Judge: North Carolina Must Fund Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz

by Steven Ertelt | Charlotte, NC | LifeNews.com | 8/22/11 11:00 AM

A federal judge has ruled that North Carolina must fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business while it moves forward with the lawsuit it filed against the state over a decision by state lawmakers to revoke its taxpayer funding in the state budget.

In North Carolina, the state legislature approved a measure to remove federal funds from the pro-abortion organization in its state budget. The abortion business receives $434,000 through state family planning programs aimed at reducing teen pregnancies and providing birth control. Although the money can only be used for non-abortion services, the same organization is also the nation’s largest abortion business — doing more than 330,000 annually and comprising more than one-quarter of all abortions in the United States annually.

Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina (PPCNC) filed suit in federal court to declare invalid the portion of the state budget that yanks its tax money. Planned Parenthood CEO Janet Colm claims the abortion chain is wrongly singled out for a revocation of tax dollars and complains the abortion business may have to close or scale back offices and potentially lay off staff if the funding is not received.

U.S. District Court Judge James Beaty heard arguments from both sides in Winston Salem earlier this month and, on Friday, he ordered North Carolina to honor its contract with Planned Parenthood pending the outcome of the lawsuit. Beaty issued a preliminary injunction siding with the abortion giant in its demand to receive $212,000 of the funds.

Beaty said health department Secretary Lanier Cansler must renew the funding, writing, “The court expects defendant Cansler to follow all applicable state and federal laws and regulations” and warning that “further proceedings would be appropriate” is the state doesn’t comply. The state had a contract in place for 2011-2012 that he ruled it must honor.

Beaty also said in his ruling that the decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood wrongly contravened federal law authorizing funding for the abortion business via the federal family planning program and he said the budget provision wrongly singled out a specific organization for de-funding.

Colm issued a statement saying the abortion business is “deeply grateful that the court has stopped the state from enforcing the ban prohibiting Planned Parenthood from” getting taxpayer funding.

The abortion giant has already sued the states of Kansas and Indiana for adopting new legislation to revoke the taxpayer financing from the group that has been shown to be the biggest abortion business in the country, to cover up cases of sexual abuse, and to assist sex traffickers in getting abortions for the girls on whom they prey.

Barbara Holt, the president of North Carolina Right to Life, supported the move to revoke taxpayer financing.

“Planned Parenthood is the single largest abortion provider in the nation and our tax dollars should not go to organizations who are in the business of killing unborn children,” stated Holt. “97.6% of the services Planned Parenthood reports as involving pregnant women are abortion services.”

Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed the state budget in part because of the Planned Parenthood de-funding but the state legislature overrode the veto.

After the state House voted to override the veto, House Speaker Thom Tillis said “We think we’ve done something historic on several different levels” according to the Greensboro News-Record. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, also a Republican, told the newspaper the state Senate would follow suit today and it did just that.

Republicans hold 31 seats in the 50-seat state Senate and that proved to be more than enough for the override.

Following the vote, the Planned Parenthood abortion business criticized state legislators because the budget provision “would effectively end state and federal funding for Planned Parenthood.”

An April poll conducted by the Polling Company and WomanTrend reveals a majority of Americans, 54 percent, oppose giving tax dollars for family planning services to organizations that perform abortions. The poll also shows the intensity of this position, with 43 percent “strongly” opposing any federal funds going to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood, while just 20 percent “strongly” support federal funds going to abortion businesses.

Kellyanne Conway, the president of the Polling Company firm said the support for de-funding Planned Parenthood crosses lines on the abortion debate.

“Even 26 percent of pro-choice adherents rejected diverting taxpayer dollars for family planning organizations that provide abortions,” Conway said. “Some Americans may have positive attitudes toward Planned Parenthood, but may also reject the underlying premise that federal funding for family planning organizations should be fungible for abortions.”

Breaking down the results further, the poll found 82 percent of those who say they are pro-life responded yes when asked, “Do you support or oppose tax dollars for family planning services going to organizations that perform abortions?” Another 26 percent of people who say they are “pro-choice” on abortion agreed. Some 12 percent of pro-life people support funding Planned Parenthood while 70 percent of those “pro-choice” do.

