Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Analysts Attribute Steady Decline In Abortion Rates To Improved Contraception Access, Stringent State Laws
The Washington Post: Number Of Abortions In U.S. Hit Historic Low In 2015, The Most Recent Year For Which Data Is Available
Fewer U.S. women are having abortions than at any time since Roe v. Wade, according to new government figures released Wednesday. In 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, a total of 638,169 abortions were reported, a decrease of 2 percent from 652,639 abortions in 2014. The abortion rate was 11.8 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 in 2015, compared with 12.1 in 2014 and 15.9 in 2006. (Cha, 11/21)
The Hill: Anti-Abortion Groups In Standoff With Trump Over Fetal Tissue Research
The Trump administration and its anti-abortion allies have found themselves in a rare feud. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is facing pressure from leading anti-abortion groups to cancel more than $100 million in federal funding for research projects that use fetal tissue. (Hellmann, 11/25)
The Associated Press: Mississippi Will Seek To Revive Law On 15-Week Abortion Ban
Mississippi's attorney general said Friday that he will appeal a federal judge's ruling that struck down one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the United States. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled Tuesday that a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks "unequivocally" violates women's constitutional rights. (Wagster Pettus, 11/23)
The Associated Press: Battle Over Idaho's Abortion Reporting Law Awaits Ruling
The battle over a new law that creates a list of what lawmakers deem to be complications of abortion and requires health professionals to report when they occurred now awaits a judgment from a federal appeals court. A federal lawsuit against the state of Idaho over the law, which went into effect on July 1, has been put on hold while the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers a judge's ruling rejecting a preliminary injunction against the legislation. (Ridler, 11/23)
