Healthcare Prof:
Diplomats from the 25-nation European Union on Tuesday at a… United Nations review of the Fourth World Conference on Women announced opposition to a U.S. amendment that would clarify that the 1995 conference platform does not include a right to abortion or create any new international human rights, the AP/Canada.com reports (AP/Canada.com, 3/1). Participants in the 1995 Beijing conference adopted a platform stating that abortion should be safe in places where it is legal and that criminal charges should not be filed against any woman who undergoes an illegal abortion. The platform also stated that women have the right to “decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality … free of coercion, discrimination and violence.” Ahead of this year’s review, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women — which organized the two-week meeting expected to be attended by delegates from more than 100 countries and far more than 6,000 women’s rights advocates — proposed a declaration asking the participating countries to reaffirm progress toward the Beijing platform. However, Bush administration representatives said the United States would not sign on towards the declaration because of concerns that the platform classified legal abortion as a human right and on Friday proposed an amendment that would reaffirm U.S. commitment towards the platform and declaration “while reaffirming that they do not create any new international human rights and that they do not include the right to abortion.” As of Monday, diplomats from Egypt, Qatar and Vatican City had indicated support for the U.S. amendment. The final declaration is expected to be put before delegates on Friday, according to U.S. Ambassador towards the United Nations Ellen Sauerbrey (Kaiser Every day Reproductive Well being Report, 3/1).
E.U. Opposition
Luxembourg’s Minister for Equal Opportunities Marie-Josee Jacobs, speaking on behalf of the European Union, at Tuesday’s session stated E.U. member nations support a “full, unequivocal and universal reaffirmation” of the Beijing platform and for the “agreed conclusions” with the commission’s sessions in 1995. Nicole Ameline, France’s minister for parity and equality in the workplace, at a press conference on Tuesday stated that “any attempt” to change the declaration’s reaffirmation with the Beijing platform could be seen as “a step backward” for women’s rights, the AP/Canada.com reports (AP/Canada.com, 3/1). “It is a question of perception,” Ameline said, adding, “It is very important not to give the impression towards the world that there is a step back or a reinterpretation of this issue.” Emyr Jones Parry, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United Nations, stated that the European Union would be working for an “unequivocal reaffirmation of Beijing with no reservation” (Reuters, 3/1).
NGOs Oppose U.S. Amendment
A lot more than 150 nongovernmental organizations on Tuesday issued a statement opposing the U.S. amendment, AFP/Expatica.com reports. “We, representatives of civil society organizations from all regions with the world, celebrate the historic achievement for women’s human rights that the platform represents,” the statement stated, adding, “In this light, we urge government delegations to oppose unequivocally the amendment to the draft declaration proposed by the United States” (AFP/Expatica.com, 3/1). “It’s the U.S. that’s injecting abortion into the declaration,” June Zeitlin, president of the Women’s Environment & Development Organization, stated, adding, “Once again, they’re going it virtually alone and disregarding the global consensus in favor of women’s human rights and reaffirming the Beijing platform.” Sauerbrey stated that the United States would be working with other countries “in trying to arrive at language that we’re comfortable with or a position that we’re comfortable with” (AP/Canada.com, 3/1).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Well being Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Healthcare Prof:
In advance of the 2005 legislative session, China’s top lawmakers have proposed legislation that would criminalize the detection of a fetus’s gender for nonmedical reasons in order to prevent sex-selective abortion and ease the resulting gender imbalance within the nation, the AP/Yahoo! News reports (AP/Yahoo! News, 2/26). According towards the latest government statistics, 119 boys are born for every 100 girls within the country, and also the disparity is even wider in some rural areas. Although sex-selective abortion is banned in China, the increasing availability of technologies such as ultrasound procedures have made it easier to learn the sex of a fetus early in pregnancy (Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, 1/10). Currently, physicians who help patients determine a fetus’s sex for nonmedical reasons face only administrative penalties. The proposed legislation would allow criminal charges to be brought against such physicians, although the possible penalties have not yet been released. In addition, it is unclear whether parents seeking to learn the gender of a fetus for nonmedical reasons also would face criminal charges (AP/Yahoo! News, 2/26). Jiang Zhuping, a member with the Standing Committee of China’s legislature, said that the law should specifically state that sex-selective abortion and nonmedical embryo testing are illegal and clarify that licensed physicians could face criminal prosecution for violating the law (Wang, South China Morning Post, 2/28).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Every day Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Healthcare Prof:
