Tag: teen pregnancy

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.

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.

Three Utah lawmakers are putting on hold their attempt to ban abortion in the state, due to Utah lacking funds to defend such a law in court, but are instead attempting to create a law that would set up a legal defense fund for supporters to donate money for the eventual court battle that would follow a statewide abortion ban: (via Salt Lake Tribune).

Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn addresses the recent media attention to the Johns Hopkins Study that found virginity-pledging teens were no more likely to abstain from sexual behavior than like-minded peers, noting that much of the media focus has left out a crucial part of the study, that more conservative and religious teens did in fact delay sexual activity, but that the "pledge" made no significant difference in behavior.

A University of Wisconsin clinic may begin to provide 2nd trimester abortions following the recent retirement of the area's only provider of 2nd trimester abortions, though the anti-choice groups Alliance Defense Fund and Pro-Life Wisconsin are protesting the decision and threatening legal action to prevent the clinic from performing the procedure: (via Chicago Tribune).

New research from UC Berkeley suggests that pregnant women who take maternity leave before they give birth are four times less likely to require a costly Caesarean section when they go into labor: (via Contra Costa Times).

Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna plans to ask lawmakers to approve an increase in prison sentences for domestic violence perpetrators that have a record of misdemeanor abuse: (via Tri City Herald).

Planned Parenthood of Idaho has merged with organizations in Washington and Alaska to create Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest; no jobs were lost in the merger which was reportedly done to allocate more resources to health care centers: (via Seattle Times).

Banner ads informing voters that Dino Rossi is anti-choice and anti-contraception can be viewed today on www.SeattleTimes.com , www.SeattlePI.com, www.Columbian.com and www.HorsesAss.org  

An article in the Boston Globe written by a Massachusetts pediatrician discusses the difficulty doctors have when dealing with adolescent patients who need information about STDs and teen pregnancy from their doctors as a result of lack of education given in abstinence-only sex-education programs at school.

In an ongoing attempt to smear Barack Obama by way of his loose connection to William Ayers, a McCain spokesperson commented that if McCain associated with an abortion clinic bomber it would be a legitimate topic of discussion. Ironic, points out Think Progress and RH Reality Check, because McCain has made several votes that decreased protections for women and doctors at reproductive health clinics.

In an article for the Washington Blade, a gay publication in the Washington DC area, John McCain claims to support a national AIDS prevention policy, despite having never mentioned such plans before, as pointed out by RH Reality Check.

For the third time the Supreme Court will not hear an appeal by an anti-abortion group seeking to overturn a case that awarded abortion providers more than $16 million after the group created posters and websites naming abortion doctors alongside their home addresses and phone numbers: (via Seattle PI).

The LA Times editorializes against the Bush administration assertion that California's family planning program for low-income women must re-evaluate the way it calculates undocumented immigrants by individually vetting each patient for legal status, saying it is the federal government's responsibility to determine and cover undocumented immigrants, not California's:

A Joint Economic Committee study shows that for the first time since the 1960s the percentage of women in the workplace has fallen instead of risen after an economic recovery, and that the slowing economy, not a decision to "opt-out" and raise children, has driven women out of the workplace: (via The New York Times).

NPR airs an opinion piece by an Oakland teen who says that within his social circle engaging in sex without condoms is the newest way to affirm a monogamous relationship, generating considerable discussion and concern that youth are engaging in risky behavior that places them at increased risk of unintended pregnancy and disease.

The United Kingdom's Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV recommends that comprehensive sex education be required for all British students: (via The Daily Telegraph).

A group led by two former state Supreme Court justices has accused the Building Industry Association of Washington of pooling $3.5 million in an illegal secret campaign fund to defeat Governor Christine Gregoire: (via The Seattle Times).

ABC News reports 40% of women getting abortions in Minnesota cite financial reasons as one factor in their decision; while Planned Parenthood of Minnesota spokesperson Sarah Stoesz worries the high price of birth control in troubling financial times may be leading to more unplanned pregnancies.

The ongoing debate about the teen pregnancies in Gloucester, MA is now focusing on whether a childcare center at the pregnant teens' high school sent a positive message on teen parenthood or is necessary to help young mothers succeed and graduate: (via MSNBC).

Time magazine follows up on the boom of teen pregnancies at Gloucester High in Massachusetts, where health officials resigned after their recommendation to offer contraception was rejected.  Out of the 17 pregnant teens at Gloucester; more than half (who are under 16) said they had a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together

Planned Parenthood Action Fund president Cecile Richards, daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards, suggests that her mother would have campaigned for Barack Obama

The Wonk Room details John McCain's anti-birth control, anti-choice views

Anti-abortion groups are planning to protest outside the Democratic National Convention in Denver during August.  They also plan to have a presence outside Barack Obama's hotel

What the stories and the headlines don't tell you is that is approximately the same rate as 2004 and lower than it was in 2003. They also don't highlight that the birth rate was up for every age cohort of women.