Abortion News and Research

RSS

House Republicans find many angles for opposition to health bills

"A coalition of pro-life groups, accompanied by several House Republicans outside the U.S. Capitol, delivered a petition signed by 137,000 Americans Wednesday voicing disapproval with current health care reform legislation," FOX News reports.

23 Oct 2009

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices supports the permissive use of GARDASIL

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) supports the permissive use of GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for boys and young men ages 9 to 26, which means that GARDASIL may be given to males ages 9 to 26 to reduce the likelihood of acquiring genital warts at the discretion of the patient's health care provider.

22 Oct 2009

No significant differences in pregnancy outcomes with different progesterone formulations

A retrospective analysis, conducted at a large infertility clinic between January 2003 and December 2008, demonstrated that there were no significant differences in pregnancy outcomes with three different progesterone formulations for women aged 35 to 40 undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) procedures. These data were presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) annual meeting in Atlanta.

21 Oct 2009

Recent releases in global health

In light of a recent Guttmacher Institute report that indicated 70,000 women in developing countries die each year from unsafe abortion, a Lancet editorial outlines ways to reduce deaths, and says, "The current political climate is favourable, because the global-gag rule (the U.S. Government's policy on banning funding of foreign organisations linked to any type of abortion practice) is out of favour" (10/17).

19 Oct 2009

Also in global health news: Street pharmacies; China health care; Hospital safety; African cardinals; Cells phones for health

Agence France-Presse examines Adjegounle, the "drugs" district in Benin. Although some are able to support their families by selling drugs at "street pharmacies," a minimum of "250 deaths and 340 cases of chronic illnesses linked to such drugs were recorded between April 2007 and June 2008," according to a medical thesis, the news service writes.

19 Oct 2009

Abortions worldwide decline, unsafe abortions kill 70,000 women annually, report says

Fewer abortions are taking place worldwide because of increased contraceptive use, a study by the Guttmacher Institute has found, Reuters reports. The study also indicates that 20 million "unsafe abortions, mostly in poorer countries and often carried out by the women themselves using inappropriate drugs or herbal potions, or by untrained traditional healers," still occur each year and kill 70,000 women annually (Kelland, 10/13).

15 Oct 2009

Blocking folic acid action during early pregnancy leads to increased risk of abnormalities in growing baby

Using medication that reduces or blocks the actions of folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy (weeks 1-12), increases the risk that the growing baby will develop abnormalities. This conclusion was reached by a team of Epidemiologists, Paediatricians, Clinical Pharmacologists, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists who examined birth and abortion data collected in Israel between 1998 and 2007.

15 Oct 2009

Medications to reduce folic acid during pregnancy increase the risk of abnormalities in fetus

Pregnant women are advised to take vitamin supplements containing folic acid as part of their routine pre-natal care. Now, a new study warns that taking medications that reduce or block the actions of folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy increase the risk that the growing baby will develop abnormalities.

14 Oct 2009

Abortion law will cause serious and irreversible harm to teens: ACLU

Citing "serious and irreversible harm to teens," the American Civil Liberties Union asked an Illinois court to strike down a newly effective law that prevents teens from having an abortion unless they notify a parent or go to court.

14 Oct 2009

PPAP honors women's health advocates

More than 300 guests joined elected officials, celebrities, entertainment and business leaders to celebrate "Champions of Choice" at Politics, Sex & Cocktails, hosted by the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los Angeles County (PPAP).

13 Oct 2009

U.S. bishops urge Congress to improve current health care reform legislation

Three chairmen of the bishops' committees working on health care reform urged the U.S. Congress to improve current health care reform legislation, expressing their "disappointment that progress has not been made on the three priority criteria for health care reform" cited in their previous letters.

9 Oct 2009

Catholic bishops call for changes in health care legislation

CNN: "Senior Catholic bishops are threatening to oppose the health care bill under consideration in Congress if lawmakers don't make significant reforms regarding federally funded abortions and other issues."

9 Oct 2009

Researchers reveal that H2 Blocker drugs pose no significant risks for the fetus

H2 Blocker drugs, such as Famotidine, Cimetidine and Ranitidine, approved in the U.S. for acid reflux (heartburn), pose no significant risks for the fetus according to a large collaborative cohort study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

8 Oct 2009

Jon O'Brien's statement on healthcare reform

"This Sunday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops holds its annual Respect Life Sunday. On this occasion, we would like to encourage the US bishops to also respect the truth. A recent publication by the USCCB, a brochure entitled Contraception: The Fine Print, and recent polls on healthcare reform prove that the bishops' desire to promote their own views on reproductive health leads them to play fast and loose with the truth.

5 Oct 2009

USCCB: Senate Finance Committee accepts healthcare reform bill, rejects pro-life amendments

Officials of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) saw mixed results when the Senate Finance Committee completed voting on amendment to its proposed health care reform bill this week.

5 Oct 2009

Declining support for abortion, national survey reveals

A new national survey by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that fewer Americans express support for abortion than in previous years.

3 Oct 2009

House Democratic leaders work to bridge divisions in ranks

Although much of the attention in the health care debate seems be on the Democratic divisions in the Senate, Democrats in the House are also split on what the next steps are.

1 Oct 2009

Democrats shoot down Republican abortion amendment, others pass

Members of the Senate Finance Committee wrangled Wednesday over proposed amendments to tighten abortion restrictions to the panel's health reform bill, with Democrats ultimately defeating the effort.

1 Oct 2009

First Edition: October 1, 2009

The progress continues, and so does the drama, as the Senate Finance Committee complete another day of its health bill mark up. Meanwhile, in the House, leaders are counting votes among their members.

1 Oct 2009

The Finance Committee continues its health bill mark-up, and the October recess is cancelled

As Senate Finance Committee members meet Wednesday to discuss their overhaul bill, Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) hopes to "revise a key financing provision of his health reform package in light of a new analysis showing that it would impose a particularly heavy tax burden on people over 65, aides said," the The Washington Post reports.

1 Oct 2009

Abortion News and Research

House Republicans find many angles for opposition to health bills

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices supports the permissive use of GARDASIL

No significant differences in pregnancy outcomes with different progesterone formulations

Recent releases in global health

Also in global health news: Street pharmacies; China health care; Hospital safety; African cardinals; Cells phones for health

Abortions worldwide decline, unsafe abortions kill 70,000 women annually, report says

Blocking folic acid action during early pregnancy leads to increased risk of abnormalities in growing baby

Medications to reduce folic acid during pregnancy increase the risk of abnormalities in fetus

Abortion law will cause serious and irreversible harm to teens: ACLU

PPAP honors women's health advocates

U.S. bishops urge Congress to improve current health care reform legislation

Catholic bishops call for changes in health care legislation

Researchers reveal that H2 Blocker drugs pose no significant risks for the fetus

Jon O'Brien's statement on healthcare reform

USCCB: Senate Finance Committee accepts healthcare reform bill, rejects pro-life amendments

Declining support for abortion, national survey reveals

House Democratic leaders work to bridge divisions in ranks

Democrats shoot down Republican abortion amendment, others pass

First Edition: October 1, 2009

The Finance Committee continues its health bill mark-up, and the October recess is cancelled

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

Latest News