Postpartum Depression

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The Michigan House on Tuesday approved 69-37 a bill… (HB 4446) that would need wellness professionals to offer girls seeking abortion an chance to see ultrasound images of their fetuses just before undergoing the procedure, the AP/Lansing State Journal reports (AP/Lansing State Journal, 5/25). Under the measure, which is sponsored by state Rep. Dave Robertson (R), health professionals who supply abortion services could be necessary to perform ultrasounds on ladies seeking abortion ahead of performing the process and offer you the women a likelihood to see the live images and get a print-out of the images. The measure also needs the state Department of Community Wellness to add to its informed consent Web web site the names and get in touch with details of clinics and wellness care providers who perform ultrasounds at no price towards the patient (HB 4446 text, 5/25). Robertson stated he hopes that fewer ladies will pick to undergo abortion if they are able to see ultrasound images of their fetuses. Shelli Weisberg, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, stated the legislation creates a barrier for girls seeking abortion. The bill now goes towards the state Senate (AP/Lansing State Journal, 5/25).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You are able to view the whole Kaiser Daily Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free of charge service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Business and Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. All rights reserved.

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Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) on Wednesday signed into law a bill… (SB 1908) which will call for doctors to notify the parents or legal guardians of minors seeking abortion no less than 48 hours in advance of performing the procedure, the AP/South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The law takes impact July 1, according to the AP/Sun-Sentinel (Hallifax, AP/South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/26). The law, which the state Legislature approved earlier this month, won’t require parental notification if the minor in question is married or has children or if an instant abortion is essential to stop injury to or death with the minor. Under the law, minors could bypass notification if a judge determines that they are mature sufficient to create the decision on their very own, that they’re victims of abuse or that notifying a parent is not in the girl’s ideal interest. The law also consists of an amendment that can permit minors seeking judicial bypass to make use of a pseudonym (Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report, 5/9). In a release issued by his workplace, Bush said it is important that parents are conscious of when their children undergo surgical procedures, adding, “This not just ensures the safety of our young children, but also strengthens the household unit by keeping open dialogue between parent and child” (AP/South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/26).

Constitutional Amendment
The state Legislature in its last session approved a proposed constitutional amendment to enable such a law. The amendment (HJR 1), which Florida legislators approved as a ballot initiative in April 2004 and voters approved in November 2004, authorizes lawmakers to require that minors notify no less than 1 parent or guardian prior to undergoing abortion. The measure was intended to overcome a 2003 Florida Supreme Court ruling that the state’s parental notification law signed by Bush in 1999 violated minors’ privacy rights. The law, which was never ever enforced due to legal challenges, would have necessary minors to notify a parent or legal guardian a minimum of 48 hours prior to an abortion procedure (Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report, 4/8).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You are able to view the whole Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Household Foundation. All rights reserved.

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Article Opinions:1 posts
A five-member OB/GYN panel on Friday approved language for Alaska’s abortion informed consent… Web site — which was needed to be created under a law (SB 30) signed last year — and added some content suggested in the course of a period of public comment, the Anchorage Daily News reports (Demer, Anchorage Every day News, 5/23). Gov. Frank Murkowski (R) in July 2004 signed the law establishing the Internet website and requiring girls seeking abortions to certify in writing that their doctors gave them the information from the website or other information that meets certain standards. The law demands the Internet site to consist of data about fetal development; photographs of a fetus at four-week gestational increments; descriptions of various abortion procedures; feasible risks and complications, such as physical and psychological effects, related with abortion procedures and childbirth; eligibility needs for medical assistance rewards; child support orders; and different contraceptive choices. The law also needs that all details included on the website be objective, unbiased and approved by a group of OB/GYN specialists appointed by the state medical board. The panel — that is created up of all men such as two abortion providers and 1 member recruited by Alaska Right to Life — has stated the internet site will contain info about fetal discomfort as well as a feasible link in between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer. The panel previously had given tentative approval to the Net website without having any mention of fetal pain or the feasible abortion-breast cancer link (Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, 5/3).

Additions, Timeline
The panel agreed to add elements towards the internet site suggested for the duration of a public comment period, which includes adding “anger” and “grief” to a list of possible emotional effects of abortion that already consists of “emptiness,” “guilt,” “sadness” and “relief,” based on the Daily News. The panel also included a lot more description of how the encounter of undergoing abortion can differ amongst ladies based on age, gestational age and religious beliefs, according to the Daily News. The Net website might not be online and obtainable to the public for a couple of months since it need to be approved by the state health commissioner, state lawyers and Lt. Gov. Loren Leman (R), who ought to approve all state regulations, according to the Daily News. Furthermore, the panel will have to approve any alterations created to the medical content with the website, according to Stephanie Birch, chief of the state Division of Public Health’s Women, Youngsters and Household Well being Division (Anchorage Daily News, 5/23).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You are able to view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a cost-free service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family members Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Business and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

two (1 votes)

