|
|
|
|
Daily Women's Health Policy Report
ACLU Asks State, Federal Officials To Investigate Oregon-Based Abstinence-Only Sex Education Program's Use of Public Funds
Huckabee Says He Would Have To Think 'Long and Hard' Before Running With Candidate Who Supports Abortion Rights
Gates Foundation Gives Glaser Foundation $9.7M for Research on Pediatric HIV Vaccines; Research To Focus on Breast-Feeding Infants
Actions Taken on Emergency Contraception-Related Legislation in Connecticut, Oregon, Wisconsin
Public Health & Education
Gardasil Effective in Preventing Vaginal, Vulvar Cancers, Study Finds
[May 18, 2007]
Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil is effective in preventing vaginal and vulvar tumors, according to a study to be published on Saturday in the journal Lancet, Dow Jones reports (Berton, Dow Jones, 5/17).
Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and about 99% effective in preventing HPV strains 6 and 11, which together with HPV strains 16 and 18 cause about 90% of genital wart cases, among women not already infected with these strains. FDA in June 2006 approved Gardasil for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later that month voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11 and 12 receive the vaccine, which is given in a three-shot series (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/15). Merck last month announced that it has submitted an application to FDA for extended approval of Gardasil to help prevent vaginal and vulvar cancers. Study Details
Initial data from the study were presented at a June 2006 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Jorma Paavonen of the University of Helsinki and colleagues randomly assigned 18,000 women to receive the Gardasil or a placebo (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/18). The study, which was funded by Merck, was conducted among girls and women ages 16 to 26 in 24 countries worldwide (HealthDay News/Forbes, 5/17).
After three years of follow-up, the study found that the vaccine was 71% effective in preventing vaginal and vulvar cancers related to HPV strains 16 and 18 among women who previously had been exposed to HPV strains 6, 11, 16 and 18. It was 100% effective among women who previously had not been exposed to those strains (Merck release, 5/17). The vaccine was not effective in fighting vaginal or vulvar lesions that had already formed, according to the study (Pensa, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 5/18).
According to Merck, vaginal and vulvar cancers account for about 3% and 4% of gynecological cancers, respectively (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/18). According to HealthDay News/Forbes, HPV is present in about 80% of the 6,000 vaginal and vulvar cancers diagnosed annually in the U.S. (HealthDay News/Forbes, 5/17).
 An abstract of the study is available online.
 NPR's "Talk of the Nation" on Friday in the first hour of the program is scheduled to include a discussion about HPV vaccine research. The scheduled guest for the program is James Colgrove, an author and assistant professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health ("Talk of the Nation," NPR, 5/18). Additional information about the segment is available online. Broadcast schedules also are available online.
ACLU Asks State, Federal Officials To Investigate Oregon-Based Abstinence-Only Sex Education Program's Use of Public Funds
[May 18, 2007]
The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon have sent letters to HHS and the Oregon Department of Human Services, respectively, asking the agencies to investigate whether a Eugene, Ore.-based abstinence-only sex education program used public funds for religious purposes, the Eugene Register-Guard reports. The ACLU said the Lane Pregnancy Support Center is unconstitutionally using public funds for its "Stop and Think" program because it requires that all program presenters "hold particular religious beliefs."
According to the Register-Guard, the Northern Hills Pregnancy Care Center in Spearfish, S.D., in 2002 signed a contract with the "Stop and Think" program that required presenters and supervisors of its curriculum "possess an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ." The contract further stipulated that presenters "possess knowledge of the word of God and the ability to communicate its truth; exhibit a loving and merciful spirit; (and) attend a Bible-believing local church or fellowship," the Register-Guard reports.
Jann Carson, associate director of ACLU of Oregon, in a May 2 letter to the state human services department -- said, "Both the federal and Oregon constitutions are violated when a direct grant of government dollars funds specifically religious activities." The ACLU has asked state and federal officials to launch an immediate investigation and to stop "the flow of funds to grantees who have used them unlawfully." The ACLU added that it will pursue possible legal action if an appropriate response is not made by the end of the month.
Brick Lantz, president of the center's board of directors, said he is not sure how or why the Northern Hills contract included the disputed language. He added that presenters are barred from discussing God or religion during their presentations.
