access to contraception

The distinction between church and other institutions is a fair one. Churches are primarily for those of that particular faith. But universities and hospitals exist for a wider public. If they do not require their employees to practice their religious faith, they should not expect those employees to live their private lives by the standards of that faith.

Although Russian current law guarantees the right of a woman to be in full control of her reproductive behavior.

Religious lobby in Duma (Russian parliament) is promoting several restictive measures including the following:

Advocates' success in winning contraceptive access has often been hard fought on a state-by-state basis, with many challenges along the way. But in adotping the Institute of Medicine's recommendations, the Obama Adminsitration can transcend this piecemeal approach by enacting comprehensive, nationwide reform.

In an editorial today, the New York Times discusses the vital role the courts have played in recent weeks in blocking viciously regressive laws seeking to deny women access to both self-determination and to basic reproductive health care.

Follow Jodi Jacobson on Twitter, @jljacobson

Kirsten Powers lambasts Planned Parenthood on the assumption that birth control is easy to get. My recent experiences having access to the pill blocked demonstrate that even for privileged women, it most definitely isn't.

Follow Amanda Marcotte on Twitter, @amandamarcotte

No more pills? No more IUDs? You must be kidding!

Regardless of how split Americans are with regard to the abortion debate, we should all be able to agree on the need to prevent pregnancies. However, an obvious approach to pregnancy prevention is being sidelined by the lack of over-the-counter availability of hormonal contraceptives.

Ultra-conservative religious activists have suffered another set back in their quest to legally define a fertilized egg as a person.

Over the last six months, as an intern at Pathfinder International, I’ve learned a lot about the field of reproductive health. One of the most shocking aspects has been just how many women lack access to contraception (200 million to be exact).