Randy – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

18 Apr

New Connecticut bill aims to enshrine minors’ access to reproductive health

RandyLatest NewsConnecticut, Healthcare, Reproductive rights

The bill would codify the right of minors to receive contraceptive and pregnancy-related care without parental permission.

18 Apr

Understanding when HRT makes sense in menopause

RandyLatest NewsHealthcare, HRT, menopause, Reproductive rights, United States

Each day, about 6,000 women in the U.S. enter menopause and begin to deal with the associated physical and mental changes. Menopause is natural as women move away from their reproductive years. Yet the transition can bring about significant physical and emotional changes that can affect a woman’s overall well-being. While most women have minimal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, about 15% will require treatment for more severe problems. The loss of estrogen during menopause can lead to anxiety, bone weakening, insomnia and negative impacts to the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.

17 Apr

Seasonal air pollution found to undermine IVF success

RandyLatest NewsAir Pollution, IVF, Reproductive rights, Scientific Research, United States

A recent study published in BMC Public Health explores the impact of seasonal fluctuations in fine particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5) pollution on the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART).

17 Apr

Conn. Reproductive health advocates push against Trump’s plan to freeze Title X

RandyLatest NewsConnecticut, Reproductive rights, Title X, United States

In a push to protect Title X, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Planned Parenthood and other advocates met on Wednesday to talk about reproductive health services. See less

11 Apr

Texas Republican lawmakers unwilling to change abortion laws to address doomed pregnancies

RandyLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, legislation, Reproductive rights, Texas, United States

For the first time since Texas outlawed nearly all abortions, lawmakers are clarifying the “life of mother” exception. But they don’t plan to address cases where the fetus won’t survive.

11 Apr

Bill could open door to civil lawsuits over abortions and drive away OB/GYNs

RandyLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Florida, Healthcare, legislation, Opinion, Reproductive rights, United States

It also could threaten access to IVF and cancer treatments. This Florida Legislature continues its all-out attack on reproductive freedom. A near-total ban was not far enough for this extreme anti-abortion Legislature. Although the majority of Floridians — 57% — voted to limit government interference with abortion, Florida’s extreme anti-abortion politicians are ignoring the will of the people and seeking to further restrict abortion access in Florida. Now they are seeking to open the door to civil lawsuits for money damages against doctors — and even the friends, family, and clergy members who help individuals seeking abortion care obtain the…

31 Mar

What’s at stake in SC for reproductive rights in case being heard by US Supreme Court on Wednesday

RandyLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, SCOTUS, South Carolina, United States

South Carolina residents could be stripped of the ability to use Medicaid at Planned Parenthood or other reproductive health care centers if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the state after hearing arguments in a case April 2.

31 Mar

George Washington University Faculty file amicus brief urging SCOTUS to protect Planned Parenthood Medicaid coverage

RandyLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, Medicaid, Public Health, Reproductive rights

More than 40 faculty members filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month in support of maintaining Medicaid coverage for Planned Parenthood in South Carolina. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Wednesday for Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which will determine if the state of South Carolina’s 2018 decision to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood infringes on Medicaid beneficiaries’ right to choose their health care providers. In response, 490 public health deans, organizations and professors — including 40 GW faculty members from the Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences…

30 Mar

Sierra Leone debates decriminalizing abortion as women and girls endanger their lives

RandyLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, International, Reproductive rights, Sierra Leone

When she got pregnant at 16, Fatou Esther Jusu was terrified that it would derail her future. Abortion is illegal in Sierra Leone. Fearing judgment from her family, she took friends’ advice and bought misoprostol, a drug whose uses include abortion, from a local pharmacy. It didn't work. Desperate, she tried again and miscarried.

23 Mar

Turn Off the Cameras: End Inhumane Treatment of Women in Michigan Prisons

RandyLatest NewsIncarceration, Michigan, United States, Women

Women in this facility endure dehumanizing procedures that contradict every value espoused in the Governor’s river of hope-filled sentiments.

23 Mar

With Arrest of Midwife, Texas Escalates Chilling Reproductive Rights Crackdown

RandyLatest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Rights, GOP, Healthcare, Midwife, Texas

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of Maria Margarita Rojas on March 17. The Houston-area midwife faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly performing illegal abortions — a second-degree felony — and practicing medicine without a license. The chilling announcement marks Texas’s first criminal case against a health care provider since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Two of Rojas’s employees, Jose Ley and Rubildo Matos, were also arrested.

18 Mar

Q&A: How one advocacy group is stepping in to bolster transgender data

RandyLatest NewsAdvocates for Trans Equity, transgender health care, Transgender Rights, United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a few weeks ago that it would no longer process transgender identity data, including in critical health surveys like the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

18 Mar

Ohio anti-abortion rights lobby files complaint against company for telehealth abortion services

RandyLatest NewsAnti-abortion, Conflict of Interest, Ohio, Reproductive rights, United States

State defers to Ohio State Medical Board, of which the president of Ohio Right to Life is a board member

17 Mar

The Root Causes of the Innovation Gap in Women’s Health

RandyLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, Science, United States, Women's Health

Dr. Dina Radenkovic, CEO of Gameto, discusses the company's pioneering use of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology in fertility treatments, particularly addressing ovarian aging. Its lead product, Fertilo, is an iPSC-derived ovarian support cell line in phase III clinical trials in the US with FDA clearance, and commercial availability in markets like Australia and Latin America. The company faces challenges including the scarcity of human eggs and regulatory hurdles. Radenkovic also highlights the need for better models to study female-specific conditions and the importance of political advocacy and funding to drive innovation in women's health.

17 Mar

How federal funding cuts for biomedical research impact reproductive health

RandyLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Trump, United States

Reproductive health is historically understudied and underfunded in the United States. Scientists across Connecticut and beyond have been working to change that. Scientific initiatives like EndoRISE, a Connecticut-based program focused on advancing endometriosis research, are making strides toward better understanding reproductive health. This hour, we explore how President Trump’s recent funding cuts could impact their progress.