Unplanned pregnancies: not just for the young

While they represent less than 1% of all live births, unplanned pregnancies among older women appear to be on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2000 and 2005, births among women ages 45 to 54 rose by 45%. A National Center for Health Statistics survey indicates that 40% of pregnancies in women age 40 or over are unintended.

Women in this age group may not realize that they still need to use birth control. Vanessa Cullins, Vice President of Medical Affairs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America says, "until they complete menopause, which means going 12 months without menstruating, women should consider themselves to still be fertile."

Dissatisfaction with a birth control method or inconsistent use of contraceptives may also contribute to this trend. A recent study by the Guttmacher Institute found that half of women who don't want to become pregnant are at risk for an unplanned pregnancy. Major life changes, such as losing or changing a job, moving, or ending or beginning a new relationship can often lead to a gap in contraceptive use. The Guttmacher survey also found that nearly 4 in 10 women are not very satisfied with their method of birth control. Dr. Jennifer Frost, a Senior Research Associate for the Guttmacher Institute, says that "finding the ‘right’ contraceptive method is not a one-time decision—rather it’s a series of choices as women’s life circumstances and contraceptive needs change.”

Technorati tags: unplanned pregnancy, women over forty, birth control, Planned Parenthood Illinois

House passes maternal health resolution

The House recently passed a resolution that steps up the U.S. commitment to addressing maternal mortality at home and around the globe. Over a half a million women - that's one every minute - die each year in pregnancy or childbirth and most of these deaths are preventable. Illinois' own Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) helped generate support for this resolution at a press conference and rally on May 21st.

Rep. Schakowsky, along with fellow Congresswomen of the Democratic Women's Working Group, were joined by Geri Halliwell (that's right, Ginger Spice!), supermodel Christy Turlington, and survivors of obstetric fistula. Obstetric Fistula is a devastating injury that can happen during childbirth. It is a highly preventable and treatable condition. However, the United Nation's Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates there are 100,000 new cases of fistula each year and only 6,500 of these actually receive treatment.

The Bush administration has withheld nearly $200 million in funding for the United Nations Population Fund over the last six years. The resolution passed this month by the House recognizes that maternal health and child survival is fundamental to the well-being of families and societies and calls for greater international investment and participation in addressing these critical issues.

Technorati tags: Jan Schakowsky, Geri Halliwell, Christie Turlington, obstetric fistula, maternal mortality, Planned Parenthood Illinois

Katha Pollit on the state of feminism today

Katha Pollit, a writer for the magazine The Nation has a great Op-Ed in the Chicago Tribune this week about the state of feminism today. She touches on everything from the recent Supreme Court decision on pay discrimination to Miley Cyrus.

I thought this part on women’s reproductive health was particularly sharp:

In other anti-choice news, an abortion ban will be on the ballot again in South Dakota, this time with narrow exceptions for rape and incest. And mark June 7 on your calendar—it's Protest the Pill day, brought to you by the American Life League and other anti-choice groups, which claim, despite the evidence, that "the Pill kills babies" by preventing implantation of fertilized eggs.
Maybe it's good that the anti-choice movement is outing itself as opposed to contraception—as pro-choicers have long maintained and not many pundits have noted—because it also shows that they believe they can come out of the closet and not be dismissed as lunatics. Look for more struggles over government birth-control funding—already way down, thanks to budget cuts and inflation—as the anti-choicers move the goal posts of how "life" is defined.

Pollit certainly does offer some good reasons for pessimism. I was reading the other day about the 1916 police raid on Margaret Sanger’s family planning clinic in Brooklyn where she and her sister were arrested for disseminating information to patients about contraception. It’s amazing to me that almost 100 years later, it seems like little has changed. (Although even in the 1900s, opponents of contraception would never have argued that birth control “kills babies”—they were part of the movement against “vice” that would later succeed in outlawing alcohol with prohibition.)

At the same time, there are reasons to be optimistic. A poll conducted just this month by the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association found that 88 percent of voters, including four in five Republicans, support women’s access to contraception, and 86 percent support Title X, the government public health program that funds state and local family planning agencies that provide contraception to low-income women.

Find out more about what Planned Parenthood is doing to protect women’s access to contraception and get involved here. And if you know any college students still looking for something to do over the summer, make sure to let them know about the Reproductive Justice Outreach Team. Email volunteer@ppca.org or call 312.592.6890 to request an information packet before positions fill up!

Technorati tags: birth control, reproductive rights, internship

Congress takes close look at abstinence-only

Earlier this month, Congress held the first-ever hearings on the failures of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform heard from scientists, clinicians, researchers and youth activists.

In his opening statement, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) said:

The statistics are shocking. A few weeks ago, the CDC released data showing that one in four teenage girls in the U.S. has a sexually transmitted infection. 30% of all American girls become pregnant before the age of 20; for African-American and Latina girls, the rate is 50%. And thousands of teenagers and young adults in the United States become infected with HIV each year.

If we're serious about responding to these challenges, we must base our policy on the best available science and evidence, not ideology.

We couldn't agree more.

Attendees reported that the most compelling testimony they heard were the personal stories of two impacted youth, Shelby Knox and Max Siegel. While in high school each student participated in abstinence-only programs and testified to the inaccurate misinformation provided that did not match the reality of their lives.

Max, a young person living with HIV told the committee, “Please end this horrible experiment so we can begin the work of saving young people’s lives.”

Video: Watch video of the hearing

Technorati tags: Congressional hearings on abstinence-only, Abstinence-only-until-marriage, Rep. Henry Waxman, Planned Parenthood Action Illinois

Measure expands sexual assault awareness in Illinois schools

A measure was recently approved by the Illinois House which would amend the state's Comprehensive Health Education Program (for grades 6-12) by requiring that "sexual assault awareness in secondary schools" is part of the curricula. It also requires that Universities must provide some form of sexual assault awareness education to all incoming students.

The measure was sponsored by Representatives Naomi Jakobsson, Michael Smith, Linda Chapa LaVia, and Thomas Holbrook in the House. It's chief co-sponsor in the Senate is Assistant Majority Leader, Iris Martinez.

Learn more: Read more about HB3677

Technorati tags: Sexual assault awareness, Comprehensive Health Education Program, Illinois General Assembly, HB 3677

STI Prevention: Resolution introduced in House

Last month we reported on the outrageous statistics related to teen girls and sexually transmitted infection (STIs) rates in the U.S. In light of the shocking numbers, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) has introduced a bi-partisan resolution calling on the House of Representatives to focus greater attention on activities related to the prevention, testing and treatment of STIs. The resolution would also encourage the federal government, states, and localities to provide additional funding for screening and treatment services. Rep. Tubbs Jones was joined by nearly 60 of her colleagues in introducing this resolution.

Rep. Tubbs Jones had this to say:

We can no longer be silent about this issue. The abstinence-only education touted by the Bush Administration is simply not enough. We must be able to talk candidly with our children about the dangers of STDs so that they understand the risks involved with unprotected sex and equip them with the knowledge and tools
to protect themselves.

We applaud her efforts and hope this resolution will pass post-haste.

Read more: Learn more about Rep. Tubbs Jones' efforts on her website.

Technorati tags: STI prevention, STD prevention, Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones,