{"id":276738,"date":"2010-02-04T08:21:14","date_gmt":"2010-02-04T13:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rhrealitycheck.org\/blog\/2010\/02\/04\/roundup-weve-got-good-news-tell"},"modified":"2010-02-04T09:33:33","modified_gmt":"2010-02-04T14:33:33","slug":"roundup-weve-got-good-news-to-tell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/276738","title":{"rendered":"Roundup: We’ve Got Good News to Tell"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\nWe’re not all doom and gloom here at RH Reality Check. \u00a0Today’s roundup is a look at some of the good things that have been happening lately in reproductive health. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\nIn Iowa, a bill has been introduced to provide more free contraceptives and family planning services to low-income residents<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tA bill moving through Iowa’s legislature could make free birth control available to thousands of men and women in the state.
\n\tThe Senate Human Resources Committee will vote on the bill on Thursday. It essentially would provide free birth control to low-income men and women who are under the age of 55. The bill would expand on a program that already exists in Iowa.<\/p>\n

\tAdvocates say every dollar spent on pregnancy prevention ultimately saves the state four dollars because babies and children require a lot of resources. But opponents think the state should spend more money on abstinence education instead.<\/p>\n

\tThe proposed bill would allow low-income women to get pills, IUDs and other forms of birth control for free. Men in similar financial situations could get a free vasectomy.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nAs an added benefit, the bill would redefine "reproductive age" to go up to and include women age 54, rather than cut off at age 44 as the current plan doe<\/a>s.\u00a0 Although some are opposing the move as wasteful, others point out that it will allow even more women to have access to annual pap smears and mammograms at an age when it is most needed.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAt least one Iowa physician is speaking out against extending the age limit to 54. Donald Young, a medical director at Mid-Iowa Fertility, said, "The odds of a woman taking home a baby at age 45 is one in 50,000." He added, "The idea that we need to provide birth control\/family planning services for women up to age 55 is against basic reproductive physiology and a waste of taxpayer dollars."<\/p>\n

\tNancy Robertson, a staff attorney and lobbyist for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, noted that birth control is just one of the services that would be covered. An age 45 cutoff is arbitrary because the average woman begins menopause at age 54 and is capable of becoming pregnant before that point, Robertson said.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nIn other good news, President Obama released his budget earlier this week, with a boost for improving maternal and child health globally<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\tThe State Department and USAID would receive<\/a>
\n\t$700 million to target maternal and child mortality under the proposal,
\n\tan increase from the $474 million allocated in 2010. Family planning
\n\twould receive a $65 million funding increase under the budget, from
\n\t$525 million to $590 million.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to the Journal<\/cite>,
\n\tthe budget proposal includes several "ambitious targets" to be reached
\n\tby 2014, including reducing maternal mortality by 30% — or about
\n\t360,000 lives saved — and reducing mortality among children younger
\n\tthan age five by 35% — or about three million lives saved — in
\n\tassisted countries. The proposed budget would aim to provide HIV\/AIDS
\n\tdrug treatment to 1.6 million more people and cut the prevalence of malaria<\/a> and tuberculosis<\/a> in Africa by half.<\/p>\n

\tA majority of the requested funding — about $7 billion — would go to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief<\/a>,
\n\tincluding $5.74 billion for bilateral HIV\/AIDS programs, $251 million
\n\tfor bilateral TB programs, and a $1 billion contribution to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria<\/a> (McKay, Wall Street Journal<\/cite>, 2\/1).\n\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nAlso in international news, the Kenyan government has announced that prior to earlier reports, birth control implants available to women in the country are indeed safe<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n\tFamily planning methods being used in Kenya are safe, the
\n\tgovernment said on Wednesday. The Ministry of Public Health and
\n\tSanitation singled out implants, saying they were not to blame for
\n\tcausing infertility and cancer.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\n\t\u201cCurrently, the government provides two types of implants, Jadelle <\/em>and Implanon<\/em>,
\n\twhich are two and one rod implants respectively. Some of the side
\n\teffects associated with implants include weight changes and
\n\tirregularity in menses,\u201d the government said in a press advertisement.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\n\tThese
\n\tside-effects are individual based and do not necessarily affect every
\n\tuser. Many women are using implants comfortably with no side-effects at
\n\tall, the ministry said. A number of women had started discarding
\n\timplants after they were said to cause infertility and cancer besides
\n\thaving other life-threatening side effects.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

