Motivated By Current Political Climate, International Group To Provide Abortion Pill Advice In U.S.
Women Help Women is a business headquartered in the Netherlands that provides women with counseling on abortion medication through its websites. And, media outlets report on other women's health news out of Louisiana, Kansas, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The Washington Post:
Website Aims To Help Women Self-Induce Abortions Using Drugs
An international advocacy group concerned about restrictive laws in the United States plans to help women self-induce abortions at home, offering online advice and counseling about how to use medications that can terminate their pregnancies. Women Help Women, a three-year-old organization headquartered in the Netherlands, this week launched an online service to provide one-on-one counseling services for women seeking to end their early pregnancies using the abortion pill, which is legally available only by prescription in the United States but can be purchased on the Internet or from other countries. (Somashekhar, 4/27)
The Associated Press:
Judge Strikes Down Louisiana Abortion Law: Unconstitutional
A federal judge has struck down a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have permission to admit patients to a nearby hospital, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision against a similar Texas law. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled Wednesday in Baton Rouge. He had barred the state from enforcing the law in a preliminary opinion saying it was unconstitutional, but a federal appeals court overruled him. However, the state agreed to wait on enforcement. (McConnaughey, 4/26)
Kansas City Star:
Tougher Abortion Restrictions Still On Agenda For Missouri Lawmakers
A decision by a federal judge to rescind some laws restricting abortions in Missouri had Planned Parenthood advocates celebrating last week — but Republicans aren’t going down without a fight. A handful of bills making their way through the legislature aim to make it more difficult for women to get an abortion in Missouri, ranging from new inspection standards for abortion clinics to new parental notification requirements. (Pecorin, 4/26)
The Washington Post:
New Law Orders Va. Insurers To Cover 12-Month Supply Of Birth-Control Pills
Virginia women will be able to have their insurance provider cover a full year of birth-control pills at once under a bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Terry McAuliffe at an Arlington County clinic. McAuliffe (D), surrounded by about a dozen elected officials and more than 50 women’s rights advocates, said he was happy to sign what he called the first positive women’s reproductive health measure to emerge from the legislature in his term. (Sullivan, 4/26)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Measure To Cut Planned Parenthood Funding Heads To Pa. Senate
A measure that would cut funding to Planned Parenthood is heading to the full Pennsylvania Senate after getting approved by a committee Wednesday. The bill would prioritize spending on family planning services according to a list of categories. Its sponsor, Sen. John Eichelberger (R., Blair), said the purpose is to provide adequate health services for patients. But he acknowledged its effect would be to strip funding from Planned Parenthood because, he said, it provides fewer types of services than other health centers and clinics. (Langley, 4/26)
Texas Tribune:
Whole Woman's Health CEO On Texas, Trump And The Future Of Women's Health Care
Amy Hagstrom Miller knows the fight isn’t over. Whole Woman’s Health, the women's health organization of which she's founder and CEO, was lead plaintiff in a lawsuit, Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court striking down one of Texas' most restrictive abortion laws, commonly referred to as House Bill 2, which passed in 2013. Though it eventually won in court, Whole Woman’s Health was one of dozens to close clinics and stop services in the wake of HB 2's passage, and many have not returned since. (Evans, 4/27)
McClatchy:
What Is Stealthing, And Is It A Form Of Sexual Violence?
A man and a woman are about to have sex, and agree to do so while using a condom. But during the act, the man decides he’d rather not wear it and takes it off – without telling the woman. It’s more common than you may think, according to a study by Alexandra Brodsky published in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law on April 20. (Irby, 4/26)
