NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia

Take Action: Keep the promise of birth control coverage without a co-pay for all women

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:52:35 -0500

While we’re focused on what’s going on here in Virginia, we can’t forget about the attacks on reproductive choice and health that are continuing to take place in Congress and at the federal level.

From our colleagues at NARAL Pro-Choice America, we hear about the latest attempt by anti-choice groups to chip away at advances in women’s reproductive healthcare:

When the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) followed medical experts’ advice and announced that newly issued insurance plans must cover all FDA-approved birth-control methods without a copay, it marked one of the greatest improvements to women’s health in a generation.

Unfortunately, anti-contraception forces are trying to chip away at this achievement.

Led by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, these forces have launched a massive campaign to allow employers who oppose contraception to deny their employees a health plan that covers contraception.

Providing insurance coverage that includes birth control without an additional copay is an important preventative and cost-saving way to protect women’s reproductive health and enable them to make personal choices about whether and when to have children.

Ninety-eight percent of American women, of all faiths and backgrounds, will use birth control at some point in their lives. As we know, hormonal birth control can be essential medication not only for enabling women to plan the timing and spacing of their children (which helps improve maternal and child health outcomes), but also for helping women manage other aspects of their reproductive and overall health.

So what if these anti-birth control advocates win? Some women could be denied the benefits of this advance in contraception coverage just because of where they work.

You can help call on the White House today to stand strong with the women of America and make sure birth control coverage without co-pays is available to every woman, regardless of her employer. Take action on the NARAL Pro-Choice America website.

You can also call the White House comment line and give them your input over the phone! Call (202) 456-1111 and say something along the lines of: “I am calling regarding the new policy requiring health-insurance plans to cover birth control without a copay. I am concerned that religious employers may be allowed to opt out of this coverage requirement. I urge the president to ensure that all women have access to contraceptive coverage, regardless of where they work. “

Thank you for taking action!

Pro-choice candidates will help stop an extreme agenda

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:31:40 -0400

Yesterday, The Washington Post released their list of endorsed candidates for the Virginia state Senate races.

We were pleased to see that many of The Post’s candidates were also on NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC’s list of endorsed pro-choice candidates:

Delegate Adam Ebbin- Senate District 30
Barbara Favola- Senate District 31
Senator Janet Howell- Senate District 32
Senator Mark Herring- Senate District 33
Senator Richard Saslaw- Senate District 35
Senator Toddy Puller- Senate District 36
Senator Dave Marsden- Senate District 37
Senator George Barker- Senate District 39

We are also incredibly pleased to agree with The Post’s endorsement of Shawn Mitchell for a new Senate seat (District 31) in Loudoun County. Not only is Shawn Mitchell 100-percent pro-choice, but he would present an additional, much-needed pro-choice vote in the state Senate – a vote that would help stop the anti-choice agenda of Governor Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

The November 8 election in Virginia for all 140 General Assembly seats is one of the most important in decades for choice.

Be sure to see NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC’s list of endorsed candidates and get involved in your area!

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. Not authorized by a candidate or candidate campaign.

Pro-choice champions under attack

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:37:20 -0400

By Staff

Just over a month away from the November 8 statewide election in Virginia, anti-choice politicians and groups are pulling out all the stops. Their ultimate goal – to take over the General Assembly and pursue an aggressive campaign to undermine women’s health.

In Senate District 17 in Fredericksburg, long-time pro-choice champion Edd Houck is facing anti-choice challenger Bryce Reeves.

Senator Houck, who has served in the state Senate since 1984, is the chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Health – the committee where bills dealing with reproductive choice end up in the Virginia Senate. Senator Houck is 100-percent pro-choice and has stood up to all manner of attacks on women’s health throughout the years.

Unfortunately, anti-choice groups are doing everything they can to unseat this champion for women’s health.

NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia and NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC are working tirelessly in the coming weeks to protect and elect politicians that will stand up for women, rather than sacrificing women’s health for politics. For a full list of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia PAC’s endorsed candidates, visit our endorsement page.

Make sure you register to vote or update you registration through the State Board of Elections.

Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM across the state on Tuesday, November 8. Be sure to head to the polls and cast your vote for General Assembly members who will stand up for the women of Virginia.

For more information, be sure to visit our Political Updates page.

To get involved in electing pro-choice champions, contact info@naralva.org

Paid for by NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. Not authorized by a candidate or candidate campaign.

Statement on new, draft abortion regulations

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:27:38 -0400

Today reminds us just how far we still have to go for women’s equality in the United States.

While we celebrate Women’s Equality Day, women’s equal access to comprehensive health care is in danger.

Late this afternoon, the Virginia Department of Health issued a draft of new regulations on women’s health centers in Virginia.

Be sure to read the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health’s press release with first reactions to the potentially devastating regulations.

And stay tuned for more updates early next week.

Stay safe this weekend!

Our executive director, Tarina Keene, appeared on The Rachel...

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:23:11 -0400

Our executive director, Tarina Keene, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show last night to discuss how new abortion regulations could affect Virginia women.

Thank Del. Hope for supporting women's health!

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:08:34 -0400

We don’t always get to share good news on this blog, but today we have some!

Yesterday, we learned that the Virginia Department of Corrections will issue a ban on the shackling of pregnant inmates in Virginia.

This success for women’s health is due in large part to the consistent efforts of Delegate Patrick Hope, D-Arlington.

So please take a couple of minutes to send a quick note thanking Delegate Hope for standing up for the health of all Virginia women.

A step in the right direction for pregnant inmates in Virginia

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:35:00 -0400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 18, 2011

NARAL PRO-CHOICE VIRGINIA LAUDS BAN ON SHACKLING OF PREGNANT INMATES

Virginia Department of Corrections decision supports the health and safety of Virginia women

(Alexandria, Va) - Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, issued the following statement today regarding the Virginia Department of Corrections decision to implement regulations prohibiting the shackling of pregnant inmates:

“At a time when many state elected officials are undermining women’s health in Virginia, we are pleased to see the Department of Corrections being a leader in protecting the health of Virginia women. We applaud the tireless efforts of Delegate Patrick Hope and others in fighting for these changes even after setbacks during this year’s General Assembly session. We also extend our gratitude to Virginia Department of Corrections Director, Harold Clarke, for seeing the value of this important policy. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia is proud to have been a part of these efforts to expand commonsense health protections for all women of Virginia.”

We must continue to stand up for women's health

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:31:37 -0400

As we wrote yesterday, women’s health centers in Virginia will soon be subject to new, politically-motivated regulations.

An article in yesterday’s Chesterfield Observer further discussed the upcoming new regulations:

Senate Bill 924 passed the General Assembly earlier this year, requiring all health facilities that perform five or more first trimester abortions per month to meet the same standards as a hospital.

The bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Bob McDonnell as an emergency regulation, will go into effect Dec. 31. Seen by some as a health issue and others as a way to shut down abortion clinics that can’t afford to meet the requirements, the Virginia Department of Health currently is working on preliminary regulations to give to the State Board of Health on Sept. 15.

Anti-choice officials in Virginia have been undermining women’s health in our state for years. Now they’ve chosen to single out doctors who provide abortion for additional regulation, despite the fact first-trimester abortion remains one of the safest in-office medical procedures and despite the strong safety records of women’s health centers in Virginia.

NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia’s executive director Tarina Keene cut to the heart of the issue:

“We are appalled at these repeated attacks on women’s health,” stated Tarina Keene, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, via email. “Gov. McDonnell and his legislative cohorts have pursued a singleminded agenda to undercut women’s health in our state. There are no legitimate medical purposes for singling out abortion for further regulation. … [The] new regulations have nothing to do with women’s safety and everything to do with a political attempt to restrict access to reproductive healthcare.”