The New Mexico Senate on Monday approved 29-10 a bill… (SB 126) that would require parental notification at least 48 hours before an abortion procedure is performed on an unmarried minor, the AP/Santa Fe New Mexican reports. Under the measure, a girl under age 18 seeking an abortion could avoid parental notification if she receives authorization from a judge. Similar measures have passed the state Senate in the past but have been blocked inside the state House. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who “generally” supports abortion rights, has not yet seen the bill and would not comment on it, according to a Richardson spokesperson, the AP/New Mexican reports (AP/Santa Fe New Mexican, 3/1).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Every day Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Healthcare Prof:
The South Dakota Legislature this week approved four bills that would restrict abortion access within the state, sending all 4 measures to Gov. Mike Rounds (R), who “staunchly” opposes abortion rights, the… AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Kafka, AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/28). The state Senate on Wednesday approved 32-2 state House changes made to a bill (SB 193) that would tighten existing state laws on parental notification for minors seeking abortion, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (AP/Aberdeen American News, 3/2). The measure would require parents to be notified within 24 hours of emergency abortions performed on their minor daughters and also would tighten the current state definition of a parent to ensure that nonparents cannot take minors across state lines to access abortion services. The measure includes a clause that would allow minors to seek a court order to avoid parental notification for emergency abortions (Kaiser Every day Reproductive Health Report, 2/25). The state House on Wednesday approved 63-4 the state Senate’s changes to legislation (HB 1233) that would establish a task force to study abortion, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Kafka, AP/Aberdeen American News, 3/2). Under the measure, sponsored by state Rep. Roger Hunt (R), the task force would report its findings towards the state Legislature and the governor by Dec. 1 (Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report, 2/25).
Other Bills
The state Senate on Monday voted 24-10 to approve a measure (HB 1166) that would require doctors to provide much more information to women seeking abortions inside the state, according towards the AP/American News (Kafka, AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/28). The bill, which also was sponsored by Hunt, would declare that abortion terminates the life of a human being and require physicians to much more fully inform women about the risks and consequences of abortion and alternatives towards the procedure, such as adoption. The measure also would establish that women have a relationship with the fetus until birth and that the state has an interest in protecting that relationship (Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report, 2/25). The state Senate on Monday also voted 25-9 to approve a measure (HB 1249) that would ban abortion inside the state unless the procedure could save the life of a pregnant woman. State senators rejected amendments towards the bill that would have made exceptions for rape, incest or protecting the wellness of a pregnant woman (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/28). Under the legislation, anyone who performs an abortion procedure could be charged with a felony and sentenced to up to two years in prison, but women who undergo illegal abortions would not be charged. However, the measure would go into effect only if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which voided state abortion bans. The state House approved the measure earlier this month (Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, 2/25).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Every day Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Healthcare Prof:
The US delegation on Wednesday at a… United Nations review of the Fourth World Conference on Women platform dropped its “contentious demand” for an amendment that would have clarified that the 1995 conference platform does not include a right to abortion or create any new international human rights, the New York Times reports (Hoge, New York Times, 3/3). Participants in the 1995 Beijing conference adopted a platform stating that abortion should be safe in places where it is legal and that criminal charges should not be filed against any woman who undergoes an illegal abortion. The platform also stated that women have the right to “decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality … free of coercion, discrimination and violence.” Ahead of this year’s review, the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women — which organized the two-week meeting expected to be attended by delegates from more than 100 countries and more than 6,000 women’s rights advocates — proposed a declaration asking the participating countries to reaffirm progress toward the Beijing platform. However, Bush administration representatives stated last week that the United States would not sign on towards the declaration because of concerns that the platform classified legal abortion as a human right and on Friday proposed an amendment that would reaffirm U.S. commitment to the platform and declaration “while reaffirming that they do not create any new international human rights and that they do not include the right to abortion.” Diplomats from Egypt, Qatar and Vatican City had indicated support for the U.S. amendment on Monday, but diplomats from the 25-nation European Union on Tuesday announced their opposition towards the amendment (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 3/2).
