The Prevention President

For those in favor of women's rights, the first 100 days of the Obama administration has been like a honeymoon. We've continually been reminded why we fell in love in the first place. Coming off an eight-year abusive relationship (to put it mildly), none of Obama's kindnesses are lost on us. He seems to be the kind of guy who does what he says he's going to do, another relief. And his gifts have not just been for the pro-choice movement either. Nearly all of Obama's actions on reproductive rights to date have focused on preventing the need for abortion, one of his "common ground" issues. And while he's won no fans in traditional pro-life groups, it's an approach the majority of pro-life Americans want.

Here's a report card of the Obama administration's work on reproductive rights in the first hundred days.

International:

Obama's first gift was global. In his first month in office, with a stroke of his pen, Obama lifted the Global Gag Rule, a Reagan-era policy that withheld funding from any group that referred a woman for an abortion, most of which were family planning providers.

Lifting the funding ban will restore these NGO's access to USAID-supplied condoms and other forms of contraception and result in dramatic improvements in women's health for those living in the most desperate regions on earth. Despite anti-abortion operatives' claims, the policy change will not increase abortion rates since the funding was never used to provide abortion services in the first place. In fact, we expect just the opposite. Johns Hopkins researchers estimate that every million dollars spent on contraceptive care prevents 150,000 abortions, 360,000 unintended pregnancies, 11,000 infant deaths and 800 maternal deaths .

The Stimulus Package:

There was, to continue the honeymoon metaphor, our first lover's quarrel too. Obama quickly folded once the Republicans picked a fight over inclusion of a family planning provision in the stimulus package. In Obama's defense, passage of the package was too critical to hold up for a minor provision that could be included elsewhere. But the concession came easily, a little too easily. Why not stand up to the bullies who happened also to be lying to the American public about what the contraception provision was? Obama could have pointed out that, despite claims to the contrary, there was no $200 million budget line for contraception in the stimulus package. That figure represented the projected cost savings to the states if a simple administrative, non-budgetary proposal were adopted. It gets complicated, but sadly the unchallenged final message was "contraception has nothing to do with economic recovery." The last few months have certainly proven otherwise. There's been a surge of American's getting contraception, and long-acting methods at that. Clearly, pregnancy prevention has a lot to do with individual economic stability. It's also proven that Republicans are deeply out of touch with what struggling Americans need to protect themselves during tough times, as if we needed more evidence.

Appointments:

With the key positions that impact women's health and rights most, Obama has appointed wisely. Hillary Clinton overseeing foreign policy will impact women's health worldwide. She is the possibly the strongest pro-choice advocate we've ever had in government and there was no better display of her pro-choice backbone than an exchange she and anti-abortion/anti-contraception Rep. Chris Smith from NJ had last week.

Without question, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the most important federal agency for American women's health issues. That's one reason why the chief of staff to one of Bush's heads of HHS, Tommy Thompson, described it as "ground zero for the ideological wars in this country." HHS includes the FDA (approves new reproductive health drugs), the Title X program (nation's contraception program for the poor), the Office of Medicaid (pays for 1/3 of all US births and the largest health payer of contraception services for the low-income;) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (oversees STD prevention programs.) For this post Obama chose Governor Kathleen Sebelius who was confirmed yesterday. During her confirmation hearings, the anti-abortion movement, in true Rove form, attempted to portray the exceedingly moderate Sebelius as an extremist on abortion. Very little of what HHS does has to do with abortion rights, though, so the charge was not only false but irrelevant. Sebelius, through her role, is likely to make contraception more available, implement the most effective sex education programs, and focus on preventing the spread of STDs: all strategies the traditional anti-abortion establishment has historically opposed. Of course, it was better for them to say she's an abortion nut than a prevention nut.

Common Ground:

But not all pro-lifers were opposed to Sebelius' nominaton. One of the most revolutionary and inspiring events to emerge from the election of Obama's has been real common ground partners in a growing segment of the pro-life movement. These are people who while disagreeing on some fundamental issues have pledged to seek points of agreement with pro-choice activists. Catholics United is one such pro-life common ground group. Among many of their cutting edge campaigns was Catholics for Sebelius, which defended her nomination by arguing that her policies have led to dramatic declines in the unintended pregnancy and abortion in Kansas. Several other pro-life groups, like Pro-Life Pro-Obama and Realabortionsolutions.org, as well as a handful of pro-life leaders, have risen to answer Obama's common ground call. These groups and leaders believe that rather than focusing on banning abortion, which has never had a significant impact on abortion rates, Obama's prevention policies hold the greatest promise for those seeking tangible pro-life results.