The poll also found women opposed funding Planned Parenthood on a 51-40 percent margin, Hispanics opposed funding 47-45 percent, blacks opposed funding 62-26 percent, independents opposed funding 52-36, while 18-34 year-old respondents opposed Planned Parenthood funding on a 54-38 percent margin. People living in the South opposed funding the most.

In other states, Indiana approved a law de-funding Planned Parenthood, and New Hampshire Planned Parenthood centers may close after the state revoked a $1.8 million grant. Montana Planned Parenthood is also grappling with funding cuts and one county in Tennessee de-funded Planned Parenthood. Kansas is fighting to keep its de-funding decision in place.

Planned Parenthood in Wisconsin is making cuts after the abortion business lost $1 million in taxpayer funding there. Ohio lawmakers also filed a new bill to shift funding from Planned Parenthood to health departments. Planned Parenthood could lose as much as $64 million in Texas.

Cohabitation Linked to Unstable Families

Special Report - August 17, 2011

Children today are more likely to spend time in a cohabiting household and to suffer a myriad of negative lifetime effects as a result, than they are to experience the divorce of their parents, according to a new report released Wednesday by a team of family scholars from some of the nation’s leading educational institutions. The report, “Why Marriage Matters: 30 Conclusions from the Social Sciences (Third Edition),” is the long-awaited comprehensive summary of the latest research pointing to the importance of marriage to child wellbeing. Co-sponsored by the Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values and by the National Marriage Project (NMP) at the University of Virginia, the report is written by a team of 18 scholars chaired by W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the NMP.

The report’s major finding is that cohabitation, which it notes has increased 14-fold since 1970, has replaced divorce as the main contributor to the rising rates of family instability in the United States. In fact, by the age of 12, more children today will spend time in a cohabiting family than will experience the divorce of their parents (see figure 2 from report). While a decrease in parental divorce is certainly a good thing, the increasing rates of cohabitation, particularly for children, is not, because, as the report points out, “cohabitation is not the functional equivalent of marriage.”

“In a striking turn of events, the divorce rate for married couples with children has returned almost to the levels we saw before the divorce revolution kicked in during the 1970s. Nevertheless, family instability is on the rise for American children as a whole,” explains Professor Wilcox in a press release. “This seems in part to be because more couples are having children in cohabiting unions, which are very unstable. This report also indicates that children in cohabiting households are more likely to suffer from a range of emotional and social problems—drug use, depression, and dropping out of high school—compared to children in intact, married families.”

Among the key findings in report regarding cohabitation:

• About 24 percent of all children are born to cohabiting parents, which the report notes is more than the percentage of children born to single mothers.
• An additional 20 percent of children will spend some time in a cohabiting household with an unrelated adult (often because of the divorce of their parents), meaning that “more than four in 10 children are exposed to a cohabiting relationship.”
• Cohabiting parents with children are more likely to break up before the child turns 12 than married parents with children (see figure 5 from the report).

The report describes the “rise in cohabiting households” as “the largely unrecognized threat to the quality and stability of children’s lives in today’s families.” It details the latest research on cohabitation, which shows that compared to children raised in intact, married families, children in cohabiting families “do significantly worse” on several social, educational and psychological outcomes; and that children in cohabiting households are also significantly more likely to suffer from physical, emotional and sexual abuse than children in either intact married families or single parent families (see figure 3 from report);

Finally, the report includes the following three conclusions that echo the previous findings from the 2002 and 2005 editions of “Why Marriage Matters”:

1. “The intact biological, married family remains the gold standard for family life in the United States.
2. Marriage is an important public good, associated with a range of economic, health, educational, and safety benefits that help local, state, and federal governments serve the common good.
3. The benefits of marriage extend to poor, working-class, and minority communities, despite the fact that marriage has weakened in these communities in the last four decades.”