Elected officials and anti-choice groups who have spent years railing against abortion and attempting to impose additional restrictions on reproductive rights in Virginia now claim they are just trying to make abortion – an already-safe procedure – safer!

But we aren’t fooled. We know this is just another tactic in the overall anti-choice strategy of chipping away at reproductive rights and making it as difficult as possible for women to practically access abortion care.

If there was any doubt about their motives, the same article reminds us of the motivations of the groups that supported SB 924 and are now pushing for medically-unnecessary regulations:

“Olivia Gans, a spokesperson for the Virginia Society for Human Life, says the organization hopes the General Assembly will pursue further legislation to prohibit abortions.

We are pleased that the legislature realizes the seriousness of this issue,” Gans said. “As a mother who had an abortion, I’m deeply concerned … with the number of women who have abortions.”

Rather than working to decrease rates of unintended pregnancy – perhaps by pursuing policies that would provide access to affordable birth control, promote comprehensive, medically-accurate sex education or better support women who choose to parent – anti-choice lawmakers are instead seeking to decrease the number of legal abortions by simply keeping women from accessing quality reproductive healthcare.

We have to stand up and let the Board of Health and the governor know we will not stand for new regulations that are focused on a political agenda rather than the health and wellbeing of Virginia women.

Join us as we stand up for women’s health in Virginia:

As Tarina points out, “If political motives and ideological passions interfere in the regulatory process, then the safety of women’s health may be jeopardized.”

The launch of a new campaign to take on Gov. McDonnell

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:41:03 -0400

By NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia

Virginia’s Governor McDonnell is moving onto the national stage as the new chair of the Republican Governor’s Association.

According to Politico:

[Texas Governor Rick Perry will] be joined by Virginia’s Bob McDonnell, who will replace him as chairman of the Republican Governors Association — a perch that is all but guaranteed to boost McDonnell’s political fortunes by providing a national platform and access to a fundraising network that would be useful in a future run for higher office.

The article goes on to describe McDonnell as a “pragmatic conservative”:

In his nearly two years in office, the Virginia governor has carefully positioned himself as a pragmatic conservative who is fixated on job creation (not the social issues that were important to his early political rise) and capable of working with Democrats to get big things done.

However, we know that McDonnell is focused on social issues, especially when it comes to attempts to undermine the health of Virginia women.

In March, Governor McDonnell signed SB 924, a bill that classifies women’s health centers in the state as a category of hospitals, making them subject to new regulations created by the Department of Health. These laws, called “TRAP laws” for Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers, single out abortion providers for new, burdensome regulations.

These laws play politics with women’s health and safety.

After Gov. McDonnell signed the bill into law in March, the “emergency” process for new regulations began; a process meant to limit public comment and participation.

These new regulations could have devastating consequences for women throughout Virginia.

The process will move quickly, which is why we are pleased to announce the launch of the sign the petition today to help us keep the pressure on the Governor to support regulations based in medicine, not in politics!

Join the nearly 700 Virginians asking Gov. McDonnell not to play politics with women’s health

Virginia is in the sex ed Hall of Shame

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:30:14 -0400

Virginia is in the sex ed Hall of Shame

One week away from Virginia primaries

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:55:01 -0400

We are one week away from the Virginia primary elections.

Be sure to visit our website for all the information you need to vote next week!

Or contact info@naralva.org with any questions.

He’s back: Dick Black epitomizes anti-choice candidates

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:03:29 -0400

We know that women’s health is in jeopardy across the US and in Virginia. Our state General Assembly, along with Governor Bob McDonnell’s administration and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, are working hard to roll back reproductive rights for the women of Virginia.

Instead of looking forward, we are forced to look back. And when we look back, we see a familiar and unwelcome sight from the past coming back into the picture: former House of Delegates member Dick Black.

