A study has found that Title X, the legislation that provides support to family planning centers (and thus to many poor and low-income women) is crucial to these women’s health. From Ms. Magazine: According the Guttmacher Spring 2011 Policy Review, family planning services are indispensable for many women, particularly marginalized populations like poor and low-income women. In “The Numbers Tell the Story: The Reach and Impact of Title X,” Susan Cohen states as a result of the federal Title X family planning program, which subsidizes contraceptive services and provides support to create and sustain the large network of health centers, there are fewer teenage pregnancies and abortions, which saves both the federal government and the states billions of dollars in medical costs that would have been paid for by Medicaid. Cohan contends that “it’s completely irresponsible and illogical that the House of Representatives voted to defund Title X…Title X is precisely the kind of government program that should be strengthened, not gutted.” According to “The Role of Family Planning Centers as Gateways to Health Coverage and Care,” written by Rachel Benson Gold, family planning centers provide services to more than 7 million women per year, boosting maternal and newborn health, lowering the rate of unplanned births and abortions, and providing sexual health care, as well as contraceptive services. Moreover, one in four women who obtain contraceptive services do so at one of the 8,000 publically funded centers.
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Personally I’ll never ride a bike in Manhattan. I’m nervous enough on the rural country road outside our house in New Jersey – dogs could leap out from anywhere along the forested lanes and Cujo my legs to shreds, or so I imagine. In the City? Forget about it. Driving is nerve-wracking enough, I fear instant death if I ever set off on a two-wheeler in Gotham. I’m not alone in my safety concerns. From the New York Times: When Julie Hirschfeld opened a bicycle boutique for women, she envisioned fashion-obsessed customers with a disdain for spandex flooding in to buy bikes and accessories they would model along New York City’s paved catwalks: miles and miles of new bicycle paths. She lined her shop downtown with vintage-inspired bikes, many with Brooks saddle seats; partnered with Kate Spade to sell a $1,100 bicycle the color of freshly cut grass; and sold helmets that would pass more for fashionable hats. One year later, Ms. Hirschfeld has conceded that it takes more than fashion to get women on bikes. “Women want to feel safe,” said Ms. Hirschfeld, who has expanded her Reade Street boutique, Adeline Adeline, to also cater to male cyclists. She said that if the perception of danger dissipates, “women then will ride, and ride more than men.” Despite the city’s efforts to become more bike friendly, male cyclists in New York continue to outnumber female cyclists three to one, just as they have steadily over the past two decades. Data tracked by the city and private groups shows the gap between male and female cyclists is even wider in areas where vehicular traffic is more concentrated. These figures lag not only far behind those in most major global capitals like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, where women make up the majority of cyclists, but also behind American cities like Portland, Ore., that have narrowed the gender gap. ]]>

Gluten allergy is synonymous with celiac disease – something to keep in mind when reading about these findings. From msnbc.com (via Reuters):

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women with untreated celiac disease may hit menopause earlier, and have a higher risk of some pregnancy complications, than women without the disease, suggests a small study. However, if women with celiac disease are diagnosed early, and follow a strict diet as treatment, the findings suggest they won’t go through menopause any earlier than disease-free women. Celiac disease affects “the whole spectrum of the reproductive career of women,” said Dr. Shawky Badawy, the head of obstetrics and gynecology at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. “It’s very interesting that when this disease is diagnosed early and corrected by (a) gluten-free diet, you find that these people improved significantly and their reproductive function improved significantly,” added Badawy, who was not involved in the new study. Combined with other studies that have also shown reproductive problems in women with untreated celiac disease, “it’s a really important finding,” he told Reuters Health.]]>

From American Medical News: Planned Parenthood chapters are waging legal battles against at least two states seeking to restrict abortion and eliminate funding for women’s health care services. Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota sued the state of South Dakota on May 27, challenging a new law requiring women seeking abortions to first undergo counseling. The measure also imposes a 72-hour delay for an abortion after a woman’s initial consultation with her doctor and requires doctors to obtain written proof that the counseling was completed. The law is scheduled to go into effect July 1. Meanwhile, a federal judge in Indiana will decide by July 1 whether to block a law terminating Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in the state. Planned Parenthood officials said the loss of funding will leave thousands of low-income patients without access to Pap smears, cancer screenings, birth control and sexually transmitted disease treatment. Planned Parenthood of Indiana, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, is seeking a court injunction against the measure.
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