Trump Administration Plans To Torch $9.7M Worth Of Birth Control
The United Nations and some reproductive organizations were unsuccessful in their attempts to purchase the contraceptives, intended for poorer nations. Also: Five California Planned Parenthoods close; New Hampshire now requires doctors to sterilize patients if they choose; and more.
Axios:
Trump Admin To Burn Nearly $10 Million In Contraceptives For Poorer Nations
The Trump administration plans to incinerate $9.7 million worth of contraceptives intended for poor nations, after declining offers from the United Nations and reproductive organizations to buy or ship the supplies instead, the State Department confirmed to Axios on Thursday. (Walker, 7/24)
In other reproductive health care news —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Planned Parenthood Closes 5 California Clinics, Citing GOP Budget Bill
President Donald Trump’s budget cuts to Medicaid have forced Planned Parenthood Mar Monte to shutter five clinics across Northern California and the Central Coast, including one in South San Francisco, the group said Thursday. The GOP-led federal spending bill that Trump signed into law earlier this month eliminated federal Medicaid funding for any type of medical care to organizations that perform abortions. (DiNatale and Garofoli, 7/24)
New Hampshire Public Radio:
NH Is The First State To Require Doctors To Follow Patients' Wishes On Sterilization
New Hampshire is the first state to legally require doctors and medical staff to follow a patient's desires to seek sterilization, especially if it’s the result of a medically necessary operation. The new law, signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte earlier this month, specifically addresses people with medical conditions who want to get sterilized for their reproductive health. (Richardson, 7/24)
The 19th:
Telehealth Abortion Access Could Be Challenged Nationwide In Texas Lawsuit
A new lawsuit filed in Texas could force federal courts to weigh in on the legality of telehealth abortions, which people have increasingly used to terminate their pregnancies since Roe v. Wade was overturned. (Luthra, 7/24)
AP:
Most US Adults Still Support Legal Abortion, AP-NORC Poll Finds
Three years after the Supreme Court opened the door to state abortion bans, most U.S. adults say abortion should be legal — views that look similar to before the landmark ruling. The new findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll show that about two-thirds of U.S. adults think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. About half believe abortion should be available in their state if someone does not want to be pregnant for any reason. (Mulvihill and Thomson-Deveaux, 7/24)
On endometriosis and hormone therapy —
Newsweek:
Simple Home Test For Endometriosis Developed
Diagnosing endometriosis could soon be much easier thanks to a new at home-test that can detect a biomarker for the disease in period blood. The pregnancy-like test created by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University offers up a diagnosis with high sensitivity in just 10 minutes. (Millington, 7/24)
CNN:
Black Box Warning On Menopause Hormone Therapies Should Be Removed, Experts Say
All menopause treatments containing the hormone estrogen are mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration to carry a black box warning on the label, stating that the treatments could increase the risk of strokes, blood clots, dementia and breast cancer. Now, that advisory may be going away. Last week, a panel of experts convened by the FDA urged the federal agency to remove the cautionary language on at least some forms of hormone therapy. (Hetter, 7/24)
