Posted by on June 19, 2013 - 2:53pm

The pro-life v. pro-choice debate continued on the House floor yesterday as party representatives grappled with sustaining women’s reproductive rights in a surfacing abortion bill.  On Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved a bill banning a woman’s right to pursue an abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy, subtracting two weeks off the current cut-off of abortions at 24 weeks in utero.  The majority-Republican party passed this bill shaving off the extra two weeks based off the medically disputed theory that a fetus is capable of feeling pain 20 weeks after conception (which is equivalent to 22 weeks of pregnancy).  Democrats in the House and the White House fought against the bill, saying the legislation is an “assault on a woman’s right to choose” and is an attempt to undermine the precedent set in the 1973 Roe v. Wade trial.

The argument quickly split down party lines (only six party members from each side voting against their party) and escalated into a debate on women’s reproductive rights.  In this heated bipartisan debate, representatives from both sides evoked emotional appeals.  Though different in message, consistent across both lines is the lack of the female voice.  While the House attempted to integrate more women in this debate, only 19 of the 222 Republican House members who voted for this bill are women.  In total, the House of Representatives only has 78 women, accounting for a meager 18% voice in the House.  Furthermore, there are no Republican women on the Judiciary Committee panel that has jurisdiction over this particular legislation.

While this bill certainly made headlines, the threat of it obtaining further approval is low.  Sources agree that the bill will not find support in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and President Obama has also already voiced his opposition.  Although no abortion laws are changing today, it is important to keep abreast on the dialogue surrounding this controversial and emotional topic.  Most importantly, government representatives must do a better job of allowing women’s voices and opinions to be heard.  Female reproductive rights issues have been considered taboo for too long, and an open dialogue in the government may help bridge the gap between women and policy.

Sources: ABC News, USA Today, and The New York Times.

 

Posted by on August 31, 2012 - 6:07am

The Institute for Women's Health Research blog was recently recognized  for its excellence in editorial content to the health student world by KwikMed, one of two fully licensed online pharmacies in the USA. A panel of judges reviewed hundreds of different sites from across the internet before hand picking the best 18.   According to the panel:   The aim of this blog is to make some of the biggest issues in women's health research more accessible in the modern world and speed up the time it takes for scientific research discoveries to impact women's health and well being in everyday life.   Based at Northwestern University, hot topics include breast cancer, pregnancy, sex differences and weight managment.  This blog brings to light important pieces of legislation that relate to women's health such as aspects of the Affordable Care Act.  A great blog for women's health medical practitioners and interested students across America.  To view the other winners, click HERE.