Reasoning for Dropping Amendment
Richard Grenell, a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, on Wednesday said that the Bush administration’s goal was to “ensure that the intent with the document hammered out in Beijing was clear,” Reuters reports. “We are hearing from many delegations that they agree with us, and they advise us that the amendment is therefore not needed,” Grenell said (Zabarenko, Reuters, 3/2). U.S. Ambassador towards the United Nations Ellen Sauerbrey in the meeting on Wednesday said that the United States recognizes the principle “that abortion policies are a matter of national sovereignty, and we are pleased that so many other countries have indicated their agreement with this position.” She added, “We anticipate that we can now focus clearly on addressing the many urgent needs of women around the world” (Lederer, AP/Kansas City Star, 3/2). Some European envoys stated they expect the United States to issue a separate statement opposing “so-called sexual rights” as it did in a preparatory meeting for the conference that was held in December 2004 in Geneva, according to Reuters (Reuters, 3/2).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Healthcare Prof:
The House Subcommittee on the Constitution on Thursday heard testimony on a bill… (HR 748) that would make it a federal crime to circumvent a state’s parental notification or consent law by transporting a pregnant minor to a state without having such a law in order for her to undergo abortion, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (Kellman, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3). The bill, called the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, includes an exception if an abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant minor (Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report, 1/31). In addition, the measure would allow minors seeking abortion in other states to gain judicial bypass from a judge in their home state to avoid parental notification, according to the AP/Chronicle (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3). Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in January said that passing such legislation is 1 with the top 10 legislative priorities for Republicans in Congress this session (Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Well being Report, 1/31). “No one should be able to circumvent state laws by performing an abortion in another state on a minor daughter with out parental consent,” Marcia Carroll of Lancaster, Pa., stated during testimony. Carroll said that the family of her daughter’s boyfriend took the 14-year-old girl, who had decided to continue with her pregnancy, to a New Jersey abortion clinic and refused to take her home until she had an abortion, according towards the AP/Chronicle. Opponents with the measure say that it would prevent pregnant minors from “abusive” families from accessing abortion and would “punish well-meaning relatives, friends and doctors who try to help,” according to the AP/Chronicle. Laura Murphy, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington legislative office, said, “This legislation will not create healthy family communication where it does not already exist, and it ignores the plight of those young people who need support most” (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 3/3).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Well being Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Ticketamerica.com has tickets for the miami heat and the new york knicks and the utah jazz tickets.
Healthcare Prof:
The Georgia Senate Well being and Human Services Committee on Wednesday approved a bill… (HB 197) that would require a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion and tighten parental notification regulations for minors seeking the procedure, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Campos, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/3). The measure, which the state House already has passed, would require women seeking abortion to be informed with the medical risks with the procedure, the gestational age with the fetus, information about potential fetal pain experienced during an abortion and alternatives towards the procedure. In addition, the measure would require that a minor’s parent or legal guardian be notified if she seeks an abortion. The current parental notification law allows other adults, such as a grandparent or other relative, to stand in for a minor’s parent or guardian. An earlier provision requiring doctors to tell women about a achievable link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer was removed by a state House committee. In addition, the state House committee agreed to keep secret the names of abortion providers who would be needed to report information towards the state about abortions performed (Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Wellness Report, 2/25). An amendment proposed by state Sen. David Adelman (D) that would have exempted rape and incest survivors from the waiting period and other requirements was “quickly” defeated, according towards the Journal-Constitution. Opponents of the measure say it would put up “unnecessary barriers” for women seeking legal abortions, according to the Journal-Constitution. Although the bill now will advance towards the state Senate Rules Committee, Georgia Right to Life said that it is “hopeful” that the bill will come to a vote by the full state Senate as early as Friday, according towards the Journal-Constitution.