"The ACLU has launched a national campaign to shut down abstinence education programs," Kristin Hansen -- spokesperson for CareNet, a national network of pregnancy counseling centers that opposes abortion rights -- said, adding, "Clearly, their concern lies in forwarding an anti-religious agenda rather than promoting programs that benefit the health and well-being of our nation's youth." Carson said that people of faith have a right to promote their message, but the "question becomes, what is appropriate use of taxpayer dollars in delivering a message?" (Wright, Eugene Register-Guard, 5/15).
The ACLU letter, the ACLU of Oregon letter and the Northern Hills Pregnancy Care Center contract are available online. Note: You need Adobe Acrobat to view the documents.
Election 2008
Huckabee Says He Would Have To Think 'Long and Hard' Before Running With Candidate Who Supports Abortion Rights
[May 18, 2007]
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, on Wednesday said he would have to think "long and hard" before he would consider running with a candidate who supports abortion rights, the AP/Guardian reports. Huckabee, who opposes abortion rights, said abortion is a "critical" issue, adding that the "sanctity of life is not just some peripheral political position" (Smith, AP/Guardian, 5/16). He also said that the current debate about abortion rights among the Republican candidates is a "healthy thing for [the Republican] party" (Daniels, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 5/17). New York Times Examines New York Abortion, Adoption Numbers During Giuliani Administration
The New York Times on Thursday examined former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's claim that abortions in New York City decreased by 16% and adoptions increased by 133% during his administration. Giuliani, who also is running for the Republican presidential nomination, made the statement at the Republicans' second televised debate on Tuesday. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the number of abortions decreased 18% during Giuliani's administration. The Times reports that the increase in adoptions Giuliani referred to "resulted largely from [his] response" to a "foster care crisis" in the city. According to the Times, "little if anything" from public records indicate Giuliani "was promoting adoption as an alternative to abortion." The changes in adoption and abortion numbers mirrored national trends, the Times reports. Giuliani during his tenure as mayor supported abortion rights and used city funding to provide abortion and contraception services to low-income women. Increased access to contraceptives for low-income women and the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act, which offered incentives to cities with adoption programs, likely contributed to the changes, the Times reports (Seelye, New York Times, 5/17). Times Examines Focus of Giuliani Campaign
The Times on Thursday also examined the "strategic gamble" in Giuliani's campaign: that his position on national security could override his positions on abortion rights and other social issues in the Republican primaries. According to the Times, Giuliani's aides said they are not certain whether circumstances have "changed enough, in the world and in the party, to allow national security to overrule social concerns." However, a "divided and demoralized" Republican base might mean that "moderate Republicans will be critical" in determining the Republican nominee, the Times reports (Nagourney, New York Times, 5/17). In related news, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson in an WorldNetDaily online column released on Thursday said he said he "cannot, and will not" vote for Giuliani in 2008, Reuters reports (Reuters, 5/17). Dobson described the candidate as an "unapologetic" supporter of abortion rights, the Washington Post reports (Goldfarb, Washington Post, 5/18). According to the AP/Albany Times Union, Dobson earlier this year said he would not support Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who also is running for the Republican presidential nomination, because of McCain's opposition to a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage (Sidoti, AP/Albany Times Union, 5/18). Broadcast Coverage
- KCRW's "To the Point": The program on Wednesday included a discussion about the second Republican presidential debate and how abortion rights, human embryonic stem cell research and other issues could impact voters in the Republican primary. Guests on the program included Karen Tumulty, a national political correspondent for Time magazine; Dan Gilgoff, a senior editor of U.S. News & World Report; Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; and Christopher Barron, a Republican political consultant (Olney, "To the Point," KCRW, 5/16). Audio of the segment is available online.
- NPR's "All Things Considered": The program on Thursday reported on Giuliani's statements about abortion at a town hall meeting at the College of Charleston. The segment includes comments from Giuliani and South Carolina residents (Liasson, "All Things Considered," NPR, 5/17). Audio of the segment is available online.
- NPR's "Day to Day": The program on Wednesday reported on a poll that found that half of Republican voters are unaware of their party's candidates' views on abortion. The segment includes comments from Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science at Emory University; Stuart Rothenberg, editor of The Rothenberg Political Report; and Jennifer Duffy, managing editor of The Cook Political Report (Pesca, "Day to Day," NPR, 5/16). Audio of the segment is available online.