As reported in yesterday’s Washington Times:

[Dick] Black, a staunchly conservative former state delegate who notably irked colleagues in 2003 by passing out plastic fetuses before a crucial abortion vote, has moved — again — to run in the Aug. 23 Republican primary race for an open Virginia Senate seat in Prince William and Loudoun counties. […]

After winning a House seat in 1998, Mr. Black unsuccessfully pushed for a measure that would have required doctors to administer anesthesia to fetuses prior to later-term abortions and another that tried to effectively ban gay people from adopting children in Virginia.

He did manage to shepherd through legislation requiring parental consent for abortions performed on minors before he lost his seat to Democrat David E. Poisson in 2005.

Yes, that’s right: Mr. Black is infamous for having once sent plastic fetuses to Virginia lawmakers to show his opposition to abortion. He spent most of his time in office pursuing legislation to limit a woman’s access to comprehensive reproductive health care. From 2003 to 2005 alone, he pursued at least 18 bills limiting reproductive choice including bills granting constitutional rights to fetuses, singling out abortion providers for burdensome new regulations and a bill requiring minors provide parental consent before obtaining abortion care. Unfortunately, that parental consent requirement that significantly restricts the ability of young women to access abortion is now law.

Dick Black and anti-choice politicians like him can do a lot of damage to Virginia women’s health and reproductive rights in the General Assembly. After undermining women’s health this past General Assembly session, anti-choice politicians in Virginia are feeling bold and looking to maintain control of the House of Delegates and take control of the state Senate. If they manage to topple the Senate, women’s health in Virginia could be set back for years or decades to come. Dick Black is just one of dozens of strongly anti-choice candidates running for General Assembly all across Virginia this year, not to mention the many anti-choice incumbents running for re-election.

NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia is fighting back. We’re educating voters about everything that’s at stake in this election and letting them know about candidates’ positions on the full range of issues that encompass reproductive choice.

And most importantly, we’re working to get out the pro-choice vote! Are you ready to vote? The primaries are on Tuesday, August 23^rd, with the general election on Tuesday, November 8^th. Check out the political updates page on our website to get details about when and where to vote, and share that information with your pro-choice friends, family members and neighbors to make sure they’ll be getting out to vote as well! And keep checking back to get the latest news on how you can help protect women’s health during this integral statewide election.

"Sexuality education in the United States has evolved to teach everything besides sex itself...."

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:22:03 -0400

“Sexuality education in the United States has evolved to teach everything besides sex itself. Although teenagers in more progressive schools may learn how to slide a condom onto a banana, they rarely learn how to access birth control conveniently and affordably. Instead, students in both abstinence only and comprehensive programs are given projects that test and assess their knowledge of how to avoid sex, rather than their knowledge of sexual health. At the end of a typical course, many students know that they can “go to the movies” or “play soccer” instead of having sex, but they do not know what to do in case their alternative activities plan falls through and the condom breaks.”

- Via The Nation. (via iamdrtiller)

Three ways to help keep Virginia women out of an anti-choice TRAP

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:21:48 -0400

Governor McDonnell and his allies in the General Assembly wage a continuous campaign to undermine access to comprehensive reproductive health care for Virginia women.

That is why we are working with the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health to stop the McDonnell Administration from playing politics with women’s lives.

Be sure to read our latest action alert and visit our website to learn more about the issue and how you can join us in standing up for continued reproductive health access for women across the Commonwealth.

Celebrating the Summer of Choice

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:54:28 -0400

By Autumn Reinhardt Simpson

I really do have to hand it to my husband. He’s suffered through so much just to make me happy. He’s tagged along to death row, opened our house to unknown Japanese protesters and supported me in all my endeavors, however foreign to him. This past weekend found him accompanying me to Germantown, Maryland for the inaugural Summer of Choice hosted by Abortionclinics.org.