“This important report shows why the North Carolina statutes against cohabitation are needed,” said Alysse ElHage, associate director of research for the North Carolina Family Policy Council. “The State is correct in recognizing and supporting marriage as the only domestic union that should be recognized. An intact family unit with a married mother and a father is the best place to raise children, and we are pleased that North Carolina law supports this reality.”

Related resources:
Census Report Examines Cohabitation - November 9, 2010
Marriage Beats Cohabitation - March 5, 2010
Most Children Live With Parents - July 27, 2010
Characteristics of Cohabiting Adults Studied - July 16, 2009

Report Analyzes Cohabitation Effects - June 23, 2008
How Cohabitation Undermines Marriage and the Family - Findings - June 2005

Copyright © 2011. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.

Abortion Has Caused 300K Breast Cancer Deaths Since Roe

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/17/11 4:44 PM

A leading breast cancer researcher says abortion has caused at least 300,000 cases of breast cancer causing a woman’s death since the Supreme Court allowed virtually unlimited abortion in its 1973 case.

With tens of millions of abortions since the high court’s decision and research confirming abortion increases the risk of contracting breast cancer, undoubtedly a large number of breast cancer cases, caused by abortion, have occurred over the last 38 years.

Professor Joel Brind, an endocrinologist at Baruch College in New York, worked with several scientists on a 1996 paper published in the Journal of Epidemiol Community Health showing a “30% greater chance of developing breast cancer” for women who have induced abortions. He recently commented on how many women have become victims.

“If we take the overall risk of breast cancer among women to be about 10% (not counting abortion), and raise it by 30%, we get 13% lifetime risk,” Brind explains. Using the 50 million abortions since Roe v. Wade figure, we get 1.5 million excess cases of breast cancer. At an average mortality of 20% since 1973, that would mean that legal abortion has resulted in some 300,000 additional deaths due to breast cancer since Roe v. Wade.”

Brind said his estimate excludes deaths from the use of abortion to delay first full term pregnancies – a recognized breast cancer risk.

Karen Malec, the head of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, a public awareness group, says the number of studies showing the abortion-breast cancer link continues to grow in the years since Brind’s groundbreaking 1996 analysis of the major studies at that time.

“During the last 21 months, four epidemiological studies and one review reported an abortion-breast cancer link,” she noted. “One study included National Cancer Institute branch chief Louise Brinton as co-author. We count nearly 50 published epidemiological studies since 1957 reporting a link. Biological and experimental studies also support it.”

“Experts proved in medical journals that nearly all of the roughly 20 studies denying the link are seriously flawed (fraudulent). Like the tobacco-cancer cover-up, these are used to snow women into believing abortion is safe,” Malec added.

Surgeons like Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey who has extensively explained how abortion increases the breast cancer risk, have seen first-hand how abortion hurts women.

In 2002, Angela Lanfranchi, MD testified under oath in a California lawsuit against Planned Parenthood that she had private conversations with leading experts who agreed abortion raises breast cancer risk, but they refused to discuss it publicly, saying it was “too political.”

As the co-director of the Sanofi-aventis Breast Care Program at the Steeplechase Cancer Center, Lanfranchi has treated countless women facing a breast cancer diagnosis. Lanfranchi was named a 2010 Castle Connolly NY Metro Area “Top Doc” in breast surgery.

In an article she wrote for the medical journal Linacre Quarterly, Lanfranchi talks about why abortion presents women problems and increases their breast cancer risk:

Induced abortion boosts breast cancer risk because it stops the normal physiological changes in the breast that occur during a full term pregnancy and that lower a mother’s breast cancer risk. A woman who has a full term pregnancy at 20 has a 90% lower risk of breast cancer than a woman who waits until age 30.

Breast tissue after puberty and before a term pregnancy is immature and cancer-vulnerable. Seventy five percent of this tissue is Type 1 lobules where ductal cancers start and 25 percent is Type 2 lobules where lobular cancers start. Ductal cancers account for 85% of all breast cancers while lobular cancers account for 12-15% of breast cancers.

As soon as a woman conceives, the embryo secretes human chorionic gonadotrophin or hCG, the hormone we check for in pregnancy tests.

