(Reuters, Oct. 4, 2023) Argentina's presidential election race is putting abortion access and women's rights in the spotlight, sparking fierce debate in a country that has been a pioneer in expanding reproductive rights in Latin America. The election frontrunner, economist Javier Milei, opposes abortion and wants to hold a referendum on whether the 2020 legalization of abortion before the 14th week of pregnancy should be repealed. He also wants to shut the ministry of women, [...]

(New York Times Magazine, Sept. 12, 2023) Popular support for abortion rights is stronger than expected in some red and purple states. In Kansas, Kentucky and Montana, measures brought by abortion opponents to further restrict the procedure failed. In Michigan, voters passed an initiative to overturn the state’s abortion ban. This November, voters in Ohio will decide on an initiative to safeguard abortion rights, which polls show has wide support. And campaigns are underway in [...]

(Washington Post, Sept. 20, 2023) Activist group Shout Your Abortion posted billboards about abortion rights along Interstate 55, directed at drivers heading north to Illinois. Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri — all of which contain portions of I-55 — banned abortions to some degree or another. Illinois is one of the closest states where the procedure is still accessible. Note: Arkansas instituted a near-total abortion ban, only allowing the procedure to save the life [...]

(CNN, Sept. 8, 2023) In a court filing Aug. 28, attorneys for Attorney General Steve Marshall wrote that providing transportation for women in Alabama to leave the state to get an abortion could amount to a “criminal conspiracy.” Read Article >

Q&A: UW pharmacy professor Donald Downing on the over-the-counter birth control pill From: https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/07/18/qa-uw-pharmacy-professor-donald-downing-on-the-over-the-counter-birth-control-pill/ Alden Woods, UW News On July 13, the Food and Drug Administration approved for the first time an over-the-counter birth control pill, expected to hit shelves in early 2024. The approval of the oral contraceptive Opill could drastically expand access to birth control, which for decades has been available only through a prescription. It’s a rare victory for reproductive rights — [...]

The HR2FP Initiative has a new project.  We were awarded a grant to begin working with American Indian communities in WA State to improve their access to birth control. Access to acceptable and affordable contraception represents a major barrier for American Indian women and adolescents.  Our new project aims to improve their reproductive health and rights by providing safe, acceptable and affordable birth control to those who request it as an over-the-counter option.  Our first [...]