatest NewsAbortion Care, Christianity, Evangelical, Healthcare, Religion, United States

New research shows that though abortion restrictions are often championed by evangelical lawmakers and activists, other Christian denominations and Abrahamic faiths hold a variety of views on the issue.

10 May

One year after FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill, advocates push for more access

PatLatest NewsAccess, Contraception, FDA, Healthcare, United States

More than 100 countries were already selling birth control without a prescription before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — one year ago as of Thursday — approved Opill. Though the hormonal, over-the-counter birth control pill was approved in May 2023, it didn’t reach online retailers or the shelves of major drug stores across the country until a couple of months ago.