Outside the Supreme Court during the Kavanaugh confirmation vote, we heard from Senators and advocates, but most importantly, we heard from survivors of sexual assault.
Senator Harris’s bill to reduce racial disparities in maternal mortality has won praise, but several commenters have also noted that much larger steps will also be necessary to fix the conditions that put black women at elevated risk of a range of health problems
The comment deadline on the Trump administration’s Title X gag rule is Tuesday, July 31. If implemented, it will severely damage a successful program that used to enjoy bipartisan support and that has helped millions of low-income people access high-quality reproductive healthcare.
It’s an appropriate time to highlight some of the recent evidence that we should keep in mind as abortion takes center stage in political discussions.
Reproductive & Sexual Health
Judges rule against HHS for unlawfully ending teen pregnancy prevention grants, but shift to abstinence still underway
Earlier this month, another judge rebuked the Trump administration’s attempts to terminate teen pregnancy prevention grants, ruling the decision unlawful and ordering federal health officials to reinstate the five-year grant agreements. Youth health advocates are cautiously relieved, but they also say the shift away from evidence-based sexual health education is well underway.
The Trump administration’s latest move to deny reproductive autonomy to women with low incomes takes the form of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on major changes to the Title X family planning program.
About two weeks ago, federal health officials released a new funding announcement for the nation’s Title X family planning program, which serves millions of women each year. In the entire 60-page document, you won’t find the words “contraception” or “contraceptive” mentioned even once.
Children's Health
Study finds big differences in infant mortality within Texas cities and between its ZIP codes
As a state, Texas’ infant mortality rate is below the national average, at 5.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. But within the state, some communities experience much higher rates, with stark differences between ZIP codes sitting only a few miles apart.