Phoenix – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

26 Dec

Trump Administration Quietly Bans Abortions for Veterans—Even After Rape or When Health is in Danger

PhoenixLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Sexual Assault, Trump, United States, Veterans

The Trump Administration has confirmed it is no longer providing abortion care for veterans relying on VA health care even in instances of rape, incest, or to save the health of the pregnant person. While veterans and their family members were previously able to to access abortion care in these specific circumstances, this new policy offers only a narrow and vague exception to save the life of a pregnant veteran or their family member. These kinds of exceptions to save a person’s life often don’t work in reality.

25 Dec

19 states sue HHS over a move that could curtail youth gender-affirming care

PhoenixLatest NewsHealthcare, litigation, transgender health care, United States

A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday sued the Department of Health and Human Services over a declaration that could complicate access to gender-affirming care for young people.

24 Dec

Proposed HHS rule on gender-affirming care radically expands use of Medicare, Medicaid as policy weapons

PhoenixLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, transgender health care, Trump Administration, United States

Last Thursday, the Trump administration released a proposed rule prohibiting hospitals that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding from providing any gender affirming care to minors, even when privately funded.

24 Dec

A Very Bad Year for Women’s Health

PhoenixLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Trump, United States, Women's Health

A year’s worth of reporting on the depth of damage this administration has wreaked on women’s health.

23 Dec

How testosterone fell out of favor in medicine — and how it came back

PhoenixLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, Testosterone, United States

The first thing Abraham Morgentaler learned about testosterone is that it’s a brain hormone. It was in a lab at Harvard, while an undergraduate in the late 1970s, where he had this realization: A castrated male lizard put in a cage with a female would not perform its mating ritual and would be uninterested in the female; but the same lizard, dosed with testosterone in the areas of the brain sensitive to testosterone, would — its dewlap coming out, head bobbing.

23 Dec

Commentary

PhoenixLatest NewsFertility, Healthcare, IVF, Opinion, Reproductive rights, United States, Virginia

Virginia helped pioneer IVF. It’s time to lead again Forty-four years ago on Dec. 28, my mother gave birth to me, the first baby in the U.S. conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). I exist because of science, and most importantly, because my parents had access to this groundbreaking new healthcare in Virginia.

13 Dec

CDC Delays Annual Abortion Report Amid Internal Turmoil

PhoenixLatest NewsAbortion Care, CDC, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Trump Administration, United States

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's yearly abortion report is delayed due to staffing and internal issues Abortions increased about 4% in early 2025, new data shows, with 27% now provided through telehealth Many were provided under shield laws, which allow clinicians in states where abortion is legal to prescribe medication across state lines For decades, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a yearly report tracking abortion trends across the country.

13 Dec

Fewer characters on TV had abortions this year — and more stories reinforced shame

PhoenixLatest NewsHealthcare, Representation, Reproductive rights, TV

Storylines about abortion and conversations about it showed up on television 65 times this year, on prestigious dramas like The Pitt and Call the Midwife, on reality shows such as W.A.G.s to Riches and Love is Blind and on lowbrow animated comedies like Family Guy and South Park. That's about the same as last year. In 2024, TV shows featured 66 such plotlines.

12 Dec

Positive news for reproductive rights in 2025

PhoenixLatest NewsGlobal, Healthcare, Reproductive rights

As we wrap up the year, we’re zooming in on inspiring moments and wins. 2025 was undoubtedly difficult, with escalating anti-choice activity and governments slashing funding for global health programmes, but the courage and resilience of passionate people have continued to shine through. We’ve gained ground in ways that will change people’s lives for the better.

12 Dec

My Son is Pregnant, but his Wife had a Miscarriage

PhoenixLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, Transgender, United States

My friend sounded proud. Real proud, when she announced that the heterosexual couple, who had been trying for over two years to start a family, had finally succeeded. “My son is pregnant!” she excitedly exclaimed to everyone in earshot at the local dog park. Neighbors reacted with excitement and glee, amplified by spontaneous shouts of “Congratulations!”

11 Dec

Amid violence and displacement: a reproductive health crisis in Gaza

PhoenixLatest NewsGaza, Global, Healthcare, Palestinian, Reproductive rights

Over two years of Israeli attacks, chronic displacement, siege, and starvation have devastated the lives of women in Gaza and eroded whatever control they had over their lives, futures, and bodies, with a devastating impact on women’s reproductive health and rights.

11 Dec

I hate getting Pap smears. Is there a safe alternative?

PhoenixLatest Newscervical cancer, Healthcare, Pap Smear, Reproductive rights

Pap smears are not fun. At best, they're uncomfortable. At worst, they can be deeply upsetting for people who've experienced sexual or medical trauma.

25 Nov

Lifetime toll: 840 million women faced partner or sexual violence

PhoenixLatest NewsGlobal, Healthcare, Sexual Assault, Sexual violence

Violence against women remains one of the world’s most persistent and under-addressed human rights crises, with very little progress in two decades, according to a landmark report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN partners.

25 Nov

Hope for women’s hormone health

PhoenixLatest NewsHealthcare, menopause, Pennsylvania, Reproductive rights, United States

A medical office in York County is offering hope for patients suffering from menopause.

25 Nov

Updated WHO data reveal persistence of violence against women and girls across the Western Pacific

PhoenixLatest NewsGender based violence, Global, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Sexual Assault

As the world marks the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, updated data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that violence against women and girls remains alarmingly widespread. Globally, nearly one in three girls and women have experienced intimate partner or sexual violence during their lifetime − a figure that has barely changed since 2000. These latest findings underscore an indisputable reality: despite efforts made in ending gender-based violence, it continues to be a persistent − yet preventable − social and public health emergency, as well as a grave human rights violation.