Roundup: Anti-Abortion Payout in Italy

Jun 2, 2010, 9:52am

Beth Saunders

A tour of reproductive health news around the globe: purpose-specific condoms from IPPF, anti-abortion bribes in Italy, and integrated sex ed in the Philippines.

Let’s take a little tour of reproductive health news around the globe, shall we?

First up: Thank goodness Obama repealed the global gag rule. One of the effects of the ban on funds to organizations that perform, refer, or mention abortion is that International Planned Parenthood had to give out condoms from two separate buckets:

“While this may sound ludicrous, IPPF has before been in the position where, in the clinic, we have to ask clients if they want they want the condom for pregnancy or STI prevention,” read Jolanta Scott-Parker in a statement written by IPPF.

“This is because the donor for the former was a European community and the latter was the United States government. Not only is this invasive and confusing for clients, but it also precludes dual protection if we run out of the family planning condoms.”

But what if that pregnancy preventing condom broke, and a woman faced an unplanned pregnancy? In the Lombardy region of Italy, women are being offered the equivalent of about $5,500 – paid out over 18 months – NOT to have an abortion.

Regional president Roberto Formigoni announced the project , saying: ‘No women need to abort now in Lombardy for financial reasons.

If a woman tells her doctor that she is seeking an abortion because she cannot afford to raise a child, she will be referred to a center that will determine if she is eligible for the payout, based on her current income and if she is already a mother. But wait – it takes longer than 18 months to raise a child, doesn’t it?

Cinzia Sasso, a feminist writer in Milan, said that the move was propaganda, and the sum set aside was risible because it would allow only just over 1,000 women to avoid abortions. “In any case it is not clear how these women are supposed to manage when the anti-abortion bonus runs out after 18 months.”

Hopefully the women considering the anti-abortion bonus will have taken some math and budgeting classes. Such as in the Philippines, where a select number of schools are integrating sex ed lessons with other studies:

Kenneth Tirado, head of the communications unit of the Department of Education (DepEd), said the topic will be incorporated in math lessons by way of problem solving and computation of figures using facts and figures related to sex education, such as the awareness level of the youth about sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV, and the number of AIDS cases in the country.

Mini-Roundup: Sigh. Some teenagers apparently still think Mountain Dew prevents pregnancy.

June 1

Is Sarah Palin Allowed To Call Herself A Feminist? – The Frisky (blog)

Russian Church calls for tougher abortion laws – Reuters

McGurn: Gallup’s Pro-Life America – Wall Street Journal

Women in Italy to be offered €4500 to not have abortions – Times Online

Reid camp says pro-abortion charge is “laughable” – Las Vegas Review-Journal (blog)

Abortion bill may be political land mine for Crist – Florida Times-Union

Nun Excommunicated After Saving a Mother’s Life With Abortion – ABC News

A list of Okla. abortion laws passed in 2010 – CNBC

Bayer sues Teva over US launch of contraceptive – Reuters

Avoiding Stupak II – Washington Post (blog)