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Gates Foundation Gives Glaser Foundation $9.7M for Research on Pediatric HIV Vaccines; Research To Focus on Breast-Feeding Infants
[May 18, 2007]
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation a five-year, $9.7 million grant to research and develop experimental HIV vaccines aimed at children, Glaser Foundation President and CEO Pamela Barnes announced Friday on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. The research will focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus through breastmilk, according to the Glaser Foundation. The grant will fund eight research studies and up to three pediatric clinical trials of HIV vaccines previously tested among adults. Barnes said nearly 14% of all new HIV cases worldwide occur among infants who contract the virus from their mothers, most of whom rapidly develop AIDS because they lack treatment access (Gordon Blankinship, AP/Houston Chronicle, 5/18). The preclinical research studies will examine issues related to HIV transmission through breastmilk and pediatric immunity.
Researchers have found that an effective vaccine, provided shortly after birth, would not only protect an infant from contracting HIV while breast-feeding but also could offer long-term or even life-long immunity from the virus, according to the Glaser Foundation. The protective vaccine then would allow HIV-positive mothers to safely breast-feed for an extended period of time, providing infants in resource-poor settings with nutritional and basic health benefits. "We are profoundly grateful to the Gates Foundation for recognizing the special needs of children in the fight against AIDS," Barnes said, adding, "Children have been virtually absent from HIV vaccine research despite having the most to gain from such a discovery." According to Barnes, it is "absolutely vital that we start to include children in HIV vaccine research, or we may miss important discoveries that only pediatric research could reveal."
According to the Glaser Foundation, to date there have been two HIV vaccine trials aimed at preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, either during childbirth or through breast-feeding (Glaser Foundation release, 5/18). The Glaser Foundation has helped pay for 41 studies related to pediatric HIV/AIDS research since 1988. According to the AP/Chronicle, the Gates Foundation grant nearly equals all the funds the Glaser Foundation spent on HIV/AIDS research from 1988 and 2007 (AP/Houston Chronicle, 5/18).
State Politics & Policy
Actions Taken on Emergency Contraception-Related Legislation in Connecticut, Oregon, Wisconsin
[May 18, 2007]
The following highlights recent news of state actions on legislation related to emergency contraception access.
- Connecticut: Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) on Wednesday signed into law a bill (SB 1343) that requires all hospitals in the state, including Catholic hospitals, to provide EC to rape survivors, the Hartford Courant reports (Waldman, Hartford Courant, 5/17). The measure requires that rape survivors be given a pregnancy test before receiving EC, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, and does not require hospitals to provide the drug to women who test positive for pregnancy. In addition, hospitals can contract with a third-party provider to provide EC rather than force employees at the facility to dispense the drug. Archbishop Henry Mansell last year instructed Catholic hospitals in the state not to prescribe Barr Laboratories' emergency contraceptive Plan B if rape survivors are ovulating or if an egg has been fertilized. Mansell said he does not agree with the legislation because the drug will be provided on hospital grounds, which violates the church's teaching (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/7). Attempts to find a compromise on the bill with the Catholic Church failed, the Courant reports. However, legislators said they are willing to amend the law before it takes effect Oct. 1 if the church offers an option that ensures equal access to care for rape survivors. According to the Courant, it is unclear whether or how hospitals that refuse to obey the law would be punished (Hartford Courant, 5/17).
- Oregon: The Senate on Wednesday voted 24-5 to approve a bill (HB 2700) that would require all health insurance plans in the state that provide prescription drug coverage to include contraceptives, the Salem-News reports (Salem-News, 5/16). The bill also would require hospitals to inform sexual assault survivors about EC and make it available upon request. Religious employers would be exempt from the legislation. About half of insurers in the state do not cover prescription contraceptives (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 3/20). The bill now goes to Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D), who has said he would sign it into law, the AP/KGW.com reports. The measure would take effect Jan. 1, 2008 (AP/KGW.com, 5/16).
- Wisconsin: The Senate on Wednesday voted 27-6 to pass a bill (SB 129) that would require hospitals to inform rape survivors that EC is highly effective at preventing pregnancy and dispense the drug if survivors request it, the AP/Winona Daily News reports (Bauer, AP/Winona Daily News, 5/17). According to the legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson (D), hospitals that refuse to follow the mandate would face sanctions from the state. Democrats have failed to gather enough support to pass similar legislation introduced in at least the last three legislative sessions (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Report, 3/8). It is unlikely the measure will pass the House this session, the AP/Daily News reports. Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R) has not taken a stand on the measure and has said he could not predict its chances in his chamber. According to the AP/Daily News, Gov. Jim Doyle (D) supports the bill (AP/Winona Daily News, 5/16).
Looking for a Daily Report on a specific date? Click here for instructions on how to find it.
...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... .....
|
|
|
|
