Roundup: White House Wants Contraceptive Funding Dropped from Stimulus Plan

Obama Asks Congressional Democrats to Remove Contraceptive Provisions from the Stimulus

Big news of the morning: The White House is not standing by the family planning provisions included in the economic stimulus plan.  Recall that these family planning provisions simply allow states not to seek the permission of the federal government before extending family planning coverage under Medicaid.  Worse, they're selling low-income women and families down the river for no additional Republican votes.  Lindsay Beyerstein has the facts right here on RH Reality Check, and Jodi Jacobson decries the spinelessness of the Dems, even when they're in power.

For The American Prospect's A. Serwer, the Republicans' opposition to contraceptive funding is evidence that maybe anti-choicers are anti-sex:

I've never bought the idea that opposition to abortion is solely about controlling women's bodies. I've just known too many people who were genuinely sincere in their religious beliefs that abortion is wrong. But I've seen little evidence that conservatives' hostility to contraception, to methods that prevent unwanted pregnancies and therefore abortions, from taking place, could be anything else...Beyond the fact that this policy would save the government money in the long run (a finding from the same office that didn't produce that report on the stimulus), are Republicans really arguing that unwanted pregnancies don't result in a significant financial burden for families that are already struggling in an economy that's likely to get worse? What's the moral justification for denying them the choice of preventing pregnancies they don't want? That having sex should be predicated on yearly income?

Pill Inventor Sets the Record Straight on Demographics

One of the inventors of the birth control pill, Carl Djerassi, says that his comments about demographic shifts were taken seriously out of context by Catholic leaders worldwide and twisted to suggest that he regrets the effects of the Pill on demographic trends worldwide.  Djerassi writes,

I accused the disturbingly large xenophobic segment of Austrian voters (notably young ones) of assuming that their small country was not situated in the middle of Europe but rather on an island where God permits them to live independently to enjoy their schnitzels...

To assume that I attributed the decline in Austria's family size (matched by all-Catholic Italy and Spain) to the pill is absurd. People don't have smaller families because of the availability of birth control, but for personal, economic, cultural and other reasons, of which the changes in the status and lifestyles of women during the last 50 years is the most important. Japan has an even worse demographic problem than western Europe, yet the pill was only legalised there in 1999 and is still not used widely.

Vatican Condemns Repeal of the Global Gag Rule
Time magazine reports on the Vatican's response to President Obama's repeal of the global gag rule, saying that, "With unusual speed, the Vatican has condemned Obama's Jan. 23 repeal of the ban on U.S. funding for foreign family planning aid groups who offer abortion services."
Troubled by the swiftness of Obama's pro-choice move, Fisichella brushed off earlier vows by the new president to try to cut the number of abortions, while ensuring a woman's access to the procedure. "On ethical questions, you can't play with words," said the Italian Archbishop, considered close to Pope Benedict XVI.

Economic Downturn Drives Interest in Egg Donation
On Salon's Broadsheet, Tracy Clark-Flory reports on recent news stories covering an uptick in interest in egg donation among economically struggling women.  Clark-Flory reminds us, "But keep in mind that the reported increase is in interest, not actual donation"

There is also a strict approval process for accepting donors, including a screening of medical history and a series of psychological tests meant to exclude those who are all about the cashova; the vast majority of applicants are turned away. Plenty of applicants reject themselves after being lectured about the required tests, daily hormone injections, ultrasounds  and, ultimately, the needle stuck through their vaginal wall. It is not by any means easy money, and maybe that indicates the level of financial desperation at play.

The economy also means bad news for women and couples seeking to grow their families through egg donation: 

Of course, the recession is having an influence on the demand side of this reproductive economy as well. Amy Demma, the president of Prospective Families, says: "We are seeing a slowdown in demand for donors. I guess folks are having a hard time." It's safe to say.

Other News to Note
Topeka Capitol Journal: Abortion disclosure bill surfaces in House

CNSNews: Backing Away from Pelosi, White House Says Birth Control Funding in Stimulus Bill Was Not Obama's Idea

Think Progress:Cavuto Rallies Against Family Planning Provision In Stimulus
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/01/26/covuto-family-planning/

New York Times: The Myth of Rampant Teenage Promiscuity