contraception

Supporters of women's health rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., March 23, 2016, as the Court hears oral arguments in seven cases dealing with religious organizations that want to ban contraceptives from their health insurance policies on

Massachusetts Set To Approve Law Protecting Access To Birth Control

3:43pm November 20, 2017

by Samantha Raphelson

The Massachusetts law would make it the first state to circumvent a federal policy allowing any company to opt out of providing free birth control coverage due to a religious or moral exemption.

Notre Dame is the "first and most important employer publicly to take advantage" of the rollback, The Los Angeles Times says.

Notre Dame Is Dropping Birth Control Coverage For Students, Employees

2:53pm November 03, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

The Catholic university had challenged the Affordable Care Act's mandate that employers cover birth control. Now it's taking advantage of the Trump administration's weakening of that rule.

People in the March for Life near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 27.

Health & Safety

New Rule On Moral Objections To Contraception Aimed At 2 Groups

6:00am October 14, 2017

by Julie Rovner

The administration's decision to allow some employers to bypass a requirement to provide no-cost contraceptives to women on moral grounds would benefit specific anti-abortion groups.

Demonstrators in Washington, D.C., argued for upholding the Affordable Care Act's birth control provision in 2015. The rollback of the rule is likely to spur further lawsuits, analysts say.

Trump Guts Requirement That Employer Health Plans Pay For Birth Control

5:49pm October 06, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

With a new regulation, the administration will allow any company or nonprofit group to refuse to cover contraception by claiming a religious or moral exemption to the federal health law.

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Chester with Ivory (left), 11, Skylar (right), 12, and Kameron (center), 21 months.

In Texas, Abstinence-Only Programs May Contribute To Teen Pregnancies

12:23pm June 05, 2017

by Lauren Silverman

Teenage pregnancy rates have declined across the country, but some parts of Texas have made much less progress on that. Abstinence-only sex ed policies may be one reason why.

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A woman in a rural area of Kenya examines an intrauterine device during a visit from a outreach team sent by a family planning organization.

Trump's Proposed Budget Would Cut $2.2 Billion From Global Health Spending

4:14pm May 25, 2017

by Nurith Aizenman

The administration wants to reduce the current $8.7 billion global health budget by about 26 percent. Family planning programs would be the hardest hit.

Dr. Paul Turek, a urologist with clinics in San Francisco and Beverly Hills, says one group of friends who got vasectomies together, during the NCAA spring basketball tournament, seemed to recover more quickly than usual, and require fewer pain pills.

March Madness Vasectomies Encourage Guys To Take One For The Team

3:04pm March 24, 2017

by April Dembosky

Some urologists use March Madness as an opportunity to market vasectomy services, offering men the excuse to sit on the sofa for three days to watch college basketball while they recover.

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Birth control pills actually may be safer for teenagers than for older women, a study finds.

Over-The-Counter Birth Control Pills Would Be Safe For Teens, Researchers Say

5:14pm March 16, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Making contraceptives available over the counter is safe, a review of research finds, and could lead to fewer unplanned pregnancies in both teens and adult women.

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About 35 percent of the patients at this clinic in York, Pa., receive Medicaid. The clinic offers STD testing, cancer screening and contraception services as well as abortion services.

Public Clinics Fear Federal Cuts To Planned Parenthood Would Strand Patients

6:00pm March 07, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

A goal for many Republicans is to cut federal funding for health services at Planned Parenthood and divert those funds to public health centers. How ready are those centers to pick up that work?

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Failure rates for common forms of birth control are down, according to new research.

Birth Control Is Working Better – Or At Least, It's Failing Less

7:13pm March 01, 2017

by Sarah McCammon

Failure rates for the most common forms of contraception are down, but it's not entirely clear whether it's due to education, availability, or other reasons.