Obama has committed his administration to finding common ground in the abortion conflict. He's assigned his Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to work with his Council on Women and Girls on the task. Last month, the White House hosted its first conference call of leaders on each side and presented a broad strokes common ground agenda. It's decidedly straightforward and hard to argue with from both pro-choice and pro-life perspectives. The focus will "look at how we support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion." Both sides of the abortion debate have much to gain from this common ground effort. If it results in any success, which is still no certainty, the American public, particularly women, and our political discourse will be the greatest beneficiaries.

Plan B:

One of the greatest examples of the abuses of the Bush administration was the very transparent derailing of the Plan B, emergency contraception (EC), over the counter application at the FDA. Bush appointed anti-contraception ideologues to the panel reviewing the application. The majority of the panel wound up recommending over-the counter access to EC for all women and the application had support from all women's and adolescent medical groups. Still the Bush FDA denied minors over the counter access to emergency contraception. This decision is held up as a one of the greatest examples of Bush's attacks on science and the administration's misuse of agencies for purely ideological aims. Obama has set about restoring confidence in our scientific agencies. One step in that direction was sending the Plan B decision back for review and demanding the agency base it's decision on over-the-counter access solely on scientific evidence. In the meantime, Obama directed the agency to establish immediate over-the-counter access for 17 year-old women to the highly effective contraceptive method.

Obama also restored affordable birth control for college-aged women. After Bush removed college health centers from discounted drug programs, contraceptive costs increased as much as 900% for college women. Obama signed legislation to restore access to affordable birth control for college-age women who, statistics show, are most in need of it: they're the demographic with the highest rate of unintended pregnancy, the highest rate of abortion, and little disposable income.

HHS Regulations

In the final days of the Bush administration, Christian Right just about went looting. They tried to walk away with a regulation allowing healthcare workers' religious beliefs to override patient's medical decisions. One HHS regulation, which went into effect literally moments before Obama took office, was so broad and would cause such chaos in the medical establishment that even Bush's own EEOC came out against it. It would have allowed any healthcare worker for practically any "conscience-related" reason to deny a patient any type of medical care. The healthcare worker wouldn't have had to inform the employer beforehand of the care he or she objected to and couldn't be fired for refusing to provide the service. Patients did not have to be informed of the healthcare worker's objection or that they were being denied information about their medical options. In the service of protecting "conscience objectors," the regulation threw patient rights out a window. Since ample protection already exists in law for those who don't want to take part in abortion services, it was widely understood that the goal of the HHS regulations was to give cover to those who wish to obstruct women's access to contraception. Obama rescinded the HHS regulations.

At the end of the Bush administration and ever since, as a result of its mismanagement and commitment to proven-to-fail approaches, abortion and teen pregnancy rates have been spiking. Obama has, in the first 100 days, reversed course in favor of the policies that have proven, wherever tried, to result in dramatic declines in unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. It'd be wrong to say only pro-choice people have reason to rejoice from this stellar first hundred days.

For breaking news on threats to birth control access and information visit birthcontrolwatch.org

Comments

[harloquinn]

Thanks for the list of accomplishments. Feels refreshingly good after living through the dark era of Bush.

[historymatters]

Thanks for the reminder about all the great things Obama has accomplished for women's rights in his first 100 days.

[FREELITTLEBIRD]

The issue at hand is not whether or not abortion is morally wrong, the issue is decreasing the rate of abortions globally. The proven fact of the matter is fundamentally the policies in place have increased the number of abortions, and changing those policies would decrease the number significantly. YOU WILL ALL STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY ABORTION IS MORALLY WRONG, AND WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE BETTER EDUCATED, EQUIPPED, AND PREPARED FOR PRO ACTIVE FAMILY PLANNING.

AN EDUCATED WOMAN PREVENTS ABORTION, AN EDUCATED MAN PREVENTS ABORTION, AND FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM WAS MORALLY WRONG AS THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR BODY, AND I AM NOT SAYING TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT, BUT I AM SAYING THE CHOICE IS HERS TO MAKE AND FOR US TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTEST THAT CHOICE!

