Hypocrites

We mourn his death and celebrate his life.  I'll write more in the next few days.

Meanwhile, join in the conversation at Daily Kos.

Tonight on ABC News at 10 p.m. a program called "What Would You Do?" will air. The aim of the show is to measure the responses by real customers in a pharmacy waiting area who overhear an actress, playing a teen seeking birth control, being denied contraception by the actor pharmacist for "moral" reasons.

ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper interviewed the executive director of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, who facilitates the "adoption" of frozen embryos, and questioned why those against embryonic stem cell research are supportive of IVF technology when the majority of embryos used in the process do not result in a live birth.

Despite assumptions that Obama would place restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, limiting federal funding to cell lines made from discarded embryos at fertility clinics, the decision of what embryos will be used in research will largely be left to the National Institutes of Health: (via Washington Post).

Huffington Post writer Kirsten Moore responds to a column written by William Saletan which said that women need to take more responsibility in using contraception in order to prevent abortion, saying Saletan is pointing his finger at women and failing to compassionately understand why they need more education and a better sense of self-ownership.

Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon.com agrees, taking Saletan to task for an interview on Hardball with Chris Matthews, and arguing that his desire to lecture women about birth control is an attempt to find "common ground" with misogynistic conservatives who want to lecture women about sex in general.

Sex education advocate Shelby Knox writes about New York's lack of statewide standards that leaves sex education up to individual teachers, noting that the Healthy Teens Act would create a grant program to fund comprehensive sex education but may very well be vetoed by the governor due to dire financial straits: (via RH Reality Check).  

Today is National Woman and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and groups are organizing in New York City in order to draw attention to the alarming rates of HIV among women in NYC, where 1 in 3 who have the disease are female and 90 percent of HIV-positive women are either Black or Latina: (via Newsday).

President Barack Obama has created a new post within the administration for an ambassador of international women's issues, and appointed Melanne Verveer to fill the position under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: (via AP/Google).

The Australian government has decided to repeal their own version of the global gag rule, which prevented overseas aid from being used for abortion advice, and to allocate an additional $9.5 million for family planning services over the next four years: (via Reuters).

President Obama has lifted stringent restrictions on embryonic stem cell research put in place by the Bush administration, saying that his administration is working to "make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology": (via NY Times).

Yesterday was International Women's Day and an opinion piece in USA Today written by a UN commissioner celebrates the ability of women to better themselves despite widespread discrimination.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is pushing for the Senate to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a treaty that was implemented by the U.N. in 1979 but never ratified by the U.S., though some liberals are wary of ratifying CEDAW if Republicans add too many restrictions: (via Chicago Tribune).

An RH Reality Check article highlights some of the sex-shaming and gender stereotype-reinforcing language included in taxpayer funded abstinence-only sex education.

The Georgia bill that would limit the number of embryos that can be created and implemented in IVF fertility treatment looks unlikely to reach a vote this legislative session, though a similar bill is expected to be reintroduced next year: (via AP/Augusta Chronicle).

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has appointed a former board member of Planned Parenthood of Alaska to the state Supreme Court: (via AP/Google).

On Friday, the Wicker amendment to strip United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) of $50 million of funding was defeated in the Senate 55 to 39: (via RH Reality Check).

Democrats boycotted an Arizona House Health and Human Services Committee meeting that endorsed a Republican-led measure that would require pre-abortion waiting periods, "mandatory disclosures", and strengthen parental rights laws, as well as allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill emergency contraception for personal reasons: (via KOLD.com).

A recently released study commissioned by the Texas Freedom Network found that 94 percent of Texas public school districts are teaching abstinence-only until marriage sex education that contains factual errors and misleading information about condoms and presents sex as shameful and immoral: (MySanAntonio.com).

The Pittsburg School District, which serves 31,000 students, voted 8 to 1 to expand their abstinence-only sex education to a comprehensive approach that will teach about contraception: (via MSNBC).

Cristina Page writes a tongue-in-cheek article on the Huffington Post about a hypothetical world where anti-abortion groups such as the Family Research Council admit their moral agenda to keep women from having sex with contraception trumps their dedication to abortion reduction.

In a 7 to 2 majority led by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg the Supreme Court ruled that criminals with a misdemeanor charge relating to domestic violence cannot legally possess firearms, a clarification for states that do not have specific misdemeanor charges for domestic violence: (via CNN.com).

An elementary school teacher in the Boston area has discussed the recent news of a domestic violence incident between pop stars Chris Brown and Rihanna with students and has noticed some disturbing truths about how the students view abusive relationships and engage in victim-blaming: (via The Boston Globe).

Republican state Senator Dave Schultheis from Colorado was the sole no vote on a bill that would require pregnant women to take HIV tests, unless they opt out, saying that HIV is caused by promiscuity and government should not remove the consequences of poor behavior, causing outrage by state Democrats: (via RH Reality Check).
Responding to the controversy over his statements the Senator said he hopes that babies are born with AIDS so that their mothers feel guilty about their actions and that people begin to see the negative consequences of promiscuity: (via Rocky Mountain News).

