~ "Q&A with Carole Joffe," Katha Pollitt, The Nation's "And Another Thing": Pollitt interviewed Carole Joffe -- a sociologist and author of "Dispatches from the Abortion Wars: The Costs of Fanaticism to Doctors, Patients and the Rest of Us" -- about the health reform law's potential effects on reproductive rights and health. According to Joffe, the consequences of health reform include the "good, the bad and the ugly." The "unequivocal good is that 30 million people" will gain insurance coverage, and "[r]egular access to primary care will mean healthier women overall," Joffe said. She continued, "The bad news is the Nelson abortion restrictions ... will prove so cumbersome that ultimately it will not be in [insurance] companies' interest to cover abortions. The ugly part is the marginalization of abortion all through the process." Joffe said the erosion of abortion coverage will have an especially strong impact on "women who require abortions late in their pregnancies because of lethal or serious fetal anomalies or a change in their own health," such as a cancer diagnosis that requires chemotherapy, because late abortion services can cost thousands of dollars. Going forward, the abortion-rights movement should continue to focus on "[k]eeping providers safe," Joffe said, adding that "[e]lecting more pro-choice Democrats" also "is a huge priority." She continued, "But the most important thing that needs to be done is the hardest: we need to destigmatize abortion. We need to create the conditions where it is not toxic for politicians who support us to actually say the 'a-word' and not rely on the euphemism 'right to choose'" (Pollitt, "And Another Thing," The Nation, 3/26).
~ "The Maternal Mortality Crisis Does Exist," Nan Strauss, Salon's "Broadsheet": In the post, Strauss -- a maternal health researcher at Amnesty International -- defends the group's recent report, "Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA." Specifically, Straus addresses Amy Tuteur's recent blog post, "Is there really a 'maternal mortality crisis'?" Strauss writes, "To quibble over whether there is an increase in maternal deaths is to ignore the key and undisputed fact: Women in the United States face a greater risk of death from pregnancy-related causes than women in 40 other countries, despite the fact that we spend the most of any country on health care." She continues, "While changes in data reporting have contributed to the increase in reported maternal deaths, the most recent analysis indicates that improvements in data collection only account for a fraction of the increase in deaths." Although rising caesarean section rates "undoubtedly do not account for the entire increase in deaths, ... the World Health Organization has found that when the c-section rate exceeds 15%, unnecessary surgeries put women and babies at risk," Strauss writes, noting that the U.S. c-section rate is twice the level that WHO recommends. Strauss adds, "Regardless of whether the death toll is rising, or whether improved reporting is shining a new light on existing high rates of maternal deaths, these shocking figures reveal a health system in crisis." She concludes, "It is incumbent on President Obama and [HHS Secretary] Kathleen Sebelius to make improving maternal health a top priority" (Strauss, "Broadsheet," Salon, 3/26).
~ "Health Care Reform Extremists Take a Page From an Ugly Anti-Choice Playbook," Sarah Lipton-Lubet, The Hill's "Congress Blog": Lipton-Lubet, legislative policy counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, writes, "Many Americans are shocked that a debate over expanding health care access has spiraled into death threats and vandalism." She adds, "Unfortunately, the pro-choice community is all too familiar with these tactics as a response to the provision of basic health care." Lipton-Lubet continues that after the murder of abortion provider George Tiller in 2009, CRR released a report "documenting the harassment, intimidation, discrimination and violence perpetrated against the brave men and women who provide abortions, or counsel women about their options, or check them in at reception desks." She continues, "Not content with their victories in legislatures or at the voting booth, anti-choice extremists have long resorted to murder, bombings, arsons and assaults." According to Lipton-Lubet, "Whatever side you're on regarding either the debate over health care or abortion rights, enough is enough." She writes, "It is time for threats and harassment to end, and for responsible leaders to recognize that access to health care -- including reproductive health care -- is a fundamental right and not a cause for mayhem" (Lipton-Lubet, "Congress Blog," The Hill, 3/29).
