Tag: abortion

There is one place where the definition of gender remains binary - in the womb. When it comes to sonograms, amniocentesis and standard pre-natal testing, there are no nuances. Here, the pronouncement, "It's a girl," can translate into fierce and instant parental rejection. The fact is that when the issue is "sex selection abortion," the same sex is always being selected -- female.

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.

from On The Issues Magazine

Women on Waves, an organization that uses a ship to help women in countries where abortion is illegal, recently secured a major victory from the European Court of Human Rights. The court ruled in early February 2009 that Portugal violated Women on Waves' freedom of expression when it ordered two warships to blockade the boat's entry into the Portuguese harbor in 2004.

Women on Waves is a Dutch organization led by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts. Its ship sails to countries where abortion is illegal and transports women to international waters, 12 miles off the coast, where national laws do not apply and it is legal to provide safe medical abortions.

Of the five missions sailed in the past decade, Portugal was arguably the most successful because enough momentum was generated during the heated campaign to sway voters on shore to liberalize the abortion law. Abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy has since been legalized in Portugal. This latest triumph in the courts suggests that Dr. Gomperts has identified a space of limitless potential in her use of the offshore, for both international abortion rights, and indeed for related struggles for social justice.

For example, in 2006, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed a bill that would ban abortion in all instances, including rape and incest, an antediluvian condition presently in existence in only four countries on earth: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Malta, and Oman. His mission was to instigate a lawsuit that could potentially challenge Roe v. Wade in a conservatively stocked U.S.Supreme Court. Rather than sue, Planned Parenthood of South Dakota collected the signatures to refer the law to a ballot vote by the population under a referendum procedure in that state. While in debate, Cecilia Fire-Thunder, the first female chief of the Ogala Sioux tribe, announced that if the anti-abortion provision became law, she would build an abortion clinic on Sioux land -- land outside of the jurisdiction of state. She began gathering signatures and donations for the effort. The people of South Dakota voted against the referred law by a 55-44 margin. But in the interim, the Sioux removed Chief Fire Thunder from office, suggesting that her claim was outside of the limits of her authority. Her action was significant, however, in that she, like Gomperts, identified an "offshore" space that could be occupied and used as a legal platform from which to challenge law, using direct action.

Following suit, several provocative and revolutionary ideas arise. Could embassies of countries where abortion is legal provide RU-486 to residents in countries that prohibit its use? How subject to international navigation laws are intrastate rivers -- could a riverboat function similarly to Gomperts's ship? Could the same apply to rivers that cut through U.S. states like Mississippi, which has extensive restrictions on abortion access?

Pirate radio found its home in offshore havens, could similarly housed radio broadcasts be used to broadcast the accurate dosage of Cytotec, a drug frequently used in Latin American and other countries for self-abortion? If every abortion provider added an Internet abortion pill service to its website, would antiquated and dangerous laws be relegated into obscurity?

Dr. Gomperts innovative use of space, science, and especially law, has much to inspire a global activist community. The recent attention by the European Court opens Pandora's Box further by categorizing Portugal's action as a violation of the freedom of expression. With the codification of international human rights law still in its relative infancy, the question must be explored: where else might abortion rights fit into its codes?

February 18, 2009

(Apparently without my even knowing it, since I don't believe in me, Satan.)  :-)

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 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).

The Seattle P-I editorial board writes in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, saying passing these laws would be "restoring average Americans' right to justice".

As a result of a major donor, Picower, being defrauded by the Madoff scheme Planned Parenthood Federation of America had to lay off about 20% of its headquarters' staff, but says the reductions will not impact health services offered at Planned Parenthood clinics: (via Crains New York).

The New York State legislature is considering two bills this session on reproductive health, one called the Healthy Teens Act would set up a grant to fund medically accurate sex education and the other, called Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act, would establish a woman's fundamental right to make decisions about contraception and pregnancy: (via Poughkeepsie Journal).

The Philadelphia Daily News calls on Obama to maintain his campaign promise of purging ineffective federal programs from the budget by eliminating funding for abstinence-only education, which costs taxpayers $200 million a year and has failed to curb teen pregnancy and STD rates.

Wyoming lawmakers are trying to pass legislation that would increase the penalty for the intentional murder of a pregnant woman after a bill that would make it a double homicide to kill a pregnant woman and the fetus was vetoed by the governor, who thought the law would create unnecessary controversy over abortion: (via Billings Gazette).

Former South Dakota Senator and likely future HHS Secretary Tom Daschle pledged Thursday that when it comes to health care he plans to see that the department of Health and Human Services is "guided by evidence and effectiveness, not by ideology": (via NY Times).

Barack Obama has selected former NARAL Pro-Choice America legal director and strong critic of the Bush administration's interrogation tactics Dawn Johnsen to head the Office of Legal Counsel in the new administration: (via NY Times).

In an opinion piece in the Seattle Times two lifelong Catholics voice their concern over the Catholic Church's recent involvement in political campaigns, including Washington's Death with Dignity Initiative, saying that such action is wasting valuable resources and bullying members instead of engaging in thoughtful dialogue.

Two new studies suggest that Indian and Chinese immigrants are using sex selective abortion and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a technique where doctors implant sex selected embryos based on a couple's preference for their child's gender, to produce more male babies, which one expert believes has led to 2,000 "missing girls" between 1994 and 2001 in the U.S.: (via The Mercury News).

It appears that two pay discrimination bills will be among the first debated by the 111th Congress, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Paycheck Fairness Act, which if passed will likely be signed into law by Obama when he becomes President later this month: (via Tri-City Herald).

Amie Newman of RH Reality Check criticizes a recent Atlantic article by Ross Douthat on Planned Parenthood where he unconvincingly argues that Planned Parenthood provides more abortion than it says, does not reduce unintended pregnancy and does not deserve to receive tax money for its STI and unplanned pregnancy prevention work.

On Huffington Post, women's health care advocate Kirsten Moore discusses future HHS Secretary Tom Daschle's support of the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, which may be a way for the government to help the uninsured afford health insurance, saying he should work to rescind the ban on coverage of abortion care if the program is to be implemented.

An RH Reality Check article examines the "adoption consensus", a middle ground that both sides of the abortion debate supposedly agree on, saying that while we ought to work to make adoption easier for those who choose it, doing so will not reduce the number of abortions.

New York City councilmember Christine Quinn introduced a bill, which is expected to pass, that would extend the rights of abortion clinic workers and patients against harassment from protestors outside of clinics, after NARAL Pro-Choice New York informed her of the problem happening at a number of area health centers: (via NY Times).

Despite Vatican objections, next month the RU-486 abortion pill will be made available to women in Italy through prescription by a doctor in a hospital, a decision that was made by the previous, more liberal government in February but cannot be overturned by the current, more conservative administration: (via Times Online).