Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Meta's Facebook, Instagram Hid Abortion Pill Providers' Content
The New York Times: Instagram And Facebook Blocked And Hid Abortion Pill Providers’ Posts
Instagram and Facebook have recently blurred, blocked or removed posts from two abortion pill providers. Instagram also suspended the accounts of several abortion pill providers and hid the providers from appearing in search and recommendations. The actions ramped up in the last two weeks, and were especially noticeable in the last two days, abortion pill providers said. Content from their accounts — or in some cases, their entire accounts — were no longer visible on Instagram. (Cain Miller, Conger and Isaac, 1/23)
More on the abortion pill —
The New York Times: New Research Finds Potential Alternative To Abortion Pill Mifepristone
A new study suggests a possible alternative to the abortion pill mifepristone, a drug that continues to be a target of lawsuits and legislation from abortion opponents. But the potential substitute could further complicate the politics of reproductive health because it is also the key ingredient in a contraceptive morning-after pill. The new study, published Thursday in the journal NEJM Evidence, involved a drug called ulipristal acetate, the active ingredient in the prescription contraceptive Ella, one of two types of morning-after pills approved in the United States. (Belluck and Bazelon, 1/23)
In other abortion and maternal health news —
The Hill: Republican Senators Introduce Bill To Ban Taxpayer Funding For Abortions
Republican lawmakers reintroduced a piece of legislation that would ban the use of federal funds for abortions or health coverage that includes abortion this week. If passed, the bill would essentially codify a decades-old policy called the Hyde Amendment which has banned the use of any federal dollars on abortions since 1977. There are two caveats, however. The Hyde Amendment does allow for federal funds to be spent on abortions if continuing a pregnancy endangers the life of the mother or if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. (O’Connell-Domenech, 1/23)
The Guardian: As Trump Returns, State Lawmakers Pursue Bills That Would Treat Abortion As Homicide
Legislators in at least four states have introduced bills this year that would change the legal definition of “homicide” to include abortion – proposals that pave the way for states to charge abortion patients with murder. Pregnancy Justice, a group that tracks these kinds of efforts, says it has recorded more “homicide” bills this year than ever before. Abortion bans have typically penalized providers, rather than patients. (Sherman, 1/23)
Mississippi Today: Mississippi Bill To Revise Law For Low-Income Pregnant Women Passes First Legislative Hurdle
Low-income women in Mississippi would be able to access free prenatal care faster under a bill that passed the House Medicaid committee Wednesday. The same law passed the full Legislature last year, but never went into effect due to a discrepancy between what was written into state law and federal regulations for the program, called Medicaid pregnancy presumptive eligibility. House Medicaid Chair Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, author of the bill, revised last year’s bill to remove the requirement women show proof of income. (Paffenroth, 1/23)
The New York Times: Christian Nonprofit’s Members Avoid Florida’s Group Home Standards
As religious groups across the country open more maternity homes for pregnant women and teenagers, the nonprofit that oversees some of those homes in Florida is facing renewed criticism from state lawmakers over its practices. The nonprofit, the Florida Association of Christian Child Caring Agencies, has regulatory authority over about two dozen maternity homes, ranches for troubled youth, and group homes for children whose parents cannot take care of them. (Morel, 1/24)
