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A male contraceptive pill - but will they take it?

British scientists say a male contraceptive pill could be on the market within five years.

28 Nov 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

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

Oral contraceptives and IUDs protect against endometrial cancer

According to a new study by researchers in the U.S., oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUD) appear to provide long-term protection against endometrial cancer.

22 Nov 2006

Vatican study on condom use - will it make any difference?

A study by the Vatican on the use of condoms has finally been concluded and is currently being examined by the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog.

21 Nov 2006

China's one-child-per-family policy has prevented 400 million births

The one-child policy seeks to keep China's population, now 1.3 billion, at around 1.7 billion by 2050. Ethnic minorities and farmers are the only groups legally exempt from the rule.

14 Nov 2006

HIV prevention campaign promoting condom use among Chilean youth sparks debate among politicians, Catholic church

A new government-sponsored campaign in Chile promoting condom use among youth in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV in the country has "provoked the ire" of the Roman Catholic Church and some conservative political parties, the Miami Herald reports.

14 Nov 2006

Environment the culprit in women's higher risk of MS

Researchers in the UK are suggesting that there is an environmental link to the rising number of women being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Canada.

1 Nov 2006

Oral contraceptives increase risk for breast cancer in some women

A meta-analysis published in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings indicts oral contraceptives as putting premenopausal women at significantly increased risk for breast cancer, especially women who use them prior to having a child.

30 Oct 2006

Sperm-busting male contraceptive pill in the pipeline

Scientists are in the process of developing a male contraceptive drug which stops the development process of sperm.

30 Oct 2006

Massachusetts Attorney General sues low-cost health insurer alleging unfair practices

Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly (D) on Monday filed a lawsuit against Texas-based HealthMarkets, which sells low-cost health insurance to small businesses and students in the state, accusing the company of deceptive marketing practices and improper denials of patient claims, the Boston Globe reports.

26 Oct 2006

Confusion abounds on how to treat the menopause

The results in 2002 of a large U.S. study on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in many respects left women confused and alarmed about the treatment for the menopause.

25 Oct 2006

Increased access to contraception not linked to decrease in numbers of unplanned pregnancies, abortions

The belief that increased access to contraception will "reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion" has "intuitive appeal, but the data prove otherwise," Susan Wills, associate director for education for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, writes in a Washington Post letter to the editor in response to a Post opinion piece by William Saletan, science and technology reporter for Slate magazine.

24 Oct 2006

New Jersey Assembly Committee approves bill requiring pharmacists to fill emergency contraception prescriptions

The New Jersey Assembly Health and Senior Citizens Committee on Thursday approved a bill (A 992) that would require New Jersey's 9,000 licensed pharmacists to fill prescriptions for all drugs, including contraceptives, despite "any sincerely held moral, philosophical or religious beliefs," the Newark Star-Ledger reports (Livio, Newark Star-Ledger, 10/20).

23 Oct 2006

New York State Court of Appeals upholds contraceptive coverage law

The New York State Court of Appeals on Thursday voted 6-0 to uphold rulings by the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division to leave intact a state law that requires employers -- including the Roman Catholic Church and other religious organizations -- who offer prescription drug plans to provide coverage for FDA-approved contraceptives for women, the New York Times reports.

22 Oct 2006

Idaho woman files lawsuit over Ortho Evra patch

A woman in Idaho who said she developed a blood clot disorder after using the birth control patch Ortho Evra -- made by Ortho-McNeil, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson -- has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the companies, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports.

19 Oct 2006

Contraceptive options in the U.S. examined

The New York Times on Tuesday examined contraceptive options in the U.S., where 60% of unplanned pregnancies occur among women who use contraception.

17 Oct 2006

Washington Post examines Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race between Santorum, Casey

The Washington Post on Sunday examined the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey (D) (Finkel, Washington Post, 10/15).

17 Oct 2006

Debate between antiabortion, abortion-rights supporters now focusing on contraception

"If you're among the millions of Americans who don't like the idea of abortion but also don't like the idea of banning it, good news is on the way" in the form of two bills recently introduced in the House, William Saletan, science and technology reporter for Slate magazine, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

5 Oct 2006