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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) on Monday signed into law a bill… (SF 917) that authorizes $5 million more than two years for not-for-profit groups that discourage abortion, encourage adoption, and present prenatal counseling as well as other wellness care services for pregnant girls, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (Hopfensperger, Minneapolis Star Tribune, 5/24). The law establishes a “positive alternatives” program and demands the state Department of Wellness to launch a public info campaign about fetal development, alternatives to abortion as well as other services for pregnant females. Pawlenty in January announced his support for the legislation, and Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life in December 2004 announced the measure as component of its 2005 legislative agenda. The original version of the bill would have denied funding to any state group that gives abortion information to pregnant females. Nonetheless, lawmakers amended the measure to allow state funding for organizations that mention abortion as an selection but don’t encourage abortion or arrange for abortion services. The state Senate Health and Household Security Committee also added an amendment to make certain that patients get equal privacy protections at pregnancy centers as they would in other medical settings (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 5/11). Furthermore, the law prohibits funding from going to organizations that give “inaccurate medical info,” the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Stassen-Berger, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 5/24). “Any time we can perform together to promote positive alternatives to abortion, that is a superb factor,” Pawlenty said, adding, “My hat is off to MCCL along with the other people who believed this was an excellent approach to aid women” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 5/24).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. It is possible to view the entire Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Health Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a cost-free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family members Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Firm and Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. All rights reserved.

3 (1 votes)

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Texas Rep Phil King (R) on Sunday removed from consideration within the state Home a bill… (SB 1150) that would have necessary parental consent for minors looking for abortion in the state, saying that equivalent language attached to a bill (SB 419) reauthorizing the State Board of Medical Examiners most likely will obtain final approval, the Houston Chronicle reports (Robison, Houston Chronicle, 5/23). King also stated that opponents of SB 1150 identified two parliamentary violations within the measure that could have blocked the bill’s passage, based on the Chronicle (Ross Hughes, Houston Chronicle, 5/24). Under existing state law, parents of minors searching for abortion need to be notified in writing 48 hours just before the procedure takes location. SB 1150, which the state Senate approved 24-5 last week, would have changed the law by substituting the word “consent” for “notification.” Nonetheless, the remainder with the existing law — below which physicians could be charged using a misdemeanor for violating the law but disallows charges to be brought against minors undergoing the process — would have remained the same. The bill also would have allowed for judicial bypass in particular circumstances (Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, 5/20).

Subsequent Steps
Similar to SB 1150, an amendment to SB 419 would call for physicians to acquire consent from a parent or guardian prior to performing abortion on a minor, the Dallas Morning News reports (Brooks, Dallas Morning News, 5/23). The only major difference between SB 1150 and the parental consent amendment attached to SB 419 may be the punishment for physicians who violate the measure, the AP/WOAI reports. SB 1150 would have imposed a fine of as much as $10,000 on doctors who carry out the procedure without parental consent with the minor, but the amendment to SB 419 would enable the removal of a physician’s license (Grissom, AP/WOAI, 5/23). Nonetheless, state Sen. Chris Harris (R) stated that language within the SB 419 amendment might be unconstitutional, according to the Chronicle. The amendment consists of wording stating that a physician could carry out an abortion to stay away from the death of a minor or “substantial impairment” of a main bodily function of a minor if “there is insufficient time to acquire the consent with the child’s parent, managing conservator or legal guardian,” based on the Chronicle. Identical language has been struck down as unconstitutional by federal courts, based on Harris, the Chronicle reports. State Sen. Jane Nelson (R), author of SB 419, has requested that a House-Senate conference committee work together to agree on the language. King stated, “I believe the language is fine, but if there is a difficulty, we can correct it in the conference committee”. King said he is certain that the state Senate will approve SB 419 with the abortion-related amendments intact prior to the lawmakers adjourn subsequent week (Houston Chronicle, 5/24). If approved, SB 419 would go to Gov. Rick Perry (R), who has said that he would sign a parental consent bill (Ellis, Dallas Morning News, 5/23). SB 419 also consists of an amendment that would prohibit a physician from performing a third-trimester abortion except when needed to protect a woman’s life or when the fetus has severe brain harm (Houston Chronicle, 5/23).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. It is possible to view the whole Kaiser Every day Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Well being Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a cost-free service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family members Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Firm and Kaiser Family members Foundation. All rights reserved.

two (1 votes)