HCG causes the mother’s ovaries to increase the levels of estrogen and progesterone in her body resulting in a doubling of the amount of breast tissue she has; in effect, she then has more Type 1 and 2 lobules where cancers start.

After mid pregnancy at 20 weeks, the fetus/placenta makes hPL, another hormone that starts maturing her breast tissue so that it can make milk. It is only after 32 weeks that she has made enough of the mature Type 4 lobules that are cancer resistant so that she lowers her risk of breast cancer.

Induced abortion before 32 weeks leaves the mother’s breast with more vulnerable tissue for cancer to start. It is also why any premature birth before 32 weeks, not just induced abortion, increases or doubles breast cancer risk.

By the end of her pregnancy, 85% of her breast tissue is cancer resistant. Each pregnancy thereafter decreases her risk a further 10%.

A woman can use this information to make an informed decision about her pregnancy. If she chooses to abort her pregnancy for whatever reason, she should start breast screening about 8-10 years later so that if she does develop a cancer, it can be found early and treated early for a better outcomes.

text4baby Contest!

Text4baby is a free health text messaging service that provides information and resources for pregnant and new mothers. The text4baby program just launched the Summer Sign-Up Contest, an opportunity to spread the word about the important text4baby effort.

The top 20 contestants who enroll the most women in the text4baby service between now and September 10^th will win a year’s supply of baby products and a special gift, courtesy of text4baby’s Founding Sponsor, Johnson & Johnson. To participate in the Contest, visit www.text4baby.org.

Want to Be on TV?

The Bill Cunningham Show premieres this fall on TV stations nationwide; the 60-minute talk show will be topically driven. The show is currently putting together a show on teen pregnancy and seeks teen girls who were recently pregnant or who are trying to get pregnant and who are willing to appear on national television. If you know anyone who might be interested in sharing their story, please send an email to nyctalkguest@gmail.com. Please visit www.thebillcunninghamshow.com for more information.

The High Cost of Unintended Pregnancy

A new research brief from the Brookings Institution's Adam Thomas and Emily Monea details the high costs of unintended pregnancy. Among their findings:

• Taxpayers spend about $12 billion annually on publicly financed medical care for women who experience unintended pregnancies and on infants who were conceived unintentionally.
• Taxpayers could save an estimated $6 billion if all unintended pregnancies could be prevented.

Read the full brief here

North Carolina House Approves Choose Life License Plates

by Steven Ertelt | Charlotte, NC | LifeNews.com | 6/8/11 11:20 AM

The North Carolina state House yesterday approved legislation to allow motorists in the Tar Heel State to purchase Choose Life license plates to adorn their vehicles and spread a pro-life, pro-adoption message.

The House voted 70-44 to authorize dozens of new specialty plates, including the Choose Life plate, that require an extra $25 fee to purchase — with $15 going to pregnancy centers that provide women with abortion alternatives for each plate sold in the state.

According to an AP report, Carteret County Republican Rep. Pat McElraft told legislators the plates will raise money for Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship and “save some babies lives.” However, some Democrats opposed the measure because they didn’t want licence plates becoming a forum for debate on abortion.

AP indicates the House rejected a pro-abortion amendment Democrats brought that would have added a “Respect Choice” license plate benefiting the pro-abortion side.

Last year, Bobbie Meyer, the state director of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, told LifeNews: “North Carolina is the only state in the southeast that refuses to let its citizens purchase the choose life license plate. For eight years the legislation for the choose life plate has been denied a vote even though more than 130 other plates have been approved.”

“The choose life license plate has already raised over 12 million dollars in the states that allow them thereby helping mothers and their families,” she added. “Here in NC there are 85 pregnancy care centers who last year saw over 46,000 women and children.”

Despite popular support for the plate, Planned Parenthood officials strongly oppose it.

“These license plates are specialty plates that bear an anti-choice message,” the group said an email LifeNews.com obtained asking its members to urge legislators to vote no.

