| Obama Administration Issues, Then Amends, Final Rule on Mandatory Insurance Coverage of Women’s Preventive Services |
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In the opening months of 2012, the Obama administration released and subsequently modified guidelines outlining an employer’s responsibility to provide insurance coverage for contraception. The original rule drew widespread criticism, prompting the administration to later amend it.
On January 20, 2012, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ... |
| Federal Bureau of Investigation Updates Outdated Definition of Rape |
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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Mueller has approved significant changes to the agency’s definition of rape in its Uniform Crime Report (UCR) guidelines. The definition had not been updated in over 80 years. The UCR guidelines previously defined rape as “[t]he carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and ... |
| North Carolina Advocates Set New Goal: Reduce State’s Teen Pregnancy Rate 30% by 2020 |
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In a meeting in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Wednesday, January 18, adolescent health advocates along with state health and education leaders announced a new goal to reduce the teen pregnancy rate by 30% over the next ten years. While North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate has steadily declined since the ... |
| Komen Foundation Backs Off Decision to Cut Ties with Planned Parenthood |
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A flurry of backlash ensued after Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced it would end its six-year partnership with Planned Parenthood Federation of America late on January 31, 2012. Komen claimed the decision had been made based on its new funding regulations that prohibit the foundation from funding any ... |
| World Focuses on Liberia in Struggle for Gay Rights in Africa |
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The world is watching Liberia closely to see how recently re-elected President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will respond to the attack on two gay rights activists this past month. The January 16, 2012 attack came a month after President Sirleaf won a Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent campaign for women’s ... |
| Austin, Texas City Council is Latest to Overturn Crisis Pregnancy Center Ordinance |
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Austin, Texas is the latest city to repeal an ordinance that required crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to post signs disclosing factual information about their services to potential clients. Under the ordinance, CPCs were required to publicly state that they do not offer abortions, make abortion referrals, or offer contraceptive services.[1] ... |
