NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY
Chicago Tribune Examines Claims That Black Women Are Targeted For Abortions
The Chicago Tribune on Tuesday examined antiabortion-rights groups' charges that the abortion rate among black women is disproportionately high because abortion providers target this population, a claim disputed by abortion-rights supporters who say the higher rate reflects a greater number of unplanned pregnancies among black women. In Atlanta, Georgia Right to Life and the Radiance Foundation recently launched a campaign that includes dozens of billboards stating that "[b]lack children are an endangered species." The campaign also includes a Web site, toomanyaborted.com, that claims, "Under the false liberty of 'reproductive freedom,' we are killing our very future." The groups are part of an "increasingly vocal segment" of the antiabortion-rights community that claims black women are targeted for abortions as part of a white conspiracy to control the size of the black population.
Blacks represent 13% of the U.S. population but account for 37% of abortion procedures, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the birth rate among black women is also higher than for other races. In 2006, the birth rate was 16.5 per 1,000 black women of childbearing age, compared with 14.2 per 1,000 for all women, according to CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
Click here for the entire article from Medical News Today.
Pelosi Gets Final Word On Abortion Coverage At Health Summit
During Thursday's televised health care summit, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "got the last word" on the issue of abortion coverage when she refuted House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) earlier comments on the issue, Roll Call reports. Boehner claimed during the discussion that the Democrats' reform proposals would provide public funding for abortion.
Pelosi, specifically addressing Boehner by name, said that "the law of the land is there is no public funding of abortion." She added, "And there is no public funding of abortion in these bills, and I don't want our listeners or viewers to get the wrong impression from what you said." Pelosi added, "Certain things are facts about our bills that I cannot let the opposite view stand when they are stated."
Click here for the entire article from Medical News Today.
Utah Gov. Considers Bill To Allow Prosecution Of Women Who Seek Illegal Abortions
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) is reviewing details of a bill (HB 12) that would allow criminal charges against women who seek illegal abortions, including self-inflicted attempts to end a pregnancy, with penalties of up to life in prison, the New York Times reports. The bill was approved 59-12 by the state House and 24-4 by the state Senate.
The legislation was prompted by the case of a pregnant Utah teen who paid a man to beat her with the aim of inducing a miscarriage. The fetus survived the attack, and the infant was adopted by a Utah couple. The attacker was jailed, but a judge dismissed charges against the teen because seeking an abortion is not illegal under Utah law. State Rep. Carl Wimmer (R), the bill's sponsor, said the legislation is designed to close that "loophole."
Click here for the entire article from Medical News Today.
Drug-Induced Abortions Now Offered in Springfield Illinois
Its a medicaton that's 97% effective and it's available now in Springfield. Planned Parenthood started offering medicated abortions this month. The procedure involves two doses of a drugs taken several days apart. It causes a woman to miscarriage. The medication is a big deal for the Springfield area. It's the first time a form of abortion has been available in the Capitol City. In the past - women traveled to Champaign or Peoria to undergo surgical procedures or to get the medication. Merle King of the Right to Life group in Springfield says this move will wake up pro-life protestors. "I think there's going to be a lot more prayer about this in the local community. I think you're going to see more people in prayer vigils at Planned Parenthood," says King.
Click here for the entire article from Illinois Home Page.
HPV Vaccine Blinds 16-Year-Old Girl
We report the course of a 16-year-old girl who presented with near complete visual loss associated with chiasmal neuritis and a biopsy proven tumefactive demyelinating lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in association with a recent immunization against human papilloma virus. She had received her second vaccination against human papilloma virus 10 days prior to her presentation. There was no family history of demyelinating disease, collagen-vascular disease, or rheumatological disorders. In the context of prior vaccination in a 16-year-old girl, acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis is likely to explain the multifocal deficits.
Click here for the entire article from The One Click Group.
Illinois Federation for Right to Life
2600 State Street, Ste E
Alton, IL 62002
Phone: 618-466-4122
Web: www.ifrl.org
E-mail: mail@ifrl.org
