Birth Control News and Research

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Viewpoints: WSJ on Super Tuesday; Zeke Emanuel, NY Times on electronic health records; Iowa high-risk pool concerns

Mr. Santorum is also scoring on the stump with his warnings about the threat to freedom posed by ObamaCare. Especially if the economy improves, this will be a crucial issue for Republicans in November because it reflects the great American fault line over the role of government. Yet the issue has bedeviled Mr. Romney's because of his refusal to distance himself from RomneyCare in Massachusetts and to say more than his cursory line that he'll "repeal ObamaCare."

7 Mar 2012

Congress must protect international family planning funding

"Opponents of birth control don't just want to limit access in the U.S., they want to slash U.S. support for international family planning programs. It's a perennial debate, and it's about to start all over again," Chloe Cooney, director of global advocacy at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, writes in an RH Reality Check blog post.

7 Mar 2012

Despite controversy, report says young Catholic women support birth control use

According to the report by the Guttmacher Institute, these women perceive the recent debate surrounding contraception coverage as a political one. Meanwhile, analysis continues about Rush Limbaugh's comments on the subject.

7 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Contraception politics; Better food labels; Opposing stands on ultrasounds and abortion

Between the flap at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the squall about the Obama administration's directive that health insurance plans cover the cost of birth control, contraception is shaping up as one of the year's biggest political land mines.

7 Mar 2012

Obama birth control rule draws calls for action in House of Representatives

CQ HealthBeat reports that at least one House lawmaker is pushing to move a bill that is considered the companion to the Blunt amendment, which would have expanded exemptions to the Obama administration rule and was defeated late last week by the full Senate.

6 Mar 2012

States cut birth control subsidies; Impact of abortion laws hard to ascertain

Reuters reports that states are cutting birth control subsidies while The Associated Press writes that it's difficult to gauge what impact anti-abortion laws have on reducing the procedure. The Arizona House gave initial approval to blocking abortion providers from getting federal funding for family planning services through the state. A similar move in Texas, which is now in effect, reverberates.

6 Mar 2012

With 'Super Tuesday' on the horizon, GOP presidential candidates embroiled in health policy, social issues

Also in the news, a new Wall Street Journal poll finds that GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is experiencing a resurgence, just as President Barack Obama's approval rating hit its highest point since last May.

6 Mar 2012

The Contraception Mandate is the end of individual liberty

In March 2010, the Democrat-controlled Congress forced the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (now known as ObamaCare) over the strong objections of the majority of Americans, most of whom were either already receiving taxpayer-funded health insurance or were satisfied with their private coverage.

5 Mar 2012

Contraceptive debate roils on in editorial pages

If the pill had never been invented, perhaps American politics would be very different today. ... Conflicts over gay marriage, transvaginal ultrasounds, Planned Parenthood funding and insurance coverage for birth control are not isolated events (Nancy L. Cohen, 3/4).

5 Mar 2012

Contraception coverage flap becoming key issue in Senate races

Congress can't seem to stop its debate on birth control -- and one reason is that it's bringing in lots of votes and money. ... Republicans are also using the issue to raise money among conservatives and broaden GOP support among Catholics, who are strongly opposed to Obama's contraceptive mandate. But, in general, the flap over birth control is helping Democrats solidify their base and gives them an opening to appeal to independent women, said Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report.

3 Mar 2012

Senate rejects Blunt amendment

In a mainly party-line vote, the Senate rejected this amendment, offered by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., to an unrelated transportation bill. It would have broadened religious exemptions to the Obama administration's birth control rule.

3 Mar 2012

States consider their own legislation limiting contraception coverage, abortion

Lawmakers in Mississippi, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Florida are considering bills to limit contraception coverage or abortion.

3 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: The defeated Blunt Amendment, Obama's $100B Catholic hospital risk, fixing drug shortages

The amendment, which was attached to a highway bill, was defeated on a narrow 48-to-51 vote. But it showed once again how far from the mainstream Republicans have strayed in their relentless efforts to undermine the separation of church and state, deny women access to essential health services and tear apart President Obama's health care reform law.

3 Mar 2012

WHO criticized for not efficiently communicating recommendations on HIV, contraception to African women, PlusNews reports

"HIV organizations, researchers and activists have criticized the WHO and UNAIDS for not clearly communicating guidelines on HIV and hormonal contraception to African women, who remain the most affected by the continent's high HIV prevalence rates," PlusNews reports.

3 Mar 2012

Romney: Blunting confusion on support of contraception amendment

The campaign issued a clarification Wednesday after comments made by GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to an Ohio reporter about the contraception-related Senate amendment. Romney's camp clarified his support for the amendment.

2 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 2, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about the Senate's vote to reject an effort to expand exemptions to the Obama administration's birth control coverage rule.

2 Mar 2012

Poll: Democrats hold political advantage on contraception, Medicare debates

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's February poll, opinions tracked more closely with party affiliation than gender. Meanwhile, the public remains skeptical of the health law.

2 Mar 2012

Senate set for showdown on Obama birth control rule

An amendment by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., which is scheduled for a Senate vote today, would allow employers and insurers to opt out of provisions in Obama's health care law to which they object on religious or moral grounds.

2 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Ryan and Medicare; Va. ultrasound bill 'overreaches'?; NEJM on patient-centered care

Over the past year, an entitlement revolution has taken place on Capitol Hill. ... The revolution involves Medicare, the health-care program for the elderly and the single biggest cause of America's looming debt crisis. Reform of Medicare would be achieved by a policy known as "premium support." It would bring consumer choice and spending restraint to the beleaguered program.

1 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 1, 2012

Today's headlines set the stage for the Senate's scheduled vote on a measure sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., that would allow employers and insurers to opt out of provisions in Obama's health care law to which they object on religious or moral grounds.

1 Mar 2012