Nearly half of 2010 US births were covered by Medicaid, and nearly half of US pregnancies are unplanned. Women’s health prior to conception influences the health of their babies, but it’s been hard for non-pregnant low-income women to qualify for Medicaid in most states. The Medicaid expansion will help more low-income women access healthcare before they become pregnant and can improve the health of their babies in coming years.
Women's Health
40 years after Roe v. Wade, what new research tells us about abortion and women’s health
For the past 40 years, first-trimester abortion has been legal in the US, but restrictions on these procedures have been mounting as the number of abortion providers has declined. Researchers examine the health implications when women can’t get legal abortions.
Public Health Practice
Texas family planning cuts dismantling the safety net for women’s preventive care; researchers chronicle early impacts
In the west Texas city of San Angelo, Planned Parenthood has been serving local women since 1938. It was one of the very first places in Texas to have a family planning clinic. Now, due to state policy and funding changes, the clinic’s ability to serve all those in need is on shaky ground.
Legislative attacks on women’s health care are so commonplace these days that they make proposals that don’t include a state-mandated vaginal probe seem moderate. In fact, so many legislators are introducing proposals under the guise of protecting women’s health, that it was pretty refreshing to read how the Affordable Care Act will actually protect women’s health. Like, for real.
Affordable Care Act
Institute of Medicine recommends contraception and other preventive health services for women be covered free of charge
One of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act is a requirement that new health plans cover preventive services for women without deductibles or co-payments. The Department of Health and Human Services asked the Institute of Medicine to review what preventive services are important to women’s health and well-being and make recommendations about which of […]
NPR’s Melissa Block traveled to Mozambique, where poverty and a shortage of both healthcare providers and facilities contribute to a high maternal mortality rate, for the first segment of the “Beginnings” series that will air throughout the summer on All Things Considered. She starts off with some grim statistics:
For today’s celebration of International Women’s Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon remarks: One hundred years ago, when the world first commemorated International Women’s Day, gender equality and women’s empowerment were largely radical ideas. On this centenary, we celebrate the significant progress that has been achieved through determined advocacy, practical action and enlightened policy making. Yet, […]