This week Americans for UNFPA launches Lifelines, a new online community. We ask women all over the world to share their stories and then compare them with the stories of others. We believe it is these shared experiences that engage people in these global challenges, create lasting relationships and lead people to action.
Having a child as a teenager is undeniably difficult, and providing women with the tools to avoid or delay pregnancy until they feel ready is a worthy policy goal. But when adolescent pregnancy is not prevented, how far are we willing to go to help our young mothers?
In the third quarter, only Virginia's state legislature mandated HPV vaccination for students, while other state legislatures specifically banned a mandate. Other state legislatures expanded eligibility for Medicaid family planning services, and some expanded funding for "crisis pregnancy centers."
Amanda decodes a sampling of some of the common jargon of the anti-choice movement -- an essential starting point for those scanning the mainstream media for signs of encroaching wingnuttery.
Sen. Fred Thompson's zone of privacy around the intensely personal decisions at the end of his daughter's life should carry over to similar decisions women facing unintended pregnancy must make.
Studies have shown teen pregnancy to be strongly linked to intimate partner violence. But attempts to control don't stop there. A recent UC-Davis study finds that abusive teen boys may actively try to get their partners pregnant.
Where do we go from here? Young people at Women Deliver may have offered the most revolutionary road map for reducing maternal mortality rates and effecting global change.
Rupert reports from Women Deliver on the needs of a Sudanese midwife, the UK's multi-million dollar investment and what the future holds for improving maternal mortality. Also, don't miss the voices of youth from Women Deliver in our special series!