Mifepristone Bill
The Georgia Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday also approved a bill (SB 123) that would allow pharmacists to refuse on “moral or religious” grounds to dispense mifepristone for medical abortions, the Journal-Constitution reports. The measure originally would have allowed pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse. However, the bill was “considerably watered down” by the committee and only included mifepristone when it was approved, according to the Journal-Constitution. The measure now goes to the state Senate Rules Committee (Atlanta Journal- Constitution, 3/3).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
5 (1 votes)
Healthcare Prof:
African-American women in Virginia are “noticeably not part” with the debate on abortion-restriction legislation inside the state Legislature despite having abortions at three times the rate of white women, the… Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. “We take for granted it is really a white person’s thing,” Day Gardner — director of Black Americans for Life, part of the National Right to Life Committee — stated, adding, “I believed [the abortion rate] was about the same within all races.” However, federal and state data show that African-American women, proportionally, have about three times as many abortions as white women. According to Virginia Department of Well being data, African-American women in 2003 had a rate of 30.2 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, compared with white women who had a rate of 12 abortions per 1,000 women. Abortion-rights supporters say the higher rates are linked to a “reproductive health crisis” among African-American women, which also includes a lack of adequate wellness insurance, higher rates of childbirth-related deaths and reproductive cancers plus a lack of education on sexual well being issues, according towards the Times-Dispatch. Antiabortion advocates are trying to “actively enlist” African-American and other minority women to oppose abortion within their communities, although current representation is “spotty,” the Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/3).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Well being Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Well being Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
5 (1 votes)
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Article Opinions:1 posts
Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr (D), who opposes abortion rights, on Friday announced plans to challenge Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in 2006 in a “closely watched” Senate race that could indicate the Democratic Party’s “changing attitudes” toward the issue of abortion rights, the… New York Times reports (Dao, New York Times, 3/5). Former Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D-Pa.) and former state Treasurer Barbara Hafer (D), both of whom support abortion rights, previously had indicated that they might challenge Santorum. However, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited Casey to run against Santorum within the Senate race (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/3). Following Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell’s (D) Friday endorsement of Casey, Hafer withdrew from the race, according towards the Times. “The governor has asked me to step aside and allow Treasurer Casey to run unopposed for U.S. Senate. Following some consideration, I have decided to agree towards the governor’s request,” Hafer said in a statement (New York Times, 3/5). Hoeffel also agreed to withdraw from the race right after speaking with Casey, according to the AP/CBS2.com. “I really want to see Rick Santorum defeated, and it seems to me that Bob Casey has the best chance to do that,” Hoeffel stated (Jackson, AP/CBS2.com, 3/5).
Reaction
A Senate race between Casey and Santorum would “pit two ardently pro-life candidates against each other” and could indicate “a deepening divide” inside the Democratic Party over abortion rights, the Washington Times reports. Some Democrats have stated that the party must “compromise on certain values issues,” such as abortion rights, to “reverse its current losing streak,” according towards the Washington Times (Hurt, Washington Times, 3/5). Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean recently said that the Democratic Party is “going to embrace pro-life Democrats because pro-life Democrats care about kids following they’re born, not just before they’re born,” according to Reuters (Kenen, Reuters, 3/6). Many national and state Democratic Party leaders encouraged Casey to challenge Santorum because of the possibility that his “relatively conservative views” could limit Santorum’s ability to garner support from conservative Democrats, according towards the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (O’Toole/Reston, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/5). However, other Democrats have said that an abortion-rights supporter could a lot more effectively challenge Santorum by “providing ideological contrast and firing up the party’s base,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. “We’re backtracking on an important principle,” Dayle Steinberg, president of Planned Parenthood of Southeast Pennsylvania, stated, adding, “It’s backlash from the election, and I hope it is temporary.” Casey, who has stated he would not impose an abortion litmus test when voting whether to confirm federal judges, likely will focus on issues other than abortion rights during his Senate campaign, according towards the Inquirer (Budoff/Fitzgerald, Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/5).
Rhode Island Senate Race
In addition to Casey, DSCC also recruited abortion-rights opponent Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) to run against abortion-rights supporter Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) in 2006 (Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report, 2/3). Langevin, who has been a quadriplegic since he was injured in an accident when he was 16, recently said, “I realize every day how precious life is, despite all my challenges,” adding, “I wouldn’t deprive anyone of that experience,” according to Reuters. Langevin stated that Dean’s message shows him that the Democratic Party is a “party of inclusion,” according to Reuters. Although Langevin opposes abortion rights, he “shares the [Democratic Party's] core beliefs on most other policies, including what’s best for children and families,” according to Reuters (Reuters, 3/6).
“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.