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The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday profiled numerous girls who have undergone late-term abortions at Wichita, Kan.-based Women’s Wellness Care Services, which specializes in second- and third-trimester abortions and is under investigation by Kansas Lawyer General Phill Kline (R) (Simon, Los Angeles Times, 5/31). Kline, who opposes abortion rights, last year issued a subpoena ordering the release of complete, unedited medical records — which includes each patient’s name, medical history, birth manage practices, psychological profile and sexual history — for all females and girls who sought abortions at or following 22 weeks gestation. Based on a brief filed within the Kansas Supreme Court by Women’s Well being Care and yet another clinic, Kline subpoenaed the records to search for evidence of crimes, such as probable violations of laws limiting late-term abortions and requiring mandatory reporting of suspected child sexual abuse (Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report, 4/5). Under Kansas law, certain late-term abortions are legal only if continuing the pregnancy could “substantially and irreversibly” damage the well being of a woman, but Kline has questioned regardless of whether the ladies who underwent second- or third-trimester abortions at Women’s Health Care “were truly in that much danger,” the Times reports. The clinics have asked the state Supreme Court to block Kline’s investigation, as well as a choice inside the case is expected inside weeks, according to the Times (Los Angeles Times, 5/31).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You’ll be able to view the whole Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a totally free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Loved ones Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Organization and Kaiser Family members Foundation. All rights reserved.

4.5 (2 votes)

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US District Judge Tom Lee on Wednesday declared unconstitutional a Mississippi law that required all abortions on girls who’re more than 13 weeks pregnant to be performed in licensed hospitals or ambulatory surgical centers, the… Los Angeles Times reports (Los Angeles Times, 6/2). Before May possibly 2004, when Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) signed the law, state law allowed abortions to be performed at clinics until 16 weeks’ gestation. Two months after Barbour signed the law, Lee issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the Jackson Women’s Health Organization in Jackson, Miss., which is the only abortion clinic inside the state. In the suit, JWHO stated the statute violates the privacy rights of females searching for abortions. Furthermore, JWHO President Susan Hill stated the clinic has applied for an ambulatory surgical center license every two years given that it opened in 1995, but the state has stated that it offers no such license. In his July 2004 ruling, Lee said he didn’t believe any abortion clinic in Mississippi could meet the law’s needs (Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Well being Report, 7/26/04).

Ruling Details
In Wednesday’s ruling, Lee stated the law would have prevented JWHO from qualifying as an ambulatory surgical facility, barring the clinic from offering second-trimester abortions, the AP/Biloxi Sun Herald reports. He added that the law was designed “for factors wholly unrelated to any actual safety or health concerns” and that the state knew the abortion clinic was not licensed as a hospital or ambulatory surgical center and no hospitals within the state produced abortions readily offered. Consequently, the law would make abortions “effectively unavailable within the state of Mississippi beyond the first trimester,” Lee stated, adding that the lack of access to abortion “is unconstitutional as a matter of law” (AP/Biloxi Sun Herald, 6/1). The state argued that the law is constitutional, in component because of a law signed by Barbour earlier this year that may allow JWHO to apply for a license to turn into an ambulatory surgical center. Below the measure — which was designed at the request of the governor following Lee’s preliminary injunction — JWHO must acquire the suitable certification and equipment or it is going to not be allowed to perform second-trimester abortions (Goodman, Jackson Clarion-Ledger, 6/2). Nonetheless, Lee stated without ruling the law unconstitutional, women in the state would have been left without having access to second-trimester abortions until the new law takes effect on July 1. Bonnie Scott Jones, an lawyer in the Center for Reproductive Rights who represented JWHO inside the lawsuit, said it is unclear if there will be yet another legal challenge or if JWHO can comply with the new regulations (AP/Biloxi Sun Herald, 6/1). Assistant Lawyer General Jacob Ray stated his workplace plans to ask Lee to “correct, clarify and/or reconsider the opinion.”

Reaction
“This was a genuinely important decision, specifically for the girls of Mississippi,” Hill stated (Jackson Clarion-Ledger, 6/2). Scott Jones said, “We are incredibly gratified by today’s ruling. Mississippi’s abortion laws are already among essentially the most restrictive within the country,” adding, “This newest legislation was just an additional example of anti-choice politicians professing to protect women’s wellness although relentlessly passing legislation that cuts off their access to wellness care services” (CRR release, 6/1). Even so, Pro-Life Mississippi President Terri Herring stated, “If we’re going to claim to have secure, legal abortion, the least we can do is make it secure. Unless these clinics quit at very first trimester, they are not secure,” adding, “And they are never ever safe for unborn children” (AP/Biloxi Sun Herald, 6/1).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You are able to view the entire Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a cost-free service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. All rights reserved.