Jodi Jacobson of RH Reality Check disagrees with some of Saletan's points, namely that it is women's "cavalier attitudes" about sex and not restrictive access to birth control that is to blame for many unintended pregnancies.

A Spanish parliamentary committee approved a reform on the country's restrictive abortion laws, recommending that abortion be legalized for the first trimester to bring Spanish laws more in line with other European countries: (via The Telegraph).

A recently released Guttmacher Institute study estimates that currently 1.94 million unintended pregnancies are prevented each year through the use of publicly funded family planning services, noting that if these resources are cut unplanned pregnancy and abortion rates among low income women would nearly double: (via AP/Google).

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has signed legislation banning a certain procedure used in late-term abortions that includes an exception to save a woman's life, but does not include a health exception: (via Associated Press).

Obstetrician and medical geneticist Mark Evans writes in Newsweek on his professional opinion that selective reduction for women pregnant with multiples is often the best choice to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies.

A spray-on contraceptive for women that requires smaller doses of hormones which are absorbed through the skin on the arm is being tested by an Australian pharmaceutical company: (via WA Today.com).

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has returned to the bench only two and a half weeks after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer: (via Reuters).

Legislation passed in the Mississippi state House this week that will allow two school districts to teach comprehensive sex education in a pilot program, though the bill stipulates that abortion cannot be mentioned during the lessons: (via KSLA.com).

Syndicated columnist Bonnie Erbe is confident that President Obama will overturn the ban on embryonic stem cell research, and hopes that if diseases are cured and lives saved as a result, "pro-lifers will admit they were wrong" for opposing stem cell research: (via Seattle P-I).

A Washington Post article quotes one researcher as saying the scientific community is "waiting with bated breath" for President Obama to overturn the ban on embryonic stem cell research and is concerned that the executive order doing so is taking so long.

Obama advisers disclosed yesterday that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is the front-runner for HHS Secretary, though the vetting process is not yet completed. Sebelius is known for working well across party lines, though her record on choice is mixed: (via NY Times).

A Salon opinion piece discusses why Bristol Palin was much more compelling in her FOX interview than her mother and interviewer Greta Van Susteren, who attempted to take Bristol's personal story and turn it into an unrealistic and political message.

Glamour magazine interviewed eight women, who use their full names and photos, about their experience with abortion and how they came to make the decision to end their pregnancies, in an attempt to bring up a topic many are still uncomfortable discussing.

Another article answers commonly asked questions about abortion.

An article in Glamour magazine discusses the emotional side to experiencing abortion and outlines some resources and questions for women to ask when deciding if abortion is the right choice for them.

Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin responds to the email campaign launched last fall to donate to Planned Parenthood in her name, calling the move "political theater" that resulted in her receiving notes by the boxful thanking her for the donations, and more than a million dollars for Planned Parenthood: (via The Olympian).

Lawmakers in Arizona have introduced anti-choice legislation that would, among other anti-choice provisions, allow pharmacists to deny women emergency contraception based on "moral objections". Now that former pro-choice governor Janet Napolitano has gone to work for Obama and been replaced with an anti-choice Republican, anti-choice legislation is likely to pass and become law: (via Feminist.org).  

An opinion piece on RH Reality Checkoutlines why ultrasound laws are unnecessary and more importantly, patronizing and offensive in suggesting that women undergoing an abortion do not accurately understand what being pregnant means.  

In accordance with a recent FDA mandate, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceutical has launched a $20 million ad campaign for its popular brand of birth control pills, Yaz, to clear up previous commercials which the FDA and 27 state attorneys general found overstated the benefits of the pill and downplayed possible health risks: (via NY Times).

The Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues reintroduced the Health Care for Women Resolution into both chambers of Congress yesterday. If passed, the resolution would make sure any national health care reform would explicitly include the needs of women: (via Feminist.org).

A new survey by YWCA and the National Women's Law Center finds that while Americans are still divided on abortion, the vast majority of self-identified Republicans and Independents want greater access and affordability for contraception and prefer that schools teach comprehensive sex education over abstinence-only education.

John Young, columnist for the Waco Herald-Tribune, writes about his excitement over the end of a heavily government subsidized abstinence-only era, hoping that by signing the repeal of the global gag rule President Obama has shown his commitment a common-sense approach to family planning and sex education: (via Seattle P-I).  

An article on Huffington Post addresses the protest of Senate Republicans over the $335 million in the stimulus package for disease control and prevention, including for STDs, and says that much of the money would go to floundering state health departments that need the resources in order to keep jobs and crucial programs.

An article by Amy Benfer on Salon.com discusses a recent Newsweek article on the compromises being struck between groups that support abortion rights and groups that oppose them, including legislation to help pregnant women, but also notes that legislation sponsored by anti-choice groups often leaves out reasonable approaches, such as increased contraception access.