FOR ALL YOU "PRO-LIFE" PEOPLE OUT HERE I POSE A FEW QUESTIONS TO YOU: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP THOSE WOMEN WHO BECAUSE OF PRO LIFE POLICIES NOW HAVE CHILDREN THEY ARE UNABLE TO CARE FOR? WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LOST DAUGHTERS TO DANGEROUS PREGNANCIES? WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR THE LIVING?

[Wake-up]

You miss the point of the Pro-life movement big time...

Choosing life is not a political issue or a policy issue, it's a personal issue and a rights issue. The problem with your rant is that the facts don't support your dribble... when you 'green-light' sexual activity you 'green-light' pregnancy. Like the free needles for drug addicts... it doesn't stop or slow down drug use.

Point is ONLY Abstinence is working: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=69499 (CDC Numbers)

But the Abortion / Planned Parenthood is and has been failing - they are about ideology and money.

As for the "Dangerous" Pregnancies... these rare situations are always protected - don't get caught-up in the hype...

[historymatters]

"Choosing life is not a political issue or a policy issue, it's a personal issue and a rights issue..."

Indeed. Choosing to have sex is a personal issue and a rights issue. Choosing to use any contraceptive that a person works for them is a personal issue and a rights issue. Choosing to carry a pregnancy to term is a personal issue and a rights issue. Choosing to have an abortion is a personal issue and a rights issue. Every person gets to choose as suits their personal issues and their rights. I guess there really is common ground out there!

[Wake-up]

The Problem with ole Hill is that she can put on a good show... and more ideology and Politics (PPhood throws a lot of money to the left)

Facts are that under Bush (the evil one) the Pregnancy Rate Drops for U.S. Women Under Age 25:

http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080414.htm

Yea, Center for Disease Control, i.e. real numbers.

[Cristina Page - Huffpost Blogger]

But the number of teen parents spiked for the first time in 15 years under Bush:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/09newsreleases/teenbirth.htm

[harloquinn]

Good point.

[Wake-up]

Spin-Spin-Spin!!

Your link is only 1 year... mine (Center for Disease Control) is multiple years and shows the real trend... Down...

Nice try.

[MrJones1776]

Abortion, as a civil rights issue, is not about the preserving a woman's right to make personal decisions about her own body. This is not about womens suffrage or sexual equality. This is about recognizing the simple fact that infanticide is always immoral, regardless of the scenario. In what just, righteous country does its government preserve the right of its citizens to commit murder?

If a fetus is merely a mass of tissue or a clump of cells growing, as if by accident, in a woman's uterus (like a tumor or stone), then that woman would clearly have the right to have it removed for her own well being. One, with an elementary understanding of moral law, would have to agree that a person has a right to make decisions only regarding their own body, and not the body of someone else. When one violates the sanctity of another person's body against his/her will, we call it either assault or murder. Moral law, again, clearly tells us that murder is wrong (except when defending one's self against an assailant). When one reaches the logical conclusion that abortion is an act of murder committed against an innocent life, then the next step is to concede that abortion, without exceptions, is always morally wrong.

[Angie Tyne]

So you support the use of contraceptives?

[gayleg]

Everything you just claimed abortion is NOT about? That's what's it's about.

[DKLabRat]

You state that abortion is always immoral, regardless of the scenario. You then go on to say that it is morally wrong because it is murder, which is wrong unless it's done in self-defence. A contradiction surely since many abortions are carried out each year to save the mother's life. Self-defence in anyone's language. So, therefore, there are in fact cases of abortion which, by your own criteria, are justified - thus completely negating your primary argument.

But, of course, it's never wise to look for logic from the anti-abortionists. It's never been a core part of their agenda.

[MrJones1776]

Murder in self-defense is justifiable. One who's life is at stake has the right to murder his/her attacker. The distinction here is that a fetus (Latin for "little one") is not an attacker, assailant or murderer. The fetus is an innocent human being with no intent or means to murder its mother. Your argument is that abortion, as means of self-defense or self-preservation, is justifiable. The cover of "self-defense" is not applicable here. When does anyone murder a baby in self-defense? When does any baby intend to violate its mothers civil liberties and rob her right to life. The answer is NEVER. Abortion is not self-defense. It is infanticide. Only when you realize what an abortion is will you realize how repugnant and violent a procedure it is. Please find a video of an abortion online and watch it. There are millions of images of slaughtered baby corpses you can view. If the forensic evidence does not change your paradigm, then you may always condone and support infanticide. I do not.

