Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Alaska, Dangers Of Rural Births Alleviated By Pre-Maternal Residencies
The New York Times: Pregnant And Far From Home, A Sisterhood Of The Expecting
The contractions were coming eight minutes apart, and Billie Jo Yupanik was breathing into them, her gaze down, hands cradling her abdomen. Around her, other pregnant women padded around the open, airy rooms of the Yukon-Kuskokwim prematernal home, chatting on phones or grabbing coffee from the pot. They mostly smiled and nodded at Ms. Yupanik as they passed, but otherwise seemed to pay her little mind. Going into labor, after all, is hardly remarkable in this place. (Johnson, 8/24)
NPR: Abstinence Programs Don't Stop Teen Pregnancies Or STDs
Abstaining from sexual activity is a surefire way to prevent pregnancy and avoid sexually transmitted diseases. But programs advocating abstinence often fail to prevent young people from having sex, researchers write in the September issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. Such programs, sometimes referred to as "abstinence only until marriage" programs, typically advocate monogamous, heterosexual marriage as the only appropriate context for sexual intercourse and as the only certain way to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. (McCammon, 8/23)
And in other women's health news —
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Henrico Judge's Ruling Allows Case Over State Abortion Regulations To Proceed
Circuit Judge John Marshall said in a written decision Monday that a Richmond woman, Itzel A. Melendez, has legal standing to challenge the amended regulations as does Megan C. Getter, a Rockville resident who is a member of the Virginia State Board of Health. (Gorman, 8/23)
Chicago Tribune: Planned Parenthood Of Illinois Chief Fights Opposition
Jennifer Welch applied to be president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois before Donald Trump won the presidential election, a victory that has ushered in a new wave of challenges for the organization. But the turn of events didn't give Welch pause when it came to starting her new job in May. "I never swayed from wanting to return to Planned Parenthood," said Welch, 49, a lifelong Chicago-area resident who is also now head of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, the organization's advocacy and political arm. (Schencker, 8/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Indiana University Spars With State Over Aborted Fetal Tissue
A legal challenge to an Indiana law that criminalizes research using the remains of aborted fetuses could determine how much power states have to restrict scientific access to fetal tissue. The unusual case pits Indiana’s government against the state’s flagship research university, which is asking a federal court to declare Indiana’s fetal-tissue statute unconstitutional. (Gershman, 8/23)