In this week's provincial elections in Iraq, 4,000 women are seeking office and about 1/3 should be guaranteed a seat under an electoral quota system: (via CNN.com).

Tara Parker-Pope writes in the Health section of The New York Times about "the myth of rampant teenage promiscuity", saying that though the media encourages us to believe teenagers are engaging in more risky sexual behavior at younger ages the data actually shows the opposite.

An article on Beliefnet.com discusses why repealing the global gag rule can be viewed as a "pro-life" position since no U.S. funds will be paying for abortions, but the money will go towards saving the lives of women and children in the developing world.

After a CDC report showing Mississippi has the highest teen birth rate in country and rising STD rates, legislators are discussing introducing comprehensive sex education into schools' curriculum, though the move is drawing opposition from some Republican lawmakers: (via The Sun Herald).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a post card campaign to protest the Freedom of Choice Act by having parishioners send mail to legislators urging them to oppose the legislation, though the bill has been around for 20 years, only making it out of committee once, and does not appear to be a priority for the current session: (via The Times-Picayune).

The Minnesota man who drove his SUV into a Planned Parenthood clinic last Thursday has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree criminal damage to property. The driver seems to have been motivated by religious beliefs, but according to his mother also may suffer from mental health problems: (via The South Washington County Bulletin).

According to Obama aides, the new President plans to repeal the global gag rule, which prevents U.S. foreign aid money from being sent to family planning organizations that counsel on or provide abortions, as one of his first acts in office: (via Seattle Times).

A Wall Street Journal article analyzes the federal appellate court appointments that President Barack Obama will be filling within his first year of office and how he has the chance to turn the conservative tide of the courts.

The special inauguration edition of Ms. Magazine features President Barack Obama on the cover with an article titled "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" that includes interviews with several prominent feminist activists about what goals they would like accomplished in the new administration: (via RH Reality Check).

An RH Reality Check article discusses a letter written to the head of Obama's Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes, encouraging her and Obama to end the Hyde Amendment and other funding restrictions for abortion for low-income women, which the many signatories see as "a clear violation of low-income women's human rights".

Boston Globe syndicated columnist Joan Vennochi investigates the double standard women face when being considered for cabinet positions. It appears men, such as Obama's pick for head of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, are allowed leeway with some ethics violations, whereas women will less serious infractions are often forced to withdraw from consideration: (via Seattle P-I).

A Tri-City Herald report examines the DSHS budget cuts that will eliminate 55 family planning nurses, interviewing a nurse who will lose her job and a young woman with two children who is one of the 900 low-income Tri-City residents that will lose access to family planning care.

A New Mexico woman is suing a nurse and health care clinic in federal court after she had her IUD device removed against her wishes by an anti-choice nurse who proceeded to lecture the patient on her choice of contraception after removing it: (via Courthousenews.com).

On Barack Obama's change.gov website visitors can vote on which issues they would like the new president to address; currently ending funding for ineffective abstinence only sex education ranks fourth on the list.

Cristina Page writes a critical piece on the HHS "conscience clause" regulation, which goes into effect tomorrow, discussing some of the organizations that are working to overturn the regulation and lawsuits that could restrict implementation of the rule via injunction: (via RH Reality Check).

NARAL Pro-Choice America has released their annual "Who Decides?" state-by-state guide on the status of reproductive rights and access around the country.

U.S. News and World Report writer Deborah Katz discusses the startling lack of research into whether women over 35 should take birth control pills, noting that most doctors believe if you are free from risk-factors such as high cholesterol it is probably safe.

President Bush declared yesterday to be "Sanctity of Human Life Day", proclaiming his belief that "all human life is a gift from our creator that is sacred...each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world": (via Politico.com).

Seven states have joined together in a lawsuit against the federal government over the HHS "conscience clause" rule, saying the regulation would "trump state laws" and is unconstitutional, according to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal: (via Seattle P-I).

A North Dakota lawmaker is introducing a bill requiring abortion providers to offer to show an ultrasound image at least 24 hours before an abortion takes place, in hopes this will lead to fewer women choosing to terminate their pregnancies: (via Kxnet.com).

Amanda Marcotte writes that the Vatican is being hypocritical and disingenuous by falsely claiming that birth control pills are responsible for environmental degradation and male infertility, and that these claims are simply made up without any scientific evidence as another way to coerce women "into giving up their freely made choices": (via RH Reality Check).

Thousands of Catholics are meeting in Mexico City at the sixth "World Meeting of Families" with one official condemning our "post-modern culture sick with individualism" where abortion and openly gay relationships are allowed: (via Google).

In its annual report on the world's children, UNICEF identifies teen pregnancy as a significant risk for girls in the developing world, as a 15-year-old is five times as likely to die in childbirth as a woman in her 20s: (via Austin American-Statesman).

In light of the upcoming 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade RH Reality Check discusses why prevention is so critical in reducing the need for abortion and the high cost of births resulting from unintended pregnancy.