Thursday, December 13, 2012
| | Planned Parenthood and allies: Large doses of steroids 'extremely safe' for teens By Rita Diller Twelve organizations signing a December 7 letter to HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius are on record saying that the steroidal concoction known as Plan B, a so-called "emergency contraceptive," is "extremely safe for teenagers to use." The letter petitions Sebelius to remove age restrictions on over-the-counter purchases of the so-called emergency contraceptives, saying that unfettered access to Plan B to "women of all ages" would result in fewer unintended pregnancies. Currently, those below the age of 17 cannot purchase Plan B without a prescription. Of course, Planned Parenthood is among the signers. Joining Planned Parenthood is the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)----not a surprise, since the organization recently called for pediatricians to prescribe emergency contraception in advance for teens so they could use it "in case of unprotected sex."[ Click here to read more. ] |
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| HEADLINES |  |  'Emergency contraception' increases STD rates, does not reduce abortions, new study finds
LifeSiteNews
A new study has found increased access to "emergency contraception" increases the rates of sexually transmitted diseases, while doing nothing to reduce the number of abortions. Christine Piette Durrance, Ph. D., analyzed county-by-county data in Washington State and found that more widespread use of the morning-after pill led "led to a statistically significant increase in STD rates (gonorrhea rates), both overall and for females." Contraceptives such as Plan B, or Ella, do nothing to protect a woman from sexually transmitted diseases. |
|  Contraception and women's well-being: Physical health, happiness, and religion
The Public Discourse
In the first part of this series, I described a new alliance formed between our national government and Planned Parenthood, effecting an unprecedented campaign against religious liberty in the United States----and threatening female well-being at the same time. Yesterday I considered three lines of response: that contraception isn't the only way to plan a family, that contraception leads to sexual disillusionment, and that contraception weakens the marriage culture at the expense of the least well-off women. Today I enlarge upon the argument that less-privileged women will bear the brunt of large-scale, government-promoted contraceptive programs. I also consider two other arguments: that some contraception has problematic side effects for some women, and that contraception does not manufacture female happiness as its proponents suggest. I conclude by considering how religion contributes to several of the aspects of women's flourishing that contraception was promised to----but failed to----promote. (Third in a three-part series) |
|  Illinois pharmacist ruling praised as conscience victory
Catholic News Agency
Religious liberty advocates are hailing the end of a seven-year legal battle over the required provision of abortion drugs in Illinois pharmacies as a major triumph for conscience rights. "This decision is a great victory for religious freedom," said Mark Rienzi, senior counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has represented the pharmacists in the case for several years. On Dec. 10, the Illinois Attorney General announced that it would not appeal a court decision upholding the conscience rights of pharmacists against a state mandate requiring the dispensation of abortion-inducing drugs. | |
