Repro Health Hub

New Year’s Eve is the biggest night of the year—including for birth control accidents. In fact, the stats are pretty startling: use of emergency contraception (EC) more than doubles in the first days of the new year.

That’s why the National Institute’s Back Up Your Birth Control campaign has launched a special effort to remind women that, if they do have a birth control mishap on the big night, EC is available over-the-counter at pharmacies, even in a single pill. At DontDropTheBall.org you can even send funny morning-after messages to all your friends to remind them that EC can get them out of a pickle on January 1st.

But first watch the hilarious “OMG, I sent that text to Grandma?!” video that started it all. Because if you can accidentally text your Grandma on New Year’s Eve, what else can go wrong?

Finally, share some of these fun facts about EC with all your friends this New Year’s…

• You can get EC over-the-counter if you’re 17 or older.
• There is now a convenient, one-pill version of EC.
• EC can help prevent pregnancy when taken within 120 hours of unprotected sex but is more effective the sooner you take it.
• EC is 95% effective when taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex.
• EC is kept behind the counter so you will need to ask the pharmacist for it.
• EC is NOT the “abortion pill,” Mifeprex™ or RU-486, and will not terminate an existing pregnancy.
• EC is a higher dosage of the same hormones found in many birth control pills.

By Maya Dusenbery

The National Institute for Reproductive Health advocates for women to have access to all reproductive health choices when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. While access to abortion is often the spotlighted issue concerning reproductive justice, there is a whole spectrum of choices to which women must have access. Adoption is one of those choices.

Each year in the US, 1 percent of unplanned pregnancies results in adoption, meaning approximately 13,000 infants are placed for adoption domestically. When international and foster care adoptions are included, the total number of adopted children in the US is about 1.5 million—just over two percent. And 25 percent of the women choosing an adoption are teens.

For these children, birthmothers, and adoptive parents, the issues surrounding adoption are vast. From inequities regarding race and ethnicity, to class and sexual orientation, there is much work to be done to ensure that the system is just and respects the dignity of all parties involved.

Gay and lesbian couples who want to adopt, for example, have been singled out in several states in recent years. Reported The New York Times in July, “Last year, Arkansas passed a ballot initiative prohibiting adoption by unmarried couples, which effectively makes it impossible for gay parents to adopt jointly. Utah and Michigan have similar laws; Mississippi and Florida ban adoption by same-sex couples outright.”

Race is another complicated factor with regard to adoption. Black and white families looking to adopt often face discrimination, the latter in their desire for transracial abortion and the former in screening processes. The New York Times reports that in 2004 “more than 45,000 black children were waiting to be adopted from foster care.” Historically, there has been resistance to transracial adoptions, but with the passage of the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994—which prohibits discrimination in making placements of children to parents based on race, color or national origin of either party for federally financed agencies—more and more transracial adoptions are occurring domestically and abroad.

Cost of adoption is another hurdle that excludes certain people from the adoption process; there still isn’t justice when only middle- and upper-class families can afford to adopt. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute reports that domestic adoptions from private agencies can cost as much as $30,000. While foster care adoptions are more affordable, efforts must be made to ensure that all potential adoptive parents have equal opportunity and access to the system as a whole.

Some questions we might ask as we look at adoption as a reproductive justice issue include the following: What populations are placing their children and who is adopting? How can we make sure that all women who want to choose adoption have support through this process and aren’t facing coercion or pressure? What steps can be taken to ensure that people from all races and ethnicities are being recruited as adoptive parents, especially given that children placed for adoption are disproportionately children of color?

For the past several months, the National Institute for Reproductive Health and NARAL Pro-Choice New York have hosted the ongoing speaker series “Choices,” which closely examines the full spectrum of reproductive health choices. Emergency contraception, parenting, abortion, and LGBTQ reproductive rights have all been topics of discussion.  In tonight’s installment, “Choices: Adoption,” advocates from pro-choice adoption agency Spence-Chapin will be speaking, along with a birthmother and an expert on transracial adoption. Tonight’s event will address the complex issues surrounding adoption in an attempt to arrive at an understanding of what would constitute justice, equality, and true choice in the adoption process.

Stay tuned for video and a summary of the event in the coming days!

By Anna Bean

On October 22-23, the third Urban Initiative Regional Summit was held in Chicago, IL. Hosted by the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), the Summit brought together more than 150 advocates from 14 cities and eight states across the Midwest.

Recognizing the wonderful work ICAH has done over the years working for adolescent health in the state and the great potential of the Urban Initiative for Reproductive Health to promote real policy solutions to urban reproductive health challenges, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution to review the goals and outcomes of the Summit.

We’re thrilled the City of Chicago is committed to improving reproductive health and recognizes the importance of fostering collaboration between advocates, elected leaders, and public health officials in cities across the country to create and implement a proactive, local agenda to do so.

Go here to read the full resolution on the Urban Initiative website.

By Maya Dusenbery

The Urban Initiative for Reproductive Health has begun! The Rocky Mountain West Regional Summit, the first of four regional summits that will take place in the next month, was held last week in Denver. Wendy Norris covered the summit on RH Reality Check:

After weathering eight years of conservative attacks, the pro-choice community held high hopes that the Obama Administration, bolstered by democratic majorities in Congress, would signal an end to partisan bickering over federal funding for comprehensive care and the tedious national obsession with abortion.

With that optimism scattering to the four winds of manufactured political controversy, the National Institute for Reproductive Health is organizing the Urban Initiative for Reproductive Heath, four regional urban summits to bring providers, policymakers, activists, funders and legislators together to share effective program strategies and localized incidence data.

