REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS – Page 2 – Updated daily. A service of Toby's Fund for Reproductive Health Equity

02 Nov

The science of conception is clear

AlanLatest Newsconception, Healthcare, Pregnancy, Reproductive rights, United States

Regarding the article “Abortion issue key in retention vote” (Oct. 26): Science is a prime value in American culture. At least a dozen embryology texts, dating from 1887 (Quimby, I.N. Address at the 38th Annual Meeting of the A.M.A.: ”the life of the foetus commences at the moment of conception”) to 1964 (Guttmacher, A.F. et al in “Planning Your Family,” p. 36: “Fertilization, then, has taken place; a baby has been conceived”) refer to fertilization as the beginning of a new life.

01 Nov

Biomedical innovations in contraception: gaps, obstacles, and solutions for sexual and reproductive health

RandyLatest NewsContraception, Diverse Populations, Healthcare, Reproductive rights

Contraception and family planning are vital aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Despite major advances in modern contraception over the past 60 years many gaps remain, and the rate of unplanned pregnancies and abortions remains high. These issues have given rise to a new era in contraception research with great opportunities and many challenges. These opportunities include new innovations, particularly in the areas of male contraception, non-hormonal female contraception, and multipurpose prevention methods that provide contraception in combination with protection against leading sexually transmitted pathogens; fast tracking new inventions currently in the pipeline by intensifying support from government,…

01 Nov

Too many rats? Birth control is one city’s answer

RandyLatest NewsContraception, Massachusetts, Rats

In Somerville, Massachusetts just outside of Boston, everyone has a horror story about the rats.

01 Nov

Global Movement for Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights Begins

RandyLatest NewsInternational, Reproductive rights, Sexual Health

The seventh International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) is taking place 1–6 November 2025 in the vibrant city of Bogotá, Colombia at the Ágora Bogotá Convention Center. ICFP 2025 will unite leaders, advocates, and innovators from across the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) community to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and drive progress toward achieving and safeguarding SRHR for all.

31 Oct

How women physicians can shape the future of health care AI

RandyLatest NewsAI, Healthcare, Physicians, United States, Women

Cardiologist and clinical informaticist Ashley Beecy, MD, gets a lot questions these days about integrating augmented intelligence (AI)—commonly called artificial intelligence—into health care. As the chief AI officer at Sutter Health, in Northern California, she leads the strategic advancement of AI across her health system.

31 Oct

Researchers discuss gaps, obstacles and solutions for contraception

RandyLatest NewsContraceptives, Healthcare, Massachusetts, Reproductive rights, United States

Contraception and family planning are vital aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Despite major advances in modern contraception over the past 60 years, many gaps remain and the rate of unplanned pregnancies and abortions remains high. These issues have given rise to a new era in contraception research with great opportunities and many challenges.

30 Oct

Judge Quashes DOJ Effort To Acquire Private Patient Information

RileyLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, United States

In a scathing order, a judge in Washington State said the government’s real purpose was to intimidate providers into dropping or paring back transgender care.

30 Oct

Targeting Black Women Workers

RileyLatest NewsMinority Groups, Unemployment, United States

It is no accident that Black women are being disproportionately affected by Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce. In the past 120 days, approximately 300,000 Black women have been forced out of the workforce in tech, finance, healthcare, DEI, and the federal government. In January 2025, Black women comprised 12 percent of the federal workforce, nearly twice the national average. Tragically, Dr. Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Federal Reserve Governor, received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Unsurprisingly, she’s now on the chopping block. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has rightly pointed out that Black women’s employment is a “key metric of the…

30 Oct

The Quiet Collapse of America’s Reproductive Health Safety Net

RileyLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, Trump Administration, United States

In late October, Maine Family Planning announced three rural clinics in northern Maine would close by month’s end. These primary care and reproductive health clinics served about 800 patients, many uninsured or on Medicaid.

29 Oct

MN. Attorney General Ellison blocks illegal cuts to comprehensive sexual health education

RileyLatest NewsHealthcare, Minnesota, Reproductive rights, Sex Education, United States

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction late Monday blocking the Trump administration from defunding reproductive and sexual health education programs unless those programs agreed to fully erase any acknowledgment of gender identity from their curricula. The ruling is the latest in a lawsuit filed by 16 states and the District of Columbia, which Attorney General Ellison co-led. The states sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in September alleging the administration was denying young people services for cruel and purely political reasons with no regard for the law.

29 Oct

Court Ruling Protects Maryland’s Teen Reproductive Health Education Programs

RileyLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, Sex Education, United States

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from cutting funding to teen reproductive and sexual health education programs that include language affirming all gender identities.

28 Oct

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin resuming abortion services after nearly a month

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Care, BadgerCare, Health care, Insurance, megabill, Planned Parenthood, United States, Wisconsin

“Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is restarting abortion services after a nearly month-long pause due to a federal budget and tax law that threatens to withhold Medicaid funding from organizations that provide abortion services. The organization paused services on Oct. 1, due to a provision in the federal megabill signed by President Donald Trump that bars Medicaid payments for one year to organizations that received more than $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in fiscal year 2023 and primarily engage in family planning services and reproductive health and provide abortions. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin had said the pause was temporary as they explored…

28 Oct

Stillbirths in the United States

RileyLatest NewsHealthcare, Reproductive rights, Stillbirth, United States

Stillbirth—the death of a fetus at or after 20 weeks’ gestation—impacts nearly 21 000 families in the United States each year.1,2 Although commonly perceived to be rare and unavoidable, stillbirth occurs in 5.74 per 1000 US births (10.34 per 1000 births among non-Hispanic Black individuals),2 and nearly half of term stillbirths are thought to be preventable.3 Little progress has been made in reducing stillbirth rates in the United States in recent decades.1,4 In 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services established a Stillbirth Working Group.

28 Oct

Disability Reproductive Equity Agenda: Protecting the Reproductive Rights of Disabled People in 2025 and Beyond

RileyLatest NewsDisability, Healthcare, Reproductive rights, United States

Disabled people face more barriers to accessing their reproductive health care and rights than nondisabled people,1 and those barriers continue to grow as elected officials attack legal protections, funding, and programs.2 On May 6, 2025, the Center for American Progress’ Disability Justice Initiative hosted more than 50 advocates from the reproductive and disability rights communities to discuss common goals and develop a communitywide agenda for 2025 and beyond. The guiding question for the working convening was, “What is the world we want to imagine for ourselves?”

27 Oct

Ohio seeks to cut off Planned Parenthood as a Medicaid provider

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Legislation, cancer screening, Contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, legislation, Medical Abortion, medical providers, Ohio, Planned Parenthood, sti testing, United States

“Ohio is seeking to end its Medicaid provider contract with Planned Parenthood facilities around the state, which would block state funds from flowing to the organization for non-abortion care including contraception, STI testing, cancer screenings and others. In a letter dated Sept. 24, 2025, the Ohio Department of Medicaid cited recent federal legislation that prohibits state departments of Medicaid from issuing reimbursements to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood for one year….”