Egyptian Religious Leaders Introduce “Birth Control Is Permissible” Campaign
Many Egyptians believe that Islam and the Qur’an prohibit the use of contraception; Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi hopes to dispel the myth that Egyptian Islamic leaders forbid it. According to Dar al-Ifta, Egypt’s fatwa[1]-issuing institution, “it is permissible to use anything that does not lead to killing the embryo after its formation—in any stage of […]
Reproductive Health Nightmare for Venezuelan Women
A shocking front page story in the February 21, 2021 edition of The New York Times, “Venezuelan Women Lose Access to Contraception, and Control of Their Lives” documents the devastating situation facing women in Venezuela. According to that report, “Millions of women are no longer able to find or afford birth control, pushing many into […]
COVID-19 Exposes More Women to Gender-Based Violence, Including Reproductive Coercion
“Home sweet home” is a commonly used phrase to denote our appreciation for the familiar and comfortable. However, this sentiment towards home is not shared by all. For some women, home is the most dangerous place for them to be. Amid the various global COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing restrictions, more women are stuck inside […]
COVID-19 Lockdowns Clear Skies
People hate to take the heat. We are masters of deflection and somehow always find a way to put the blame on someone, or something, else. And then, when there’s no one else to blame, we resort to sheer denial. Take climate change, for example. On an episode of “Good Morning Britain” in 2019, Trump […]
Planet of the Humans Swings Wildly, Misses Badly
Toward the end of the recently-released, Michael Moore-produced film Planet of the Humans, the narrator blames everyone: “It’s not one thing, but everything we are doing. A human-caused apocalypse.” Does this universal condemnation apply to public health workers in besieged reproductive health clinics risking their lives to foster a safer, less-crowded world? Does it include […]
Why Is There No Birth Control for Men?
“Right now the chemical burden for contraception relies solely on the female. That’s an unfair balance in the equation,” says Charles Easley, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia, who is involved in the development of a male pill. I agree with this understatement. I think most people would agree that it’s about time […]
Are Coercive Population Policies Ever Warranted?
How about I answer that question with a question: Are you comfortable with your government deciding how many children you may have, and also how any births beyond that number will be prevented? We aren’t either. No government is ever justified in dictating the number of children its citizens may have. Freedom from reproductive […]
Teen Pregnancy Leads to Early Marriage in Many Countries, Study Finds
What does poverty mean for young people in the developing world? For far too many girls it means adolescent sexual activity – often transactional – followed by pregnancy and early marriage. An estimated 15 million girls are married before their 18th birthdays each year – that’s 28 girls every minute. A recent study conducted by […]