\n\tBut the
\n\tgovernment said it procured all contraceptives, including implants,
\n\tfrom reputable pharmaceutical companies, which are World Health
\n\tOrganisation certified. The National Quality Control Laboratories also
\n\tcertified the quality of family planning products before they were
\n\treleased for public use, the ministry said.\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nMini Roundup:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Massachusetts will be getting a new Planned Parenthood clinic<\/a>, and Christine Todd Whitman speaks at the Planned Parenthood North Texas Luncheon<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n \n<\/p>\n

\nFebruary 4, 2010<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nNepal\u00a0<\/span>adoption<\/span>\u00a0‘should be banned’<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0BBC News<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nTeen pregnancy rises as county cuts sex-ed funding<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0HollandSentinel.com<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBill Could Make More Free\u00a0<\/span>Birth Control<\/span>\u00a0Available in IA<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0KCRG<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Making of CBS’s\u00a0<\/span>Pro<\/span>–<\/span>Life<\/span>\u00a0Ad<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0The Daily Beast<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFebruary 3, 2010<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nMichael Ignatieff challenges PM to back aid for\u00a0<\/span>abortion<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Toronto Star<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nShould CBS Show Tim Tebow’s Anti-<\/span>Abortion<\/span>\u00a0Super Bowl Ad?<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0U.S. News & World Report<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAbortion<\/span>\u00a0docs will "continue to be stopped," clinic arsonist says<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Kansas City Star<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKenya Draft Constitution Contains Protection for Women, Unborn on\u00a0<\/span>Abortion<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0LifeNews.com<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nLiberal Leader Ignatieff Slammed as \u201cExtreme\u201d and \u201cDivisive\u201d on\u00a0<\/span>Abortion<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Lifesite<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAbortion<\/span>\u00a0clinic is facing protest spike; Why, no one knows<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0The Villager<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKevin Libin: Ignatieff’s audacious stance in favour of\u00a0<\/span>abortion<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0National Post<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFamily Foundation, GOP lawmakers cry foul over\u00a0<\/span>abortion<\/span>\u00a0bill<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0The Virginian-Pilot<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAdoption<\/span>\u00a0is not always child’s play<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Herald Sun<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nMissionary Case Illuminates Plight of Haiti’s Orphans<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Wall Street Journal<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nIowa Senate To Consider Extending No-Cost\u00a0<\/span>Family Planning<\/span>\u00a0To Older Women<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Medical News Today<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nNo ban on Planned Parenthood<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Worcester Telegram<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nObama Budget Request Increases International Global Health Funding<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Medical News Today<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nPro Life, Pro War, Pro Death Penalty\u2014What’s Wrong With This Picture?<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0AlterNet<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nChoose Life<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Huffington Post<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWhy Can’t\u00a0<\/span>Pro-Choice<\/span>\u00a0Groups Handle the Truth About the Tebow Ad?<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0FOXNews<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nEditorial:\u00a0<\/span>Pro-choice<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0WSFA<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFormer New Jersey governor speaks in Fort Worth at Planned Parenthood event<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Fort Worth Star Telegram<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nPro-life<\/span>\u00a0organization responds to needs of pregnant women in Haiti<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Catholic News Agency<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBC\u00a0<\/span>Pro-Life<\/span>\u00a0Researcher Calls on Province to Release Abortion Info<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Lifesite<\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKenya’s methods of\u00a0<\/span>birth control<\/span>\u00a0‘safe’<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Daily Nation<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’re not all doom and gloom here at RH Reality Check. \u00a0Today’s roundup is a look at some of the good things that have been happening lately in reproductive health. \u00a0 In Iowa, a bill has been introduced to provide more free contraceptives and family planning services to low-income residents. A bill moving through Iowa’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4263,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-276738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4263"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=276738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276738\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=276738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=276738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=276738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}