U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Abortion Ban

On April 18th, 2007the United States Supreme Court upheld the federal abortion ban in the cases of Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood and Gonazles v. Carhart. In doing so, the court upheld the first-ever federal law banning abortion and gave politicians the green light to interfere in the private health care decisions of women and families. To learn more about the ruling and find out what you can do about it, visit our Federal Abortion Ban Headquarters.

Mathematica Study Proves Abstinence Only Education Ineffective

On April 13, 2007, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., released their long-awaited report on the impact of abstinence-only programs. The report, conducted for DHHS and authorized by Congress in 1997, found that abstinence-only programs are ineffective. Specifically, the study found that youth in abstinence-only programs were no more likely than control groups to have abstained from sex in the four to six years after the study began. Youth in both abstinence-only and control groups who reported having had sex also had similar numbers of sexual partners and had initiated sex at the same average age.

You may view the full report at:
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/impactabstinence.pdf

Unintended Pregnancy Reduction Act Introduced

On April 6, 2007, Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced the Unintended Pregnancy Reduction Act (S.1075) as a stand-alone bill (the provision is already included in the Prevention First Act (S.21, HR 819)). Original cosponsors of the bill include: Senators Robert Casey (D-PA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), John Kerry (D-MA), and Charles Schumer (D-NY). A companion bill is expected to be introduced in the House after the spring recess.

The Unintended Pregnancy Reduction Act requires states to provide Medicaid coverage for family planning services and supplies to all women who would be entitled to Medicaid-funded prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum care if they become pregnant. It also addresses changes contained in the Deficit Reduction Act that could compromise the Medicaid program’s long-standing recognition of the benefits of family planning for women and families.

Wal-Mart Changes Corporate Birth Control Policy

On March 4, 2007, in response to Planned Parenthood’s massive grassroots advocacy campaign “Fill My Pills Now,” Wal-Mart notified Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) that it has revised its nationwide corporate policy with regard to emergency contraception. The new Wal-Mart policy ensures customers “will now receive their prescriptions or OTC products in store without discrimination (no harassment or lectures),” “without delay,” and “without judgment,” according to the Planned Parenthood survey. To learn more or to become involved, visit www.fillmypillsnow.org.

Keroack Out!

On March 29, 2007, Eric Keroack, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs, announced his resignation. Planned Parenthood strongly opposed Keroack's appointment to oversee Title X, the nation's family planning program because of his stance as anti-birth control and anti-sex education. Prior to his appointment, Keroack served as the medical director for A Woman’s Concern (AWC), a network of so-called “crisis pregnancy health centers” in the greater Boston area. In addition to their strict anti-choice policies, under Dr. Keroack’s supervision, AWC health centers did not distribute, encourage the use of, or offer referrals for contraceptive drugs and devices.

Responsible Education About Life Act Introduced

On March 22, 2007, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act as a stand-alone bill (the provision is already included in the Prevention First Act (S.21, HR 819). The REAL Act will provide funding to states for medically accurate, age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education in the schools that includes information about both abstinence and contraception, from both a values and public health perspective.

Currently, no federal funding exists for comprehensive sex education in public schools. However, three separate federal programs, totaling $176 million this year alone, support unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. This is true despite the fact that the majority of Americans (parents, teachers, medical health professionals, and registered voters) overwhelmingly support sex education that will help protect teens from unintended pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.

Prevention First Act Introduced

On February 5, 2007, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced the introduction of the Prevention First Act (S.21), commonsense legislation that will fund family planning services, extend Medicaid support to more women, and give women, men, and couples access to the health information and services they need to plan strong, healthy families and prevent unintended pregnancy. Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has introduced the companion bill, HR 819 in the house. Learn how you can get involved to support this legislation.

Senate Confirms Andrew von Eschenbach as Commissioner of the FDA

On December 7, 2006, the Senate confirmed Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by a vote of 80-11. Senators Clinton (D-NY) and Murray (D-WA) lifted their hold on von Eschenbach’s confirmation after the FDA granted Plan B emergency contraception (EC) over-the-counter status for women aged 18 and older in August 2006. Planned Parenthood’s earlier opposition to Dr. von Eschenbach’s confirmation was also tied to the FDA’s delay on an EC OTC announcement. Dr. von Eschenbach has served as Acting Commissioner since September 2005. Prior to that, he served as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).