[HelloDollyLlama]

So...how did the world’s women do, during Bush’s crusade to bring freedom to the world?

In America, evangelicals still fight to take away a woman’s right to choose. Moms struggle to keep their families going in a recession, fighting battles against evangelicals on book banning, intelligent design, contraception, HPV shots, sex education.

Saudi Arabia is a regime which Bush befriended, armed, defended. Saudi women cannot work in a coed workplace, work without their husband’s permission, go to school with males, teach boys over 10, or eat with men is restaurants. Unless accompanied by a male relative, Saudi women cannot enter a car or enter a hotel. There is no legal protection to stop violence against women, and women have little means to escape from abusive husbands, or lodge an accusation of rape.

...Iran is the true axis of terror, not Iraq, but Bush ignored the Iranians. Welcome to the world of Sharia, domestic violence...A woman who is accused of adultery, and without due process is buried up to her neck, and they throw a rock at her head. And another. Over and over. She dies of a skull fracture, or massive bleeding, or shock, or chokes on blood.

The ethos of the Bush regime was to bring American values to the rest of the world, particularly the Middle East, to include regime change as needed. Mission accomplished!

Full story at
http://hellodollyllama.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-would-woman-ever-vote-for.html

[CaveatMagnusFrater]

SoS Clinton has been a champion for human rights for decades and I for one admire and appreciate her tireless dedication to making the world a better place.


Rep Smith of New Jersey's 4th district not only said the following, I copied it straight from his official house web site.

... “It is evident that Mrs. Clinton and President Obama want to force the tragedy of abortion upon women around the world ..."

http://chrissmith.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=123424

[Wake-up]

You lost me at - "...eight-year abusive relationship (to put it mildly)..."

What abuse?

[carolr51]

If you don't know, you need to wake up.

[Wake-up]

Give me one. One abuse... if it's that obvious, surely you can give me one?!

[jake1492]

good article. well said.

[NYC-CatLover]

Chris Smith is a congressman, not a senator. So he's from a specific district, he was NOT elected by NJ as a whole NJ's senators are two pro-choice Democrats, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. Chris Smith doesn't represent NJ as a whole.

PS - GO HILLARY!!

[carolr51]

President Obama's election was the best thing that has happened for women in my memory. Imagine! A guy whyo seems to do his bery best to dy what he says he is going to do. One of my favorite qualities in a man.

It hurts me to think of all the pain caused by the Bush Administration policies. What is wrong with the thinking of these people? During his time in office, I tried not to listen to the news, it was too depressing. Now, I find out new things to be outraged about almost every day. Thank goodness for President Obama, and hooray for America for having the good sense to elect the man.

[justthefacts17]

The tingles never stop and it's only 100 days. What will be like
in 1000 days? Can't wait.

[Wake-up]

We'll be broke in a 1000 days and have less Freedom...

[Aaror]

Finally we are driving a wedge between people who oppose abortion deaths and people who hope to punish women for having sex!!!
Any "pro-life," group that opposes welfare, contraception, and family planning is not pro-life, they are anti-choice (and anti-women).

[Becka]

Once Obama lifted that insane ban on NGO's Australia was finally forced to do it as well. We also allowed stem cell research a few years ago when a group of cross party women ganged up and the progressive and intelligent men joined them.

[MHainds]

Keep up the good work Cristina! As a strong Pro-Lifer, I am excited about working towards the prevention of unwanted pregnancies, and I love your "Common Ground" approach. I am also enamored with our new President. As an early supporter, he has confirmed my belief that he will rely on science, rather than dogma.
I hope I can be of assistance in working to reduce the number of abortions with these types of programs.

[kdogg]

As someone who leans more towards pro-choice, I couldn't be happier with the focus on lowering unintended pregnancies and I hope people from all sides continue to work on coming up with more common sense solutions to combat it.

[NowWhatFolks]

Honestly, the vast majority of Americans really just want less abortions. Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, whatever. No one WANTS abortions. I'm glad the focus is finally shifting to how to constructively reduce the number, rather than simply punishing people.

[justthefacts17]

I ,particularly, liked Obama's vote in Illionis on partial birth. You can abort
anytime and wherever you want. His was the only vote.

[kalerik]

I LOVE YOU HILLARY!!!