O’Neal hiked to Washington, DC to protest the closing of Vidant Pungo Hospital in rural Beaufort County, NC, and to call attention to the impact of his state’s failure to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act.
Extensive Female Genital Mutilation Study To Be Conducted in the US
The Obama administration plans to conduct a large study on female genital mutilation to try to assess how many girls and women in the US are at risk or have experienced the practice.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Disabilities Treaty
The treaty, among other things, reaffirms the need for fundamental human rights for all people with disabilities, and highlights the need to recognize and respond to discrimination against those with disabilities.
Detroit Maternal Death Rate Is Triple the US Average
Women in Detroit are dying from pregnancy-related complications at about three times the US average, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. Twenty-six women died in Detroit over the period 2008-2011 as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, and Detroit has the highest rate of infant mortality among major US cities, with 13.5 infant deaths for every […]
New Clarification Requires Corporations Refusing Contraceptive Coverage To Inform Their Employees
The White House clarified on Thursday that closely held for-profit corporations refusing to provide contraceptive coverage will be required to inform their employees.
Law Limiting Abortion Access Under Medicaid in Alaska Temporarily Blocked
An Alaska state court judge this week temporarily blocked a law that created a narrow definition for when abortions were “medically necessary” and therefore covered under Alaska Medicaid.
Nigeria Secures $15 Million Grant from Norway to Reduce Maternal Mortality
Norway has provided a $15 million grant to the Nigerian government to help the country reduce maternal and child mortality.
New Federal Guidelines Align with Pregnancy Discrimination Act
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its pregnancy discrimination guidelines this week for the first time in over 30 years.
Study Shows High Rates of Child Marriage and Maternal Death Across Nigeria
Nigeria accounts for 13 percent of global maternal death rates, with 36,000 women dying in pregnancy or child birth each year, and child marriage rates across Nigeria often outpace those in other nations around the world.
Tennessee Mom Arrested Under New Pregnancy Outcome Law
The new mother was arrested and charged with simple assault just two days after giving birth.
Democrats to Introduce Bill Reversing Hobby Lobby Decision
Democrats in the House and Senate are expected to introduce companion bills today to reverse the US Supreme Court’s decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby by prohibiting for-profit employers from refusing to provide health insurance coverage for contraceptives.
Supreme Court Decision On Wheaton College Further Threatens Contraceptive Access
A majority of the US Supreme Court granted a temporary emergency injunction to Wheaton College, ruling that the school does not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act contraceptive coverage benefit.
Supreme Court Will Hear Pregnancy Discrimination Case
The US Supreme Court will decide next term whether the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) requires an employer to provide workplace accommodations to pregnant employees if that employer also provides comparable accommodations to non-pregnant employees who become temporarily unable to perform their jobs without the accommodation.
Hobby Lobby Ruling May Reach All Forms of Contraception
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a series of orders suggesting that its decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby applies to all forms of contraception and not just the methods at issue in the Hobby Lobby case.
Supreme Court Decision in Hobby Lobby Case Values Corporations Over Women
Even as the Court decided that closely-held corporations could have religious rights protected by the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the conservative majority minimized not only the importance of women’s health but also the goal of women’s equality.
Iraqi Women Face Reproductive Health Care Shortage During Crisis
The United Nations warned this week that due to the escalating crisis in the northern and western parts of the country, about 250,000 Iraqi women and girls – including almost 60,000 pregnant women – need urgent health care as soon as possible. Recent violence in Iraq has displaced approximately one million people, overwhelming health facilities in parts […]
Stop The Madness: On Treating Women Prisoners With Dignity
Women in prison are still people – and they shouldn’t have to endure shackling during childbirth and forced sterilization just because they committed a crime.
TRAP Law Shuts Down North Alabama Clinic
One northern Alabama clinic surrendered its provider license Tuesday. The Alabama Women’s Center in Huntsville is the latest victim of a new state TRAP law set to take effect July 1.
Michigan Democrats Aim to Repeal Law Requiring Separate Insurance Coverage of Abortion
Two Michigan lawmakers introduced state legislation to repeal a Michigan law that forces women to buy additional health insurance coverage for abortion, even in cases of rape or when a women’s health is endangered.
Young Americans Healthier Under Affordable Care Act
Young adults are now 7.2 percent more likely to have health insurance, 6.2 percent more likely to report “excellent physical health” and 4 percent more likely to say they are in “excellent mental health.”