Summer of Choice is a direct answer to confrontational anti-abortion rights group Operation Rescue, which has focused on Dr. Le Roy Carhart for its “Summer of Mercy 2.0,” the next generation of mass harassing tactics intended to shut down targeted reproductive health centers for good. Dr. Carhart’s Germantown clinic decided to close for the week, rather than have his patients walk the gauntlet.

Sunday, July 31^st was the Kick-Off Walk, which was attended by approximately 200 supporters of women’s health from across the country. In attendance were students, grandparents, politicians and people of all stripes. My husband, ever the good sport, allowed himself to be slathered in pro-choice and feminist stickers (as well as copious amounts of sunscreen) and took to the streets with us. We walked a route of about one mile around Dr. Carhart’s clinic, waving signs and getting lots of honks and shouts of support. The police presence was strong and very respectful (interesting observation – nearly all the Montgomery County officers I saw during this event were women! Right on, Montgomery County!)

The anti-choice crowd decided to hold their event at 6 PM, long after many of the pro-choice crowd left to attend a poetry reading at a local church. However, there was one anti-choice person in a dark blue shirt sporting the phrase “pro-life” walking along the route, videotaping us and making sarcastic comments. Luckily, this was all we saw of the anti-choice side for that day. But their presence could be felt in other ways. Part of our hot and sticky route took us past a sign for a local “crisis pregnancy center,” a grim irony that was not lost on us. After posing for photos, we quickly moved on, eager for shade and water.

The beauty of an event such as the Kick-Off Walk was that it not only raised money for the Abortion Access Fund, but that it brought many people together who were not aware of the opportunities for action to be found in their own backyards. I met a man from Richmond, VA who was interested in joining my clinic defense team and another walker put the idea in my head to look into training to become a victim’s advocate. For “lone defenders” like myself, such gatherings are as source of knowledge and energy.

The Kick-Off Walk was great and the rest of the week has been filled with activities and chances to show support to Dr. Carhart and other providers. This weekend, others will gather for continued peaceful pro-choice presence. At a time when state legislatures are persistently undermining women’s access to healthcare, it is so important that we stand with the brave providers who face harassment and threats of violence every day. So grab a friend or two and go stand for choice this weekend.

Headline of the Week: Private Insurance to FULLY Cover Birth Control, Well-Woman Doctors Visits, and More!

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:20:21 -0400

By Brooke

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced their new guidelines for women’s health care coverage. There will be many changes, the most notable being full coverage of birth control pills under all private insurance plans.

As of August 1^st, 2012, private insurance companies must cover preventative services for women without a co-pay. According to White House advisor Stephanie Cutter, “We know that half of women, according to studies, forego or delay preventive care because they can’t afford it and under the affordable care act that all changes.” Hopefully this will all change as of August 2012.

Other services that will be covered include diabetes screenings, well-woman doctor’s visits, domestic violence screenings, and the morning-after pill.

This decision comes in the wake of a well-publicized, sexist rant from Bill O’Reilly on the decision. O’Reilly spoke out against the possibility of this decision, saying that “Many women who get pregnant are blasted out of their minds when they have sex, and they’re not going to use birth control anyway.” Luckily, women’s health supporters overcame such obstacles in order to make women’s reproductive health care more accessible.

These new guidelines are a big step for the Department of Health and Human Services. We applaud them for looking past stereotypes and misinformation about contraception and making the improvement of women’s healthcare a top priority.

Stephanie Cutter went on to say “Today is about keeping women healthy.”

League of Young Leaders Summer Happy Hour 2011

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:58:47 -0400

League of Young Leaders Summer Happy Hour 2011

The Unintended Consequences of the Hyde Amendment

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:40:54 -0400

By Brooke

A new article from Jezebel entitled “Shockingly, Free And More Effective Birth Control Leads To Fewer Abortions,” highlights a study that points out an unexpected and unfortunate consequence of the Hyde Amendment.

