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6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rules against authorities for prolonged detention of abortion-rights opponents

A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled against law enforcement authorities from Springboro, Ohio, and the FBI for detaining abortion-rights opponents for three hours after they protested in the city, the AP/Zanesville Times Recorder reports.

25 Feb 2007

India to open orphanages for female infants to reduce sex-selective abortion

The Indian government plans to set up orphanages in each regional district for female infants in an effort to curb sex-selective abortions, Renuka Chowdhury, minister of women and child development, said, the PTI/Hindustan Times reports.

22 Feb 2007

Some doctors do not tell patients about treatments they oppose

Some physicians do not tell patients about treatments -- such as contraception, abortion or sedation for dying patients -- that they are morally opposed to, according to a study published in the Feb. 8 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, the Washington Post reports.

13 Feb 2007

Low voter turnout prevents approval of Portugal referendum on abortion restrictions

Voters in Portugal on Sunday approved a referendum to legalize abortions during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, but the referendum is invalid because fewer than half of the country's registered voters cast a ballot, the New York Times reports.

13 Feb 2007

States to spend $13 million in 2007 to dissuade women from abortion

States in 2007 have budgeted about $13 million in public funds to subsidize family planning services and pregnancy centers in an attempt to dissuade women from seeking abortions, the Los Angeles Times reports.

13 Feb 2007

New Hampshire Gov. endorses bill to repeal State's parental notification law

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) would sign a bill (HB 184) meant to repeal a state law (HB 763) that requires physicians in the state to notify by certified letter a parent or guardian of a minor who is seeking an abortion at least 48 hours before performing the procedure, Lynch spokesperson Colin Manning said on Thursday, the Manchester Union Leader reports.

13 Feb 2007

Current arguments for reform of UK Abortion Act

The 40th anniversary in October this year of the passing of the UK Abortion Act is certain to be marked by attempts to reopen the debate about lowering the upper limit for legal terminations. In a special report in this week's British Medical Journal, journalist Jonathan Gornall examines current arguments for reform.

11 Feb 2007

How honest is your doctor when it comes to controversial issues?

According to a new study some doctors apparently consider it perfectly acceptable to withhold information regarding issues such as birth control, abortion and sedating dying patients, and even more of the medical profession feel under no obligation to tell patients where or how they access such advice or care.

8 Feb 2007

Portuguese favor lifting abortion ban

About 64% of Portuguese voters said they favor lifting the country's ban on abortion, according to a poll released Thursday by Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha and the pollster Aximage, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/4).

7 Jan 2007

China's Henan province bans abortion drugs

China's Henan province on Monday banned the sale of drugs for medical abortions in coordination with the province's efforts to maintain gender balance among infants, Xinhua/China Daily reports.

7 Jan 2007

Mifepristone offers hope for breast cancer victims

A team of scientists have discovered some unexpected benefits with the abortion pill RU486 (Mifepristone).

4 Dec 2006

Kansas Judge asks State Supreme Court to let him keep confidential some information from abortion records case

Shawnee County, Kan., District Court Judge Richard Anderson -- who permitted Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (R) to view edited medical records of 90 women and girls who underwent late-term abortions -- on Monday filed a response with the state Supreme Court asking that some information about the case be kept confidential, the AP/Kansas City Star reports.

2 Dec 2006

House Republicans tentatively schedule consideration of fetal pain bill

House Republicans have tentatively scheduled consideration next week on a bill (HR 6099) that would require women seeking abortions to be offered an anesthetic for the fetus and told that there is evidence the procedure can cause fetal pain, the AP/Forbes reports.

2 Dec 2006

68,000 women a year die from botched abortions

According to a new study as many as 68,000 women each year die as a result of botched abortion procedures and another 5 million develop infections and complications.

28 Nov 2006

Incoming Congress should enact legislation to reduce abortion rate

Although "[t]aking substantial steps to reduce the abortion rate will not settle the larger ethical argument over the practice," the "election of a new congressional majority" for the 110th Congress should "open the way for a better approach to the abortion question," Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes in a Post opinion piece.

23 Nov 2006

Nicaragua bans all abortions

Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos on Friday signed into law a bill that bans abortion in all cases, the New York Times reports (McKinley, New York Times, 11/20).

23 Nov 2006

74 House members pressure Amnesty International to reject abortion proposal

Seventy-four House members in a letter recently sent to Amnesty International USA Executive Director Larry Cox call on the group to reject a proposal that would support access to abortion in cases of rape, incest, sexual assault or to save the life of the woman, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports.

23 Nov 2006

Australia, cloning and abortion drug mifepristone examined

The New York Times on Tuesday examined the political debates in Australia over the legalization earlier this year of the medical abortion drug mifepristone and whether to pass legislation that would legalize some forms of cloning of human embryos for therapeutic purposes.

23 Nov 2006

Reproductive health agendas hampered by global focus on HIV/AIDS programs, controversies over abortion, other issues

The global focus on HIV/AIDS initiatives and "ideological controversies" surrounding issues such as abortion have "marginalized" reproductive and sexual health in the global health agenda, according to a panel of public health experts said on Friday at a news conference on Friday, CQ HealthBeat reports.

23 Nov 2006

Oklahoma Health Board approves parental consent for abortion form; enforcement procedures unclear

It is unclear how a consent form approved last week by the Oklahoma State Board of Health for the state's law requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortion will be enforced and which agency will enforce it, the Tulsa World reports.

14 Nov 2006