“Religious leaders should be asking for your forgiveness” on abortion – not the other way around

Church leaders are challenging Biden's stance on abortion, but people of faith say his views jibe with religion

By Kylie Cheung, Salon
June 30, 2021

CoWanda Rusk was weeks away from graduating from her Texas high school, and preparing for college, when she learned she was pregnant. "I immediately knew I didn't want to be pregnant," she recounted to Salon.

Rusk had grown up a part of the church where her father was a youth pastor, and she remains a person of faith to this day. "I always rely on my faith for everything, even small decisions — what colors to wear today, what will align with the universe today," she said.

Continued: https://www.salon.com/2021/06/30/religion-abortion-biden-catholic-church/


Hidalgo becomes third Mexican state to allow abortion

June 30, 2021
Daina Beth Solomon

MEXICO CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in Mexico's Hidalgo state on Wednesday voted to lift the penalties for elective abortion, making Hidalgo the third state in the largely Roman Catholic country to let women choose to end their pregnancies.

The initiative passed with 16 votes in favor and one abstention with 28 lawmakers present, Hidalgo's congress said on Twitter.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/hidalgo-becomes-third-mexican-state-allow-abortion-2021-06-30/


Slight decrease in the number of abortions carried out in Ireland last year, report shows

The report shows the vast majority of abortions were carried out in early pregnancies

Tue, Jun 29, 2021
Jade Wilson

A total of 6,577 abortions were carried out last year, which is a slight decrease on the first year of the service 2019, official Government figures show.

In 2020, the vast majority of terminations – 6,455 – were carried out in early pregnancies of less than 12 weeks, according to the notification report.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/slight-decrease-in-the-number-of-abortions-carried-out-in-ireland-last-year-report-shows-1.4607044


Defending the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women in Panama

29 June 2021
Patricia Figuera Ochoa, Communications Officer, SPOG

In Panama, the fundamental and basic rights of women and girls – such as education, work and political participation – continue to be violated. These violations extend to rights in sexual and reproductive health, which should allow women and girls to access services such as prenatal control, contraception and, in specific cases and as permitted by Panamanian law, safe and legal abortion services. The scale of violence against women, adolescent pregnancy and maternal mortality in Panama undoubtedly reflects the existence of a public health problem, which has been exacerbated dramatically by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to gynecologist and obstetrician Ruth De León, former president of the Panamanian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SPOG) and Focal Point of the Advocating for Safe Abortion Project (ASAP), SPOG remains concerned about the potential risks that the pandemic poses to women. Although care services are open, restrictions could continue to be a trigger for gender-based, domestic and sexual violence, which can cause unplanned pregnancies, as well as possible induced abortions. These, when performed in unsafe environments, could result in the death of the woman or girl.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/defending-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-women-panama


Gibraltar reform is a small – but important – step for abortion rights in Europe

June 29, 2021
Sydney Calkin

Gibraltar has voted to change the territory’s strict abortion ban, which held that abortion was punishable by “imprisonment for life” for the pregnant person and anyone who helped them get an abortion.

Just over half of Gibraltar’s 23,343 eligible voters took part in the referendum on June 24, with 62% voting in favour of reforms to make abortion legally available. The success of the referendum will mean important changes for people in Gibraltar who urgently need access to safe, legal and local abortion.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/gibraltar-reform-is-a-small-but-important-step-for-abortion-rights-in-europe-163447


Malta – Labour MEP Alfred Sant calls for open debate on abortion

Cultural, behavioural norms should not override inalienable rights - former PM

June 28, 2021

Labour MEP Alfred Sant is calling for an open debate on abortion, days after he abstained from voting on a report identifying abortion as a human right.

The former prime minister warned that while the debate should respect prevalent cultural and behavioural norms, these should not override inalienable rights.

Continued: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/labour-mep-alfred-sant-calls-for-open-debate-on-abortion.882721


Consent from domestic abusers not needed for abortion in Japan

June 28, 2021
By Naruha Yamasaki / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

The Maternal Health Law stipulates that doctors must obtain the consent of a pregnant woman and her spouse to perform an abortion. In March, however, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry spelled out new guidelines to the law that would allow victims of domestic violence to terminate a pregnancy without their spouse’s consent.

In addition to women being forced to bear a heavy mental and physical burden, this move was prompted by strong concern among medical staff who perform abortions at the risk of being sued by women’s husbands.

Continued: https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0007507681


Restrictive Laws Don’t Prevent Abortion

With new restrictions on abortion headed to the Supreme Court, many are wondering what it will mean for women if Roe v. Wade is overturned. We looked to other countries for answers.

6/27/2021
by MARJORIE NEWMAN-WILLIAMS

Consider this: Every day around the world some 96,000 women risk their lives to an unsafe abortion, seeking to end an unintended pregnancy. Millions of women face complications following an unsafe abortion and at least 22,000 die every year. This latest push to overturn Roe v. Wade aims to deny women autonomous control over their own bodies and presages a return to the days before Roe, in the U.S. when the death rate due to illegal abortion among women of color was 12 times that of white women. 

MSI Reproductive Choices works in many
countries where abortion is heavily restricted and we are called on daily to
provide life-saving post-abortion care to women and girls who tried to end an
unwanted pregnancy themselves. Faith Pyentim, a midwife from Nigeria, described
one teenage girl who sought help after a desperate attempt to end an unintended
pregnancy. “There was a bad smell, so we knew there was infection. She was 17
then, unmarried with a child at home already.”

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2021/06/27/abortion-restrictions-supreme-court-global-women-health-death/


Curbing Unsafe Abortion, Maternal Deaths Through Family Planning In Nigeria

The Society For Media Advocacy On Health Nigeria
June 27, 2021

Conception and childbearing is the priority of several couples in many African countries, like Nigeria. However, it costs a lot of time, energy, and fund to care for and raise a child. It is much easier if you have the support of your partner and a supportive family.

Unfortunately, Nigeria’s high fertility over the last few years has not reduced as expected, despite efforts by international organisation like Pathfinder International to ensure availability, accessibility of family planning commodities, consumables across the country.

Continued: https://leadership.ng/curbing-unsafe-abortion-maternal-deaths-through-family-planning-in-nigeria/


The Bishops Are Wrong About Biden — and Abortion

June 27, 2021
By Garry Wills

What is the worst crime a society can commit? Some people (I among them) would say the Holocaust, the cold methodical murder of six million people just for being Jews.

But some Catholics and evangelicals say they know of an even greater crime — the deliberate killing of untold millions of unborn babies by abortion. They have determined that a fetus is a person and abortion is therefore murder. This is a crime of such magnitude that some Catholic bishops are trying to deny the reception of Holy Communion by the president of the United States for not working to prevent it.

Continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/27/opinion/biden-bishops-communion-abortion.html