Posts by Vicki Saporta
Support Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL
Planned Parenthood has launched a petition to show support for their soon-to-be opened clinic in Aurora, IL. For each signature, they will tie a ribbon outside the clinic to tell the protesters that Planned Parenthood has support from across the country, and to let the women seeking care there know that they are welcome and…
Read MoreNew Jersey Supreme Court Protects Reproductive Freedom
In a unanimous decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that doctors do not have an obligation to inform women considering abortion that an embryo is a “complete, separate, unique and irreplaceable human being.” The decision dismissed a medical malpractice lawsuit that sought to require physicians in New Jersey to give a non-medical, value-laden speech…
Read MoreSenate Votes to Repeal Global Gag Rule
Yesterday the Senate voted 53–41 to overturn the Global Gag Rule. Also known as the Mexico City policy, the Global Gag Rule prohibits international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive U.S. government funds from using their own private funds to perform or provide abortions, lobby their own government for a change in abortion laws, conduct public…
Read MoreWomen in the Philippines Lack Access to Safe Abortion Care and Contraceptives
This week Reuters examines the challenges facing women in the Philippines where abortion is legal only in cases of life endangerment and reliable contraceptives are difficult to obtain. In the Philippines, the majority of the population obtains contraceptives from the U.S. government agency USAID, which has been the largest supplier of contraceptives in the country…
Read MoreJustice Department Takes Action Against Threatening Website
Lawsuit Calls for Removal of Threats to Abortion Providers Tuesday the Justice Department asked a judge to force an anti-abortion extremist to remove postings to his website, which threaten an abortion provider in Pennsylvania. The site publishes violent threats against abortion providers as well as their names, addresses, and photographs. Federal prosecutors say the postings…
Read MoreTemporary Injunction Granted in Missouri Case
This week a federal judge granted a request from Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri to temporarily block enforcement of a new Missouri law, which would impose additional regulations on abortion clinics. While Missouri already requires abortion clinics to be licensed, the new legislation would require any facility that performs more than five first-trimester abortions…
Read MoreClinic wins Appeal to Protect Privacy of Medical Records
The Ohio First District Court of Appeals reversed a ruling Friday that would have required a Planned Parenthood clinic to present lawyers representing the family of a minor patient with the medical records of all minor patients provided with abortion care at their clinic. The court said the burden of disclosure on Planned Parenthood and…
Read MoreOver-the-Counter Access to Plan B Turns One!
Today marks the one year anniversary of the FDA approval of Plan B (also known as emergency contraception) for over-the-counter sales to adults. In 2003, two FDA expert advisory committees voted overwhelmingly to recommend that Plan B be made available without a prescription, but political agendas kept the issue in heated debate for nearly three…
Read MoreClinic Files Federal Lawsuit over Missouri Law
Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri has filed a federal lawsuit claiming a new Missouri law infringes on a constitutional right to abortion. They say the law could eliminate abortion services in large parts of the state by subjecting clinics to special regulations. The new law would require any facility that performs more than five…
Read MoreThe Health Dangers and High Costs of Unsafe Abortion
This month’s issue of the UK publication id21 health focus addresses the health dangers and economic impact of unsafe abortion. The issue highlights the findings of a technical meeting held at the Institute of Development Studies (UK) in April. Unsafe abortion is a major global public health problem particularly affecting low-income women. The World Health…
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