~ "Conservative Cartoonist Uses Rape and Racism in Depicting Health Reform," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: Jacobson describes abortion-rights supporters' reaction to a "drawing by a conservative cartoonist using a blatantly racist rape meme to ramp up their hysteria over health reform." According to Jacobson, the cartoon depicts "President Obama as having raped the Statue of Liberty." Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon notes that the cartoon also depicts the president as "promis[ing] to come back to gang rape her with immigration reform, amongst other things." Marcotte writes, "The callousness to actual rape victims on display here is simply a more explicit version of a rhetorical trope that's been in play since Obama took office and has really escalated as the favorite metaphor used by conservatives to describe health care reform." Marcotte continues, "When it comes to actual rapes, the right-wing position is that the problem of rape is way overblown, and that most rapes -- most anything that gets called a date or acquaintance rape -- aren't a matter of men forcing themselves on women because they enjoy raping, but just bad sex that sluts regret later and therefore 'cry rape.'" Jacobson also provides links to posts by Jeff Fecke and Lawyers, Guns and Money about the cartoon (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 3/27).
~ "No Health Care for Wanted Pregnancies, No Abortions for Unwanted Ones," Alex DiBranco, Change's "Women's Rights": "In Nebraska, if you don't want to be pregnant, anti-choice lawmakers will do their best to force you to act as an incubator," but "if you do want to give birth, then they couldn't care less if your newborn baby dies due to their laws," DiBranco writes. DiBranco criticizes Gov. Dave Heineman's (R) opposition to proposed legislation that "would have continued the state's longstanding practice of providing prenatal care for low-income women" because of his objections to allowing undocumented immigrants to receive state-funded services. Heineman's stance ultimately harms the "U.S. citizen baby who will eventually be born," according to DiBranco. DiBranco also discusses a bill (LB 594) that "would require proof that women seeking an abortion are physically and mentally sound enough to [receive] an abortion." According to DiBranco, "We don't go around requiring women to prove they're physically and mentally stable enough to bring a new life into this world, but we're going to impose unconstitutionally vague, impossible to comply with extra restrictions if they don't want that responsibility?" Taken together, the Nebraska issues "show again that, for the anti-choice camp, [the] only 'babies' that matter are the unborn," DiBranco says, adding, "Seems a lot more like controlling a woman's body than being 'pro-life'" (DiBranco, "Women's Rights," Change, 3/29).
~ "Anti-Choice Lawmakers Post-Health Care Reform Track," Nancy Keenan, Huffington Post blogs: While the House debated health care reform legislation, several antiabortion-rights members "suddenly claimed the belief that Americans' health care decisions should be private -- despite their own long, stubborn history of attempts to deny women the very same right," NARAL Pro-Choice America President Keenan writes. Keenan's entry includes several quotes from a "comprehensive list" of lawmakers who cited privacy concerns in statements opposing the health reform legislation and notes the number of times they have previously voted against protecting privacy in opposing abortion-related legislation. For example, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) said the health reform law "places control in the hands of government bureaucrats, rather than letting Americans decide for themselves what is best for their families." Keenan notes that Ros-Lehtinen "has cast 148 votes opposing reproductive freedom and privacy during her congressional career." Keenan says that "[p]erhaps in the future they will bring these newfound views to debates about reproductive health ... but I won't hold my breath" (Keenan, Huffington Post blogs, 3/29).
~ "The New Health Reform Law: Pros and Cons for Reproductive Health," Adam Sonfield, RH Reality Check: "For the nation's consumers and providers of reproductive health care, and for advocates of reproductive health and rights, the health care reform legislation just enacted is something of a mixed bag," Sonfield writes. The bill's abortion provisions are "onerous" and "restrictive," and they "militate heavily against the likelihood that many such plans will be purchased -- or even offered," according to Sonfield. The legislation contains $75 million annually for five years to fund a new "personal responsibility education program" to educate teens about both abstinence and contraception, but the law also includes funding for abstinence-until-marriage programs. By expanding Medicaid eligibility, more U.S. residents will gain access to "the program's guarantee of family planning services without cost sharing, along with coverage for its comprehensive package of reproductive health services beyond family planning," Sonfield writes. Plans included in the new insurance exchanges will be required to offer certain services, including maternity care and potentially "coverage of a broad package of reproductive health services, including contraceptive services and supplies," Sonfield adds. In addition, the law includes "$1.5 billion over five years to support maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting programs, with a focus on high-risk families," Sonfield writes (Sonfield, RH Reality Check, 3/30).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
суббота, 31 марта 2012 г.
