Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services under the Obama administration finalized a regulation defending funding for family planning providers, such as Planned Parenthood, through Title X of the Public Health Service Act.
ACLU Sues Catholic Hospital for Putting Religion over Medical Care
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services against a Michigan Catholic hospital for refusing to perform a postpartum tubal ligation on a pregnant brain cancer patient, a violation of the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Time to Pass Zika Funding is Running Out as Testing Backlog Grows
It’s been more than six months since President Obama called on Congress to pass a $1.9 billion emergency Zika funding bill, but they have yet to appropriate any money towards the public health epidemic that has now infected at least 21,000 individuals in the US and its territories, 1,800 of whom are pregnant.
Lawmakers Push for Zika Funding Bill that Protects Family Planning
Yesterday, the Senate blocked the House’s inadequate Zika response bill that would cut funding for Planned Parenthood.
Texas Maternal Death Rate Doubles in Wake of Family Planning Funding Cuts
Maternal mortality rates in Texas almost doubled between 2010 and 2012, according to a new study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Chicago Passes Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
Chicago has passed an ordinance requiring that all employers whose business is located within the city limits or who has licensing agreements with the city provide their employees with paid sick leave.
President Reallocates Funding in Wake of Zika Crisis
In the wake of Congress’ refusal to pass a Zika funding bill before their five-week August recess, President Obama announced last week the administration’s intent to reallocate $81 million from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help combat the Zika virus.
Department of Justice Sues Mississippi for Failing to Provide Adequate Mental Health Care
The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Mississippi for failing to provide adults with mental illness appropriate access to healthcare, a violation of their civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA).
Peru Fails to Prosecute Former President for Mass Forced Sterilizations
Peru’s public prosecutor Marcelia Gutiérrez declined to prosecute former president Alberto Fujimori and his health ministers for the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of people in the late 1990s.
Texas’ Revised Pamphlet for Women Seeking Abortion Still Full of Innaccuracies
The state of Texas released a new draft of an informational pamphlet on abortion—and it contains numerous inaccuracies and biased information advocates say is meant to shame and scare women.
2016 International AIDS Conference Focuses on Access to Treatment
South Africa is hosting the 2016 International AIDS Conference this week, bringing together policy makers, healthcare professionals and persons living with HIV to evaluate the current state of the pandemic and plot a course for moving forward.
Investing in Teenage Girls on World Population Day
The theme of this year’s World Population Day, a United Nations initiative to focus attention on the urgency of population issues, is “Investing in Teenage Girls.”
Lawsuit Targets Gender Discrimination in Workers’ Compensation
Three California women filed a class-action lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the state workers’ compensation system of explicit and unfair gender bias.
House Investigation of Abortion Providers Set to Exceed $1 Million
According to the House Administration Committee, the Select Investigative Panel scrutinizing abortion providers is requesting around $500,000 to continue its probe into the practices of the organizations. If approved, the total cost of the investigation will exceed one million dollars by the end of the year.
New Report Finds Doctors Who Sexually Abuse Patients Receive Little Punishment
The Atlantic Journal-Constitution released a year-long investigative report on Tuesday documenting the minimal punishments doctors who have been found guilty of sexual abuse receive.
Title X Threatened When It’s Needed to Combat Zika
The House Appropriations Committee introduced a draft of a funding proposal for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies that cuts all monetary support for Title X programs.
South Carolina “Personhood Amendment” Fails to Make it on the Ballot
A South Carolina bill that would have put a referendum for a “personhood amendment” on the ballot in November fell short of the necessary two-thirds votes needed to bring it up for consideration on the Senate agenda before the end of June.
SCOTUS Saves Sole Abortion Clinic in Mississippi
The Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the sole abortion clinic left standing in Mississippi, won a major Supreme Court victory Tuesday after the Court declined to hear Mississippi’s appeal to enforce a state law requiring hospital admitting privileges for doctors performing abortions, similar to the Texas law the Court struck down on Monday.
New York City Council Greatly Expands Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products
The New York City Council passed legislation that will provide access to free menstrual hygiene products such as pads and tampons in public schools, homeless shelters, and the city’s correctional facilities.
FDA Expands Access to Medication Abortion
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made mifepristone (the early option of abortion by pills, or medication abortion) more accessible to women, but still kept in place unnecessary regulations.
