Despite a landmark ruling five years ago – when Colombia’s Constitutional Court decriminalized abortion in cases of rape, fetal abnormality or to save the mother’s life – less than 0.5 percent of procedures are carried out legally each year.
The best way to find out what a Perry presidency would look like for women and social issues writ large? Look at what far-right, conservative, religious and evangelical power players want him to do; whatever it is, he'll do it.
The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) decided to strengthen and expand existing policies banning shackling of pregnant inmates during labor, delivery and post- recovery. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture applauds this step. However, the cruel and inhumane practice of shackling inmates who are in labor still occurs in some local and regional correctional facilities. Virginia should join the 13 states that have enacted legislation to prohibit this barbaric practice.
As a medical doctor and former Commissioner of Health under four governors, I have a good idea of how efforts by Governor Bob McDonnell to "regulate" abortion care will turn out. Medically-inappropriate and unnecessary regulations will only serve to restrict access to the full range of reproductive health care services and further marginalize young, low-income, uninsured and minority women by decreasing their health care options.
Several days ago, I wrote about the ordeal I have been going through trying to move my health insurance from Kentucky to Maryland. It's an ongoing--and expensive--saga.
The question that we keep hearing now is this: "Does this point to the need for additional regulation of surrogacy?" Our feeling is no. Regulation does not necessarily promote good practice.
Santorum has said abortion should be flatly banned, even in cases of rape or incest, and doctors who perform abortions should face criminal charges. Last week, Rick Santorum took it up a notch.