“There is a limitless potential to create change for women’s health at a local level,” said NIRH president Kelli Conlin at a Sept. 23 kick-off event in Denver. “What people here realize, much more clearly than people out East or in Washington, is that not everything has to be a knock-down, drag-out fight. You can get things done without burning down the house.”

Seeking common ground was a frequent theme throughout the discussions on sexuality education, underserved populations, and the intersection of reproductive freedom and economic self-sufficiency. Check out the whole piece to read about the lessons learned by our partners from Missoula, MT to Portland, OR.

Next, we’re headed to Atlanta for the Southeastern Regional Summit on Sept. 30-Oct. 2, followed by Chicago, Ill., (Oct. 21-23) and Los Angeles, Calif., (Oct. 29-30). Visit the Urban Initiative for Reproductive Health website to stay up-to-date!

Yesterday was a tragic day for the entire nation as Dr. George Tiller, a dedicated health care provider who never wavered in his commitment to providing abortion services and other reproductive health care to women and their families, was murdered in his Wichita, Kansas church.

Dr. Tiller survived previous attempts upon his life, including being shot in both arms in 1993. Despite acts of violence, constant protests, and harassing attempts at prosecution, Dr. Tiller remained steadfast in his commitment to providing reproductive health care to those in need.

Last night mourners and supporters of a woman’s right to choose took part in a vigil in the nation’s capital to join in the rememberance, speak out for peace, and honor the courage and commitment that abortion providers and advocates show on a daily basis, in the face of hostility and threats of violence. Tonight, similar vigils will take place across the country.

This unconscionable act of violence came at a time when President Obama has called on leaders of both sides of the abortion debate to find “common ground.” But as Kelli Conlin, President of the National Institute for Reproductuve Health and Naral Pro-Choice New York said in a statement released yesterday,

it is cold-blooded, vicious actions like today’s assassination that make it hard for those of us in the pro-choice community to find common ground with those on the other side. It is lawless, violent behavior like this that makes us fear for our lives and our families. When they sit down across from us, they have no reason to believe that we come to the table with violent intentions. Today is a brutal reminder that we are not privileged to have the same sense of security.

We therefore call upon the leaders of the anti-abortion movement to go beyond condemning today’s action to actually committing to control and measure their own irresponsible and incendiary rhetoric and actions.

When these anti-abortions leaders stalk us, harass us and label physicians “murderers,” they fan the flames to create a setting where abhorrent acts such as today’s can transpire.

By: Tara Sweeney

As we gear up for the Back Up Your Birth Control Day of Action tomorrow, March 25th, we can take a little break to celebrate a great legal victory for emergency contraception (EC).

On Monday a federal court in New York ordered the F.D.A. to make EC available without a prescription to women aged 17 and older within 30 days and to consider eliminating all age restrictions on over-the-counter access.

Nancy Northup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the suit against the F.D.A, called the decision a tremendous victory:

Emergency contraception is proven safe and effective and today, we have succeeded in expanding access to 17-year-olds and are one step closer to making it fully available to all women, including young women for whom the barriers – and the benefits – are so great.

The judge in the case offered a harsh indictment of the Bush-era F.D.A.’s foot-dragging and political misconduct back in 2006 when it first considered making EC available over-the-counter. The New York Times reports:

Citing depositions, Judge Korman wrote that agency officials had improperly communicated with White House officials about Plan B. And, he said, F.D.A. employees sought to influence decisions by appointing people with anti-abortion views to an independent panel of experts reviewing Plan B for the agency.

The agency also departed from its normal procedures, the judge wrote, by ignoring favorable conclusions about the drug by an advisory panel as well its own scientists and officials who found that the drug could be safely used by women at least as young as 17.

Such “political considerations, delays and implausible justifications” showed that the F.D.A. had acted without good faith or reasoned decision making, Judge Korman wrote.

The ruling not only vindicates the many reproductive health advocates who cried foul at the time, but provides hope for the future. President Obama’s pick to head the F.D.A., former New York City health commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, has been praised by advocates, including the National Institute’s President Kelli Conlin. Let’s hope that under her leadership the F.D.A. will no longer place ideology over science and grant all women, regardless of age, timely access to EC.

But, while allowing over-the-counter access to EC for young women is an important step in eliminating the barriers to its use, there is more to be done. Public awareness remains low and myths run rampant. Many women and men still do not know EC exists, let alone how to obtain it.

So, don’t forget to join us tomorrow for the BUYBC Day of Action to help spread the word. Write a letter to the editor. Blog about EC. Donate your Facebook or Twitter status to the cause. Find out what’s going on in your own community or college campus. And if you’re in New York City, come out and hit the subways with the NARAL Pro-Choice New York team.

By Maya Dusenbery

Amie Newman, a Managing Editor at “RH Reality Check” posted today about her experience moderating a session at the recent Netroots Nation Convention called Breaking the Frame: Revitalizing and Redefining Reproductive Rights Media Coverage.

The goal of the session was to “deconstruct[] the extremist, anti-choice messaging and agenda and, with the help of the expert panelists, figure out what our messaging could and should look like when we all work together — professional advocates, bloggers and the mainstream media.”For all of us who didn’t make it down to Austin, Amie was kind enough to share a clip from the session. Check it:

By Tara Sweeney

As our conversation about universal health care and its inclusion of women’s health continues, it is important to stay on top of events around the issue. It just works out that this week is Cover the Uninsured week, a week full of events in cities all across America and probably in a town near you! Cover the Uninsured is a campaign run by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Their website highlights programs and lists dates and locations for events happening from now until the middle of May. Go to events around you and raise your concerns as women of America who deserve equal access to good health care.