Stand Up For Women's Health

Here are a few of the articles we’ve been paying attention to this past week: 

New York:

• PPNYC CEO Joan Malin has an op ed in the NY Times/WNYC site, SchoolBook, on sex education and parent involvement: http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2011/11/08/sex-education-dont-fear-it-use-it/
• And SchoolBook is soliciting comments: http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/posts/766-what-do-you-think-of-the-new-mandatory-sex-education-program-in-city-schools
• Caribbean Life publishes our NY Times op ed: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2011/11/2011_11_09_malin_sexeducation_op_ed.html 
• And the DA, a schools website, picked up Haydee’s op ed from the Huffington Post: http://www.districtadministration.com/news/opinion-dont-be-spooked-sex-education
• A judge has OK’d “choose life” license plates in New York State, though it has been stayed: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP1d68c2ddb3794beea1c56bf02d0a9003.html
• Nurses in NJ are suing a hospital for purportedly being forced to perform an abortion: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/11/07/nurses-against-abortion-suing-n-j-hospital-requiring-they-assist-in-the-procedures/
• David Freedlander, of the New York Observer, has this long piece up on sex education: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/86917/carnal-knowledge-new-mandatory-sex-ed-classes-have-some-hot-and-bothered/
• HUGE piece in the Staten Island Advance on sex ed and what it means: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/frank_sex_talk_in_lessons_for.html 
• A New Jersey writer counters the Princeton Op Ed in the NY Times a few weeks ago, saying how important sex ed is: http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2011/11/opinion_attempts_to_discredit.html
• Though in general, NYC schools are not doing that well: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/10/new-york-schools-an-unpre_n_1087065.html
• Concerned Women for America are concerned about NYC’s sex ed curriculum: http://www.cwfa.org/content.asp?id=20721

Political/GOP:

• Planned Parenthood Action Fund launched the new “Women Are Watching” site to help guard against anti-choice politicians: http://www.womenarewatching.org/
• It was covered in Cosmo: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/planned-parenthood-women-are-watching-new-site-110811
• And Marie Claire: http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/opinion/women-are-watching-campaign
• And Feministing: http://feministing.com/2011/11/08/planned-parenthood-launches-campaign-targeting-2012-candidates/
• And Latina Lista: http://www.latinalista.net/mediacasts/2011/11/new_site_informs_women_voters_what_polit.html
• Romney is on the outs with people who care about women’s rights: http://www.thelobbynh.com/news/939464-382/romney-clashes-with-womens-rights-activists.html?CSAuthResp=12345%3A%3A9481%3A256%3A24%3Asuccess%3AE6B522BB2C4AB4C00E935CB986F8907D
• And Obama said that the GOP is hurting women and dividing the country: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-government/obama-gop-not-working-to-help-women-is-dividing-country-instead/2011/11/09/gIQADzxf6M_story.html
• And that we are not done working towards gender equality: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/obama-on-gender-equality-we-are-not-done-yet/
• And he touted progress for working women: http://www.thenation.com/blog/164539/obama-touts-progress-working-women
• While Valerie Jarrett declared that women’s issues are America’s issues: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/valerie-jarrett/womens-issues-are-america_b_1088672.html
• While the NY Times addresses “the moral divide” http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/the-gulf-of-morality/

National News:

• A terrifying report that the Government’s anti-terrorism tracking database does not include anti-abortion violence: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/anti-abortion-violence-terrorism_n_1074911.html
• Though the Federal Government is suing an anti-abortion protester who violated the FACE act: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_766060.html?_s_icmp=NetworkHeadlines
• A Federal Appeals Court upheld health care reform: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45208152/ns/politics-more_politics/#.TsGQ_lYRJ8V
• Which the NY Times applauds: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/opinion/affirmation-of-health-care-reform.html?ref=opinion
• WNYC covers Jill Lepore’s long article on birth control and the history of Planned Parenthood: http://www.npr.org/2011/11/09/142097521/how-birth-control-and-abortion-became-politicized
• As does Amanda Marcotte: http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2011/11/08/planned_parenthood_and_the_birth_of_birth_control_.html

Health News:

• Scientists have invented an HIV-blocking gel: http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/11/ucla_scientists_invent_hiv-blocking_anal_gel.php
• National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy launched a new ad campaign about how great not being pregnant is: http://jezebel.com/5858438/new-ad-campaign-helpfully-reminds-you-that-not-being-pregnant-is-great

International News:

• CNN runs a piece on birth rates and reproductive right in Africa: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/07/world/africa/melesse-seven-billion/
• Hilary Clinton is aiming for an “AIDS-Free Generation” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/health/policy/hillary-rodham-clinton-aims-for-aids-free-generation.html?ref=us
• Russia is enacting restrictive abortion laws: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-obrien/russia-abortion_b_1084549.html

State News:

• As you know by now, the Mississippi personhood amendment failed: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/us/politics/votes-across-the-nation-could-serve-as-a-political-barometer.html?_r=1&hp
• The measure, had it passed, would have outlawed many forms of birth control: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/11/personhood-and-parenthood.html
• Apparently mainly thanks to women voters: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVL2o14jmzOqTI3UdpjZMFwRbmqA?docId=880bf714c87c46a58a01b9a6eea33939
• And resulting in an energized reproductive rights base: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/11/09/mississippi-abortion-vote-energizes-abortion-rights-groups/
• An anti-union measure in Ohio was also defeated: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/08/8708589-big-win-for-democrats-in-ohio-and-an-abortion-surprise-in-mississippi
• And many are wondering if this is a predictor for the 2012 elections: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2011-11-08/election-2011-issues-include-personhood-health-care/51129738/1
• And a defeat of personhood attempts in general: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/09/mississippi-women-score-big-victory-against-personhood.html
• Though the hard line Christian Right is regrouping: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/georgetown-on-faith/post/why-the-mississippi-personhood-amendment-self-imploded/2011/11/09/gIQApQqI5M_blog.html
• Those that aren’t put off by personhood that is: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/11/09/142184556/personhood-divides-anti-abortion-groups?ps=sh_stcathdl
• And the NY Times is calling it back to common sense in the polls: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/opinion/back-to-common-sense-at-the-polls.html?ref=opinion
• In other news, Planned Parenthood in Kansas was cleared of felony charges: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/judge-dismisses-felony-charges-against-planned-parenthood-in-kansas-abortion-case/2011/11/09/gIQAp3Nk6M_story.html