United States

Ohio advocates fight back as U.S. Supreme Court asked to review same-sex marriage decision

Ohio LGBTQ+ advocates will soon start collecting signatures for their equal rights proposals as the U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to review its 2015 same-sex marriage decision. It’s been 10 years since SCOTUS decided in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case originating out of Ohio where justices determined that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry. The ruling legalized same-sex marriage across the country.
Read More

Week In Review

Illinois  Governor  JB  Pritzker  signed  the  Wellness  and  Oversight  for  Psychological  Resources  Act  (WOPR),  which  limits  the  use  of  artificial  intelligence  (AI)  in  therapy  and  psychotherapy  services.  WOPR  prohibits  using  AI  in  the  state  for  therapeutic  decision-making,  but  allows  licensed  behavioral  health  professionals  to  use  AI  for  administrative  and  support  tasks.  WOPR  aims  to  protect  patients  from  “unregulated  and  unqualified”  AI  products,  especially  amid  concerns  over  the  use  of  AI  chatbots  in  youth  mental  health  services.  It  also  seeks  to  preserve  the  jobs  of  thousands  of  behavioral  health  providers  in  Illinois.
Read More

Congresswoman Friedman Announces Legislation to Restore Planned Parenthood Funding

U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) held a press conference at West Hollywood City Hall alongside city officials, members of local Planned Parenthoods, and healthcare providers to introduce the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act. Friedman’s new bicameral legislation aims to repeal a recently enacted Republican ban on Medicaid reimbursements for services provided at Planned Parenthood clinics. The bill is seen as a critical step toward protecting vital and affordable healthcare services that millions of Americans rely on.
Read More

Patient Numbers at NIH Hospital Have Plummeted Under Trump, Jeopardizing Care

The number of people receiving treatment at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center — the renowned research hospital that cares for patients with rare or life-threatening diseases — has tumbled under the second Trump administration, according to government documents and interviews with current and former NIH employees.
Read More

Trump cuts threaten access to birth control for millions of women

Contraception is a routine part of life for many Americans and polls show people across political parties agree that it should be legal and accessible. But the Trump administration is walking back access to birth control for some people — including withholding funding from a Nixon-era program that guarantees access to contraception for low income people.
Read More

Major Developments in Sexual & Reproductive Health

By mid-June, sixteen state legislatures (AZ, CA, DE, FL, MA, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, VT, and WI), five territory legislatures (AS, GU, MP, PR, and VI) and the District of Columbia had convened their regular sessions. Thirty-four states have adjourned their regular sessions (AL, AK, AR, CO, CT, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV and WY). (As of June 15, 2025)
Read More

Taxes, religious freedom, and additional out-of-the-box proposals

Both proponents and opponents of abortion have invoked creative approaches to advance their positions. For example, abortion choice proponents in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Utah and Wyoming have challenged the states’ laws on grounds that they violate individuals’ religious freedom. Anti-abortion advocates, in response, also hold up religious freedom as a plausible defense to being required to perform or otherwise facilitate the procedure. The rulings in these cases, all of which remain outstanding at time of publication, will set important precedent. In other states, legislative proposals tied to the concept of religious freedom are being actively debated. In late February 2023, for example, legislation passed the West Virginia House Judiciary…
Read More

NWLC on Trump Administration’s Decision to Ban Abortion Care for Veterans

The Trump administration announced its intent to roll back the rule that allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion care and counseling to veterans and eligible loved ones. This cruel decision is at odds with claims by an administration that purports to care about veterans, instead stripping them and their families of essential health care, jeopardizing their health, dignity, and lives.
Read More

An FDA panel spread misinformation about SSRI use in pregnancy, alarming doctors

Nearly one in five pregnant women and new moms in this country suffers from anxiety and depression. And 6-8% of pregnant women are prescribed a group of antidepressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). But a recent expert panel organized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cast doubt on the safety of SSRIs — even though these drugs are largely considered safe by healthcare providers.
Read More
No widgets found. Go to Widget page and add the widget in Offcanvas Sidebar Widget Area.