Blogs Comment On Health Reform, Maternal Mortality, Other Topics
суббота, 24 марта 2012 г.
Kansas Judge Assigns Abortion Provider Tiller's Case To New Judge Because Of Alleged Conflicts Of Interest
The antiabortion group Operation Rescue on Thursday said Waller could have conflicts of interest related to the case and cited support he had received in past campaigns from attorneys linked to Tiller, the AP/Topeka Capital-Journal reports. Don Monnat, one of Tiller's attorneys, contributed $500 in August 1998, the maximum allowed. Lee Thompson, who also serves as one of Tiller's attorneys, and Monnat were listed in an October 1998 newspaper as endorsing Waller's re-election. Monnat's law firm also contributed $275 to Waller's 2006 campaign (Hanna, AP/Topeka Capital Journal, 8/10).
According to the AP/Globe,Powell voted regularly for restrictions on abortion laws, including a 1998 law restricting late-term abortions. Powell in 1998 said Tiller was "defying legal and moral authority" by performing late-term abortions. Waller said that he did not know about Powell's past legislative activities, adding that he selected him because he was "the most available" for a hearing. Powell on Friday during a hearing for the case said his judgment would not be affected. He also asked attorneys if they objected to his appointment. Thompson said, "We trust the court's judgment in that regard" (AP/Joplin Globe, 8/10).
Case History
Former state Attorney General Phill Kline (R) in 2004 subpoenaed the records of 90 women and girls who in 2003 underwent late-term abortions at Comprehensive Health in Overland Park, Kan., and Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., which is owned by Tiller. Kline charged Tiller with 30 misdemeanors for allegedly performing 15 illegal late-term abortions in 2003 on women and girls ages 10 to 22 without properly reporting the details to the state. Kline hired attorney Don McKinney as special prosecutor in the case. State Attorney General Paul Morrison (D) -- who defeated Kline in the November 2006 election -- fired McKinney in January, and Morrison spokesperson Ashley Anstaett earlier this year said that 15 of the 30 charges Kline filed against Tiller were based on incomplete and substandard information.
However, Morrison in June filed charges alleging that before performing 19 late-term abortions in 2003, Tiller received a second opinion from physician Ann Kristin Neuhaus, who Morrison said had financial ties with Tiller. The 1998 Kansas law says that before an abortion of a fetus of 21 weeks' gestation or more, two physicians must determine if continuation of a pregnancy will lead to death or "substantial and irreversible" harm to a "major bodily function." The consulting physician agreeing on the necessity of a late-term abortion cannot have legal or financial ties to the abortion provider.
If convicted, Tiller could face up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine for each of the 19 misdemeanor charges. The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts also could consider revoking Tiller's physician license if he is convicted.
Tillers' attorneys have entered a not guilty plea to the misdemeanor charges and filed a motion to dismiss the charges. In the motion, his attorneys argued that the provision requiring two or more doctors to sign off on late-term abortions is unconstitutional because it is vague, it violates a woman's right to obtain an abortion as outlined in previous court decisions, and it places an undue burden on a physician's right to practice medicine (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/7).
Court Hearing
During Friday's court hearing, the attorney general's office said the two-doctor requirement is a reasonable restriction, the AP/Globe reports (AP/Joplin Globe, 8/10). "You want a second opinion completely away from the doctor performing the abortion," Jared Maag, the attorney general's deputy solicitor general, said, adding, "It's not hard to see where the Legislature is coming from."
