New split over abortions in cases of rape

A rift between U.S. anti-abortion activists has spotlighted divisions about whether to exempt abortions in the case of rape or incest from anti-abortion policies. In other news, the New York Times reports on a surge in prescriptions for opioid painkillers among pregnant women.

The Associated Press: Abortion In Cases Of Rape: New Rifts In Old Debate
Poll after poll over many years has shown that Americans overwhelmingly support legal access to abortion for women impregnated by rape. Yet the issue remains divisive, as demonstrated by two current rifts -; one involving U.S. aid policy overseas, the other highlighting strategy differences within the U.S. anti-abortion movement. The National Right to Life Committee recently voted to cut ties with one of its most zealous state affiliates, Georgia Right to Life. The move, which angered many anti-abortion activists nationwide, came after the affiliate defied instructions to endorse an anti-abortion bill in Congress because it included exceptions for rape and incest (Crary, 4/12).

The New York Times: Surge In Prescriptions For Opioid Painkillers For Pregnant Women
Of 1.1 million pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid nationally, nearly 23 percent filled an opioid prescription in 2007, up from 18.5 percent in 2000, according to a study published last week in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the largest to date of opioid prescriptions among pregnant women. Medicaid covers the medical expenses for 45 percent of births in the United States (Saint Louis, 4/13).