Because of the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid can provide absolutely no funds to a woman seeking an abortion. According to Dr. Paula Bednarek in an interview with Reuters Health, the Hyde Amendment also blocks qualifying women from receiving any kind of contraceptive – including one of the most effective contraceptives, an IUD – on the same day and in the same place they received their abortion.

While supporters of the Hyde Amendment may claim it is simple enough to just return to an abortion provider a few days later, another study found that after six months, “more than 90 percent of the women who had immediately gotten their IUD were still using it, versus about three quarters who received a delayed insertion.”

Reuters Health reports that women who are given free IUDs immediately after abortions had drastically reduced rates of repeat abortions in the two years following their first procedure. Their chances of ending up at an abortion provider in the next 24 months went down by 64 percent, in large part thanks to the immediate availability of an IUD.

According to Sam Sonfield of the Guttmacher Institute, IUDs and other similar devices “can go a long way to reducing unintended pregnancies, and as a consequence, abortions.”

It is not only safe for a woman to get an IUD immediately after an abortion or miscarriage, Jezebel reports that such a practice could prevent over 70,000 unintended pregnancies per year.

The Hyde Amendment not only impedes access to abortion for women, it also may have an unexpected effect on the rates of unintended pregnancies and abortions.

ella's interesting consumer video

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:38:04 -0400

ella's interesting consumer video:

ella is a valuable tool for preventing unintended pregnancy. However, we’re not sure how we feel about this how-it-works video. What do you think?

Senator Ralph Northam, D-Norfol

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:52:46 -0400

Welcome back to our new, regular blog series, Virginia Political Pro(choice)files. In this segment, we highlight Virginia’s state politicians who support and fight for women’s reproductive rights while also drawing attention to politicians who are working to undermine the constitutional right to safe and legal abortion. To see how all General Assembly members stacked up in 2011, check out ourLegislative Scorecard!

The Political Pro(choice)files: Senator Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk

As a representative for Norfolk in the Virginia General Assembly, Ralph Northam has been an ally of women and a great advocate for comprehensive sexual education throughout his four years in office. He was first elected in 2007 and will be running in a very competitive election this November.

Ralph Northam was one of three Virginia state senators involved in proposing legislation in 2010 to reign in the bad habits of Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Northam, along with Senator Craig Deeds, Senator John Edwards, and Senator Dave Marsden, proposed a bill to regulate Virginia’s Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs)—regulations that would include a notice on the buildings stating thatthe facilities are not licensed, comprehensive healthcare centers. This bill went on to require that the facility include in the posted notice that it does not perform or refer women for abortions or contraception and that the facility is not required to adhere to confidentiality laws in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

As a pediatric neurologist, Northam knows that providing misleading and inaccurate medical information to women is dangerous and inappropriate. Women need to know that many CPCs have no obligation to respect their privacy.

Senator Northam, along with Delegates Charniele Herring and David Englin,participated in a press conference following the release of our research project exposing CPCs and showed nothing but support for women in need of accurate information in the midst of a difficult decision:

It is extremely important that these young women are able to seek medical advice that is in their best interest of their health … it’s important for women that seek advice from these centers to know what they offer and what they don’t offer and that’s exactly what this bill is intended to do. The bill, I think, will insure that expectant women will receive what I consider factual-based medical information and be able to make decisions that are in the best interest of their health.

The proposed bill also included a section prohibiting any CPC in violation of the prior regulations from receiving any funds derived from the Virginia Choose Life Fund license plates.

Although the bill was passed by indefinitely, it was successful in bringing some much needed attention to the issues surrounding CPCs.

In the last session of the General Assembly, Senator Northam also patronedSB 967, a bill that requires Virginia school districts to teach medically accurate and evidence-based programs that fall under the guidelines of Family Life Education. Although this bill passed in the Senate, it was unfortunately “left to die” in the House Committee on Education.

Clearly, Northam has shown that he is a strong supporter of women’s rights and his medical background gives him a solid perspective in regards to bills that involve women’s health.