Stand Up For Women's Health

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

·         Check out our op ed in El Diario on the importance of sex ed: http://www.impre.com/eldiariony/opinion/2011/8/16/debate-sobre-la-educacion-sexu-267778-1.html

·         We also did an interview with CBS interview on why abstinence-only education doesn’t work: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/08/16/activists-demand-abstinence-only-be-option-in-nyc-sex-ed-curriculum/

·         NY Amsterdam News quotes us in their article about sex ed: http://www.amsterdamnews.com/news/local/article_a63a6670-c8e8-11e0-9364-001cc4c002e0.html

·         And the NY Times lists our website as a resource for parents who want to talk to their kids about sex:  http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/adolescent-health-sex-and-teenage-pregnancy/#more-75757

·         Last week the Archdiocese of New York called for Abstinence only education instead of NYC’s new mandated sex ed: http://brooklyn.ny1.com/content/news_beats/education/145181/religious-groups-and-youth-advocates-decry-mandatory-sex-ed-programs?ap=1

·         Fox News has a story on their protest: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/nyc-sex-education-plans-protested-20110816

·         Meanwhile, the NY Times breaks down the new sex ed curricula: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/adolescent-health-sex-and-teenage-pregnancy/

·         And there are a bunch of letters in the NY Daily News in reaction to sex ed: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-08-13/news/29898162_1_red-light-president-obama-illegal-immigrants/3

·         and: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-08-12/news/29894367_1_black-ancestors-blood-libel-white-ancestors/2

·         While a Queens parent council is pushing back on the sex ed mandate: http://gothamschools.org/2011/08/19/rise-shine-a-queens-parent-council-weighs-sex-ed-pushback/

·         The Queens Tribune reports: http://www.queenstribune.com/deadline/Deadline_081811_MandatedSexClasses.html

·         And the Body runs a piece on how we need more than sex ed to protect our young people from HIV/AIDS: http://www.thebody.com/content/63562/mandates-wont-save-our-kids-from-hiv-actual-follo.html

·         Brian Lehrer discussed sex education on his show: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2011/aug/15/sex-education-now-mandatory-nyc-public-schools/

·         And Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation ensuring that sexual assault victims are not responsible for costs of forensic examinations: http://njtoday.net/2011/08/19/gov-signs-law-preventing-sexual-assault-victims-from-being-billed-for-evidence-collection/

·         Senator Harry Reid on how the Affordable Care Act helps women: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-harry-reid/affordable-care-act-women_b_928805.html

·         While Perry calls the HPV vaccine mandate a mistake: http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/perry-calls-hpv-vaccine-mandate-a-mistake-1748535.html

·         The legal fate of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act will likely come down to two Republican appointees on the U.S. Supreme Court — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/15/us-usa-healthcare-idUSTRE77E57Q20110815

·         Antiabortion group, Americans United for Life, recognizes Presidential hopefuls Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Michele Bachmann as “honorary hosts”: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/08/15/antiabortion-group-to-honor-perry-bachmann/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_Election_Blog

·         The NY Times has a huge piece on new sex selection technology: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/sunday-review/if-you-really-really-wanted-a-girl.html?_r=1

·         Many doctors still recommend yearly Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer even though the guidelines suggest that some women can wait three years between negative tests, a survey shows: http://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/news/20110818/many-doctors-ignore-guidelines-order-annual-pap-test

·         According to a review published in a recent issue of the journal Contraception, concern about weight gain is among the most common reasons people quit the pill and most women who discontinue the pill switch to something less effective or nothing at all: http://www.slate.com/id/2301723/

·         For some in menopause, hormones may be the only option: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/for-some-in-menopause-hormones-may-be-only-option/

·         The Nation on teaching sexuality: http://www.thenation.com/blog/162839/teaching-sexuality-education

·         And Jezebel runs the state-by-state comparison of sex education: http://jezebel.com/5830757/a-state+by+state-sex-ed-primer

·         Gambia: The State of the World’s Midwifery Report 2011 has launched: http://allafrica.com/stories/201108191519.html

·         HIV prevention goes hand-in-hand with reproductive health: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1221380/-/12s55j1z/-/

·         The Vatican announced, any woman in Madrid confessing abortion during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit will be forgiven and welcomed back into the Roman Catholic church: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/08/17/Church-forgives-abortion-during-pope-visit/UPI-23501313568000/#ixzz1Vlu6hv9L

·         Annual maternal deaths globally by the numbers: http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/08/maternal-deaths-numbers

State News:

·         Kansas asks a federal judge whether it can make monthly payments to Planned Parenthood while it pursues an appeal for an order requiring the state to keep providing the group with federal funds to finance its non-abortion services: http://www.cnbc.com/id/44207814

·         North Carolina cannot withhold funding from Planned Parenthood until a lawsuit over that provision of the state budget has been resolved” http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/19/national/main20094874.shtml

·         ACLU of Arizona filed a lawsuit Thursday in Arizona federal court with the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence over a new anti-abortion law: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/7c70f678d33b48c886eb54508c53440b/AZ—Arizona-Abortions-Tax-Credits/

·         Planned Parenthood is no longer offering abortions at 7 of its 10 Arizona locations due to restrictions placed on abortion providers: http://www.care2.com/causes/planned-parenthood-ends-abortions-at-70-of-its-arizona-clinics.html

·         Planned Parenthood Arizona CEO: Why court ruling is a blow to abortion rights: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2011/08/16/planned-parenthood-arizona-ceo-why-court-ruling-is-a-blow-to-abortion-rights

·         The recent lawsuit by the ACLU challenging the new Kansas law that bars private insurers from covering abortion, stands to have a big national impact: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/the-kansas-abortion-challenge-to-watch/2011/08/16/gIQAFqPALJ_blog.html

·         The state health commissioner told federal officials earlier this month that New Hampshire has no plan for restoring access to family planning services previously contracted to Planned Parenthood: http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/274257/hhs-drops-family-planning?CSAuthResp=1314027126%3A887cmbbg4ihuq244ita37j13t6%3ACSUserId|CSGroupId%3Aapproved%3AFB5411B01080D5C624AC644CE57C5B6C&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1

·         A hearing on a North Dakota law regulating drugs used in inducing abortions has been delayed, a move that blocks enforcement of the new law for at least two months longer: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/330606/group/homepage/