past media summaries

May 16-31, 2010

PUSH JOURNAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS May 16 – 31, 2010

TOP STORIES

Study Finds Pill, Condom Most Popular Contraceptives: The New York Times and the Associated Press reported May 26 on new research on contraceptive choices for women and men in the United States and six other countries. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that contraceptive use has increased among unmarried women and their partners in recent decades. The CDC also found that the birth control pill is the most popular contraceptive among married women in all seven countries studied, while sterilization is more popular among American women than women in other countries. Read: The New York Times and Associated Press

Abortion Controversy Persists in Kenya: The Voice of America reported May 25 and the Christian Science Monitor reported May 14 that conservative religious leaders, including representatives of the Pentecostal and Catholic Churches, continued a campaign against Kenya’s draft constitution. The religious leaders oppose a provision allowing abortion in cases where it can save women’s lives, claiming that it will encourage women to seek abortions. Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives have also challenged the reform, claiming that the Obama administration has done too much to promote it. Read: Voice of America and Christian Science Monitor

Health Benefits, Social Barriers for Birth Control Pill At 50: Multiple media outlets reported and published columns May 15-27 on the social, health and economic significance of the birth control pill at the 50th anniversary of its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. While some items reflected on the pill’s social impact as the most popular form of contraception in the world, others such as New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof highlighted the barriers that still block many women’s access to family planning. Read: The New York Times (May 20) The New York Times (May 19), The Times of India

G8 Maternal Health Initiative Could Promote Development: Multiple media outlets reported and published blogs May 24-27 on a proposed initiative by the Group of 8 industrialized countries on maternal health. Jill Sheffield, executive director of Women Deliver, called on G8 leaders to make maternal health a priority for all development efforts, while the Canadian Press reported that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to exclude abortion services from the proposed initiative went against the advice of the Canadian International Development Agency. Scientists representing the national academies of the G8 countries also issued a statement calling for the initiative to do more to address the health effects of unsafe abortion. Read: Toronto Star, Huffington Post and Canadian Press

OTHER NOTEWORTHY ARTICLES AND OPINIONS BY SUBJECT

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Studies Find Reproductive Coercion Is Common: NPR reported May 28 on new research finding that sabotaging birth control or otherwise coercing pregnancy is a common form of intimate partner violence in the United States. "If we are serious about stopping unplanned pregnancy in this country, we simply must address the sexual violence and reproductive control that often cause it," said Esta Soler, president of the Family Violence Prevention Fund. Read: NPR

New Tactics for State Abortion Restrictions: Multiple media outlets reported May 16-28 on efforts to restrict abortion access at the state level. A Nebraska law on “fetal pain” could challenge abortion rights if it is considered by the Supreme Court. Oklahoma’s legislature recently overrode the governor’s veto to enact a requirement that women undergo ultrasounds before having an abortion. In other states, abortion rights opponents have managed to limit insurance coverage for abortion in health care legislation establishing state-level insurance exchanges. Read: The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitorand Huffington Post

Latin America Aims to Make Cities Safe for Women: IPS reported May 25 on the "Cities Without Violence Against Women, Safe Cities For All" initiative in several Latin American cities. The initiative seeks to make public transportation and public spaces safer for women. Read: IPS

Pediatricians’ “Nick” Provokes Controversy: AFP reported May 26 and The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) reported May 22 on the controversy surrounding a recent statement by a committee of the The Academy of American Pediatrics permitting a ritual “nick” of infant female genitalia as a compromise for families that would otherwise seek more extreme forms of female genital mutilation/cutting. Read: AFPand The Sydney Morning Herald

UK Agency Recommends Expanding Contraceptive Access: Press Association Mediapoint reported May 25 that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published new guidelines calling on pharmacies to expand the availability of contraceptives, including condoms and emergency contraceptives. Read: Press Association Mediapoint

In Zimbabwe, Maternal Mortality is on the Rise: The Herald reported May 25 that maternal mortality has tripled in Zimbabwe in recent years as fewer women give birth in health care institutions or with the aid of skilled health care providers. Read The Herald

Seminar Held on Maternal Health in Pakistan: The News International reported May 23 on a half-day seminar arranged by the National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health on the state of maternal health in Pakistan. Read: The News International

Abortion Still Taboo in UK Despite Frequency: The Times (London, UK) published a column May 21 by Helen Rumbelow on the silence that continues to surround abortion in the UK, where Marie Stopes International (MSI) was set to air the first-ever advertisement for abortion services. Research by MSI shows that one in three British women have had abortions. Read: The Times

U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate Is Increasing: The Los Angeles Times reported May 22 on rising maternal mortality in the United States, and The New York Times reported May 17 on a new report by Save The Children ranking countries based on maternal health. The U.S. ranked 28th in the new study. Despite advanced medical technology and spending, more young U.S. mothers die in childbirth or in the years after than in most rich countries. Read: Los Angeles Times and The New York Times

New Study Maps Complications Responsible for Maternal Deaths: The Lancet published an op-ed by Malcolm Potts, Ndola Prata and Nuriye Nalan Sahin-Hodoglugil on May 22 praising the quality of a recent study on complications that lead to maternal deaths. The study found that hemorrhage is responsible for the most women’s deaths, killing one woman every seven minutes. Read: The Lancet

Conservatives Block Mali Family Law Reform: IPS reported May 19 that proposed reforms to expand women’s rights under Mali’s family law were blocked by conservative Muslim leaders. Read: IPS

Philippines Health Advocates Lobby on Church Clout: PNA reported May 18 that reproductive health advocates called on President-Elect Benigno Aquino to maintain his stance against involvement of the Catholic Church on reproductive health-related policies. Read: PNA

Foundation Fights Fistula in Kenya: IRIN reported May 18 on the Freedom From Fistula Foundation (FFFF), an organization that works to end fistula in Kenya. FFFF offers free surgeries and, often, transportation for fistula patients. Read: IRIN

Islamic Conference Pledges Support for Maternal Health: Reuters reported May 16 that U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius met in Geneva with health ministry representatives from the 57 Muslim states in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Health issues, including reproductive and maternal health, were the topics during the ministerial assembly of the World Health Organization. "Half of the maternal deaths are in OIC countries. We focused on working together on those Millennium Development Goals which are lagging way behind," said Sebelius. Read: Reuters

Women’s Equality

UN Looking for Ways to Keep Girls in School: VOA reported May 19 on the U.N. Girls' Education Initiative global conference, which is discussing strategies to keep girls in school. The conference emphasized the importance of a quality and relevant educational curriculum. Read: VOA

Op-Ed Calls for More Mothers on Supreme Court: The Washington Post published an op-ed May 14 by Ann Gerhart calling for future Supreme Court nominees to include women with children. Read: Washington Post

Clinton Pledges To Make Afghan Women’s Issues A Priority: Pajhwok Afghan News reported May 14 on a meeting of women ministers in Kabul where U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged that "The United States will continue to target assistance to women, in areas ranging from girls' education to better health services, particularly maternal health, to protecting women from violence, to enhancing their roles in agriculture and the economy.”  Read: Pajhwok Afghan News

past media summaries