Healthcare Prof:

3 (two votes)

The United States’ “emotional debate” more than human embryonic stem cell investigation “seems a mere rerun with the unending dispute more than abortion,” but you can find “moral and religious distinctions” among the two problems even though they each involve concerns about “protecting the development of human life,” the… AP/Yahoo! News reports. Yale University ethicist Gene Outka stated some people may consider embryonic stem cell study “less morally difficult” simply because it involves the destruction of embryos only days right after fertilization, whereas abortion involves terminating an embryo or perhaps a fetus that has attached towards the uterine wall and is much more created, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. Among different religions, “thinking is varied and occasionally surprising” on issues relating to embryos and fetuses, according to the AP/Yahoo! News. By way of example, the California Council of Churches supports the state’s practically $3 billion embryonic stem cell study initiative, and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice advocates full access to abortion services on behalf of some Protestants, Unitarians and Jews. Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic Church — too as a lot of Eastern Orthodox and evangelical Protestant leaders — “vehemently opposes destroying embryos, whether or not by means of abortion or for study,” based on the AP/Yahoo! News (Ostling, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/3).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. It is possible to view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free of charge service of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Business and Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. All rights reserved.

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Michael Murphy, a political adviser to Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney (R), in the June three issue of the conservative magazine… National Review is quoted as saying that Romney has been “faking” his support for abortion rights and that the governor is truly a “pro-life Mormon,” the Boston Globe reports. Even so, after a prepublication copy of the National Review article was released to political strategists along with the press, Murphy on Thursday issued a “statement of regret,” based on the Globe. “The quote within the National Review post was not what I meant to communicate,” Murphy said, adding, “I was discussing a characterization the governor’s critics use. I regret the quote and any confusion it may well have caused” (Lewis, Boston Globe, 6/3). When he ran for governor in 2002, Romney promised not to seek changes within the state’s abortion laws, Romney spokesperson Julie Teer said, adding the governor has “kept that promise” (LeBlanc, AP/ABC News, 6/3). Romney in an unsuccessful 1994 campaign for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said that he would maintain abortion “safe and legal in this country,” according to the Globe. Nonetheless, Romney recently has called himself “personally pro-life” when speaking to audiences outside Massachusetts, in accordance with the Globe. A spokesperson for Romney said that he has “evolved over time” on the abortion concerns, based on the Globe.

Reaction, Presidential Aspirations
Even so, Jane Lane, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Democratic Party, said Murphy most likely was “telling the truth about Romney,” the Globe reports. Lane added, “It’s disturbing when your closest political adviser admits you have been lying your entire political career.” Jennifer Stockman — co-chair with the Republican Majority for Selection, which endorsed Romney in 2002 — stated, “[W]e believed he was a man of his word plus a man of consistency, and he needed our word,” adding, “He’s now fundamentally retracting that to pander to the religious correct, so it is a game to him, clearly.” There has been “media buzz” about Romney possibly running for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, in accordance with the Globe. Jack Fowler, National Review’s associate publisher, said Murphy’s remark may have been an effort to distinguish Romney from other Northeastern Republicans who’ve tended to be fiscally conservative but socially liberal, based on the Globe. “I believe this is some attempt to tell the folks in Louisiana and Arizona, ‘Don’t pigeonhole this guy with what you think of the rest of Northeast Republicans,’” Fowler stated (Boston Globe, 6/3).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. It is possible to view the whole Kaiser Day-to-day Reproductive Wellness Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Everyday Reproductive Wellness Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a totally free service with the Henry J. Kaiser Family members Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Business and Kaiser Loved ones Foundation. All rights reserved.

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The Oakland, California-based post-abortion telephone counseling service… Exhale, which was began in 2000 and previously served only girls inside the San Francisco Bay region, on Wednesday became obtainable to ladies nationwide, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Leff, AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/2). The cost-free, confidential talk line — 1-866-4-EXHALE — aims to be “pro-voice” and give girls an opportunity to talk about their abortion experiences free of charge from politics, in accordance with Exhale Executive Director Aspen Baker, a 29-year-old abortion-rights supporter who co-founded the group (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 5/29). She stated the service is nonjudgmental, adding, “It’s not about turning a person pro-choice or antiabortion. It’s about listening and valuing and respecting” (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/2). Baker also said, “Exhale fills the void for a lot of females who discover themselves stuck in the middle of the ideological and politicized battle about abortion,” adding, “We permit callers to speak freely about their expertise with abortion, with no judgment. Exhale operates with respect for the social, cultural and religious beliefs of all of our callers.” The speak line is obtainable to girls who have had an abortion, also as to their partners and households (Exhale release, 5/27). The group has an annual budget of about $250,000 — including grant funds from the California Endowment along with the Women’s Foundation of California — and operates with two full-time staff members and 25 volunteer counselors, the Tribune reports. The group also gives coaching to other organizations nationwide on incorporating post-abortion peer counseling into their programs (Oakland Tribune, 5/29). Exhale served about 700 people within the San Francisco location in 2004, and Baker stated she expects to have about 3,000 callers nationwide each year (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/2).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You are able to view the entire Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/repro The Kaiser Daily Reproductive Well being Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free of charge service of the Henry J. Kaiser Loved ones Foundation . 2005 Advisory Board Business and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.