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Blogs Comment On Reform Amendments, HIV/AIDS, Embryo Donation, Other Topics

March 20th, 2010

The following summarizes selected women’s health-related blog entries.

~ “Hundreds of Pro-Choice Advocates Converge on Capitol Hill as Hatch and Nelson Prepare Senate Stupak Amendment,” Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: Efforts by the Coalition To Pass Health Care Reform and Stop Stupak! have brought “hundreds” of advocates from across the U.S. to Capitol Hill “to meet with their members of Congress and stress that the Stupak amendment will take existing benefits away from women and jeopardize women’s health,” Jacobson writes. The coalition is working to prevent the Senate from adopting a version of the amendment. Abortion-rights advocates oppose the amendment “for a range of reasons,” including that it would “severely” restrict women’s access to private coverage for abortion services, Jacobson writes, adding that the amendment also “violates the underlying principle of health care reform … that no one will lose the benefits [they] currently have.” She continues that it is “worth noting that there is no other legal medical procedure being targeted for exclusion within health reform.” Individuals and groups are not able to “exercise a ‘line-item veto’ on the use of federal tax dollars based on belief or ideology for any other reason,” Jacobson says, adding, “Only legal, sound medical procedures essential to women’s health and human rights are being singled out” (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 12/2).

~ “Bridging an Inexplicable Divide: Integrating Reproductive Health Services and the Global HIV/AIDS Response,” Jeffrey Sturchio, RH Reality Check: In a blog post marking Tuesday’s World AIDS Day, Global Health Council President and CEO Sturchio writes that the HIV/AIDS epidemic “is still running ahead of our efforts to stop it” because reproductive health and family planning are not being fully addressed. He says that this is “because of inexplicable policies that have hindered full integration of HIV/AIDS and reproductive health programs.” For example, the 2008 reauthorization law for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief “puts a greater emphasis than in the past in preventing new HIV cases, but it falls short of explicitly stating family planning as a key component in the effort to prevent new infections,” he writes. Sturchio adds that the requirement that organizations receiving U.S. funds “publicly state their opposition to [commercial sex work] in order to continue their work fighting HIV/AIDS” is “[a]nother barrier.” However, there are “signs of hope,” including President Obama’s repeal of the “global gag rule” and his decision to “coordinate and integrate all of the U.S. government’s global health programs through the Global Health Initiative,” Sturchio writes. U.S. actions to improve policies regarding reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention “will immediately result in better prevention programs, but we also must face up to the laws and policies of other countries that interfere with effective HIV/AIDS programs by further entrenching stigma, violating human rights and driving vulnerable populations away from HIV-related services,” Sturchio states (Sturchio, RH Reality Check, 12/2).

~ “Mammogram Mix-Up,” Tracy Clark-Flory, Salon’s “Broadsheet”: Clark-Flory writes that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s clarification Wednesday of its new breast cancer screening guidelines, which say that most women in their 40s do not need annual screening mammograms, basically equates to saying, “Whoops, our bad.” She notes that “the panel’s intended advice was that women under 50 should talk with their doctor about whether a mammogram is appropriate for them, based on their own medical history.” She adds, “That message was clear from the outset if you carefully read the panel’s actual recommendation.” According to Clark-Flory, “Unfortunately, as in a massive game of telephone, one crucial word was dropped upon repetition: routine.” She writes that the recommendation that women under age 50 should not get routine mammograms is “rather simple and reasonable.” She continues, “Still, it’s stunning the panel didn’t anticipate controversy over guidelines that seem to go against the much-celebrated dictum of early testing and detection” (Clark-Flory, “Broadsheet,” Salon, 12/3).

~ “Term ‘Embryo Adoption’ Is Misleading, Medical Group Says,” Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times‘ “Booster Shots”: Roan writes, “In recent years, some private adoption agencies have promoted ‘embryo adoption’ services in which people can take possession of donated embryos and use them in concert with fertility treatments to become pregnant.” However, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in a statement published in the December issue of Fertility & Sterility called the term misleading and inaccurate. According to Roan, “The group said the preferred term is ‘embryo donation’ because it is a medical intervention that only become[s] possible through medical technology.” Roan writes some adoption agencies that supply embryos require prospective patients to provide information on their religious beliefs or sexual orientation. Robert Brzyski, chair of ASRM’s Ethics Committee, said, “Home visits, judicial review and other adoption procedures are not necessary or appropriate for a patient whose case entails what is most accurately characterized as a tissue donation.” Embryo donation is regulated similarly to medical procedures that use donated tissue or organs, Roan says (Roan, “Booster Shots,” Los Angeles Times, 12/2).

~ “Ben Nelson Will Block Health Reform Without Abortion Restrictions,” Patricia Murphy, Politics Daily: Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said he will support a filibuster of the Senate health reform bill unless it includes his version of Rep. Bart Stupak’s (D-Mich.) antiabortion amendment, Murphy writes. The amendment, included in the House bill, bans abortion coverage under the health insurance exchange and the public plan option. Nelson’s move “significantly complicate(s)” the road to passing health reform in the Senate, according to Murphy. Democrats need the support of all 60 members of their caucus to secure passage of the bill, she adds. Any “controversial” amendments also need 60 votes to pass, Murphy writes, adding, “Because Nelson is unlikely to get 60 votes for his abortion language, his support for final passage is unknown.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called Nelson “a most reasonable person” who “is trying to build coalitions.” Reid opposes abortion rights, “but he said he has not read the proposed amendment and did not know if he would vote for it,” according to Murphy (Murphy, Politics Daily, 12/4).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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