Morrison's office on Friday also alleged Neuhaus worked out of Tiller's clinic and that consultations were a majority of her practice, the AP/nbcactionnews reports. Attorneys for both Tiller and Neuhaus said there were not financial affiliations between the two physicians because patients paid Neuhaus, and the two doctors had separate bank accounts, according to the AP/nbcactionnews. Neuhaus' attorney Jack Focht said that just because a doctor voluntarily limits his or her practice, "That doesn't make one dependent" (Hanna, AP/nbcactionnews, 8/10).
Powell said that he would give the groups until Aug. 31 to file "friend of the court" arguments and that he likely would hold a second hearing before ruling on the law's constitutionality. Depending on Powell's ruling on the dismissal motion, a trial could proceed or be delayed until appeals of such a ruling are resolved, the AP/Globe reports (AP/Joplin Globe, 8/10).
Comments
Peter Brownlie -- CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, which operates Comprehensive Health -- said, "Somebody who was a sponsor or major backer of a law being challenged shouldn't be hearing the challenge." Troy Newman, Operation Rescue's president, said, "It's about time things start leaning toward the side of life" (AP/Joplin Globe [1], 8/10). However, Newman added that he is "not certain that the attorney general is doing everything within his power to prosecute the case. I think these are the weakest charges that could have been brought." Morrison spokesperson Frances Gorman said, "We take every case we handle very seriously," adding, "The findings of our investigation represent the full enforcement of the law" (Hanna, AP/Joplin Globe, 8/13).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
суббота, 17 марта 2012 г.
Miss. Lawmakers Debate Sex Education In Response To Reports Finding High Teen Birth, STI Rates
State Sen. David Jordan (D) is sponsoring a bill (S 2291) to create a pilot sex education program that would allow the state Board of Education and the state Department of Health to decide which grades would be included and how the program would be implemented. The program also would allow parents to decide whether to their children would participate. He said that abstinence "has its place but you need to talk about the consequences." According to the Department of Health, there were 432 new cases of chlamydia in young people ages 10 to 14 and 8,444 cases among youth ages 15 to 19 in 2007. There were 2,641 new cases of gonorrhea among young people ages 15 to 19 in 2007.
Comprehensive sex education opponent Rep. Philip Gunn (R) said any information beyond simple education about the reproductive process should be given by parents. He added, "By teaching kids how to have sex and telling them these techniques, they are endorsing the practice. Abstinence is the way to go" (Byrd, AP/Biloxi Sun Herald, 1/25).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
суббота, 10 марта 2012 г.
Senate Confirms Alito As 110th Supreme Court Justice With 58-42 Vote, USA
Reaction
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who sits on the judiciary committee and supports abortion rights, said, "I am very concerned about the impact Judge Alito could have on women's rights," adding, "It is my belief that this nominee's legal philosophy and views will essentially swing the court far out of the mainstream" (Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 2/1). Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who supports abortion rights, said that Alito's nomination has prompted "a lot of anxiety" about abortion rights because the court has been closely divided on the issue, adding, "I share that anxiety." However, he said that justices sometimes change their earlier views when ruling in Supreme Court cases (USA Today, 2/1). Specter previously has said that O'Connor was "very much opposed to abortion rights before she came to the court, and she has been one of the foremost proponents of a woman's right to choose" (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/26). Bush said in a statement, "Alito is a brilliant and fair-minded judge who strictly interprets the Constitution and law and does not legislate from the bench," adding, "He is a man of deep character and integrity" (Babington, Washington Post, 2/1).
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on how Alito's confirmation could shift the composition of the court and affect future cases that could come before the court, including those involving abortion rights (Totenberg, "All Things Considered," NPR, 1/31). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
In addition, NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on senators' reactions to the confirmation, including their thoughts on how he might rule in cases involving abortion rights. The segment includes comments from Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and Sens. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) (Welna, "All Things Considered," NPR, 1/31). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
суббота, 3 марта 2012 г.
FDA Approves Oral Contraceptive YAZ For Treatment Of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
View drug information on Estradiol Transdermal System.