Planned Parenthood complained that the funds from the plate will go to pregnancy centers that provide women with real choices and tangible help in an unplanned pregnancy. As the abortion business claimed, the centers “promise comprehensive medical advice and services but deliver anti-choice propaganda.” Planned Parenthood also complained it would be ineligible to receive funds because it does abortions while the plate’s goals are to promote adoption and helping women in crisis pregnancies.

The approval of the Choose Life plate comes after significant hard work from pro-life groups in the state, including North Carolina Right to Life and North Carolina Pro-Life Democrats.

The Tar Heel State is home to over 100 specialized license plates promoting everything from Save the Sea Turtle to NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. The Choose Life tag was tied up in the Transportation Committee for five years and now, residents may be closer to having tags available.

Ultimately, the Choose Life plates across the nation have raised over $8.7 million and over 400,000 plates have been sold or renewed in the 17 states that currently have the plate available.

NC Right to Life, the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh, NC Baptist Association, Russ Amerling, National Director of Choose Life license plates, The Family Policy Council of NC, Civitas NC, The Christian Action League, and NC Pro-Life Democrats all support the plates. There are currently 80 pregnancy centers across the Tar Heel State that served more than 46,000 women, men and families last year.

Brevard graphic artist Deborah Vernon Scott designed the proposed North Carolina plate, which depicts mountains and waves separated by two children’s faces on a yellow background. The phrase “Choose Life” is emblazoned in red at top.

ACTION: Tell your legislators to support the plate by going to http://www.ncga.state.nc.us

Option Line

I get calls all the time from people looking for resources for family/friends experiencing unplanned pregnancies. The Option Line (http://www.optionline.org/) provides great information which you can share.

What can friends do?

It’s nerve-racking to figure out the right thing to do or to say when your friend is facing an unplanned pregnancy. But the most meaningful way you can support her is simply to be there.

• Listen.
• Keep calm.
• Suggest help.

Let your friend speak when she wants, and calmly listen. She will be grateful for an open ear as she processes her emotions and the difficult choices ahead of her.

You, however, might rapidly feel overwhelmed if you’re her only resource. The Option Line is available any time, day or night. They offer free, caring and confidential help and can quickly connect your friend to the local assistance she needs.

It’s nerve-racking to figure out the right thing to do or to say when your friend is facing an unplanned pregnancy. But the most meaningful way you can support her is simply to be there.

Divine Disconnect: Should Faith Leaders Be Talking to Their Congregations About Sex?

May 16 2011

Last month, the Guttmacher Institute released a report (PDF) showing that contraceptive use among religious women is in fact a norm and that three-quarters of never-married women are sexually experience by their early twenties, regardless of religious affiliation. Some other key findings included the following:

• Among all women who have had sex, 99% have ever used a contraceptive method other than natural family planning. This figure is virtually the same among Catholic women (98%).
• Only 2% of Catholic women rely on natural family planning; this is true even among Catholic women who attend church once a month or more.
• Among never-married adolescent women, 42% have ever had sex. While levels of sexual experience vary somewhat across the three main religious groups, these differences are not statistically significant.
• Among never-married young adult women, 79% are sexually experienced. Evangelicals are less likely than Catholics or Mainline Protestants to have ever had sex (75% vs. 89% and 86%, respectively).

This study once again highlights the disconnect between traditional religious teachings and beliefs and an individual's actual behavior. Not only is the proportion of religious, never-been-married women with sexual experience very similar to the proportion of the overall population, but these women are also using contraception regardless of whether or not their religion accepts it. This implies that the topics of contraception and sexuality should not be excluded from religious settings and conversations.

The question about the role of religious institutions and faith leaders when it comes to this issue has been the subject of much discussion, for example in a Washington Post op-ed written last month by The National Campaign's CEO Sarah Brown. Should faith leaders be a primary source of this type of information for their congregation? How do they make that decision when many Church hierarchies continue to denounce the use of contraception other than natural family planning? There is also the problem that many faith leaders are unaware of what proportion of their congregation that's unmarried is sexually active, since that type of discussion is typically not encouraged in a faith setting. Because of this, when reports like this one are released with statistics showing high rates of sexual activity and contraceptive use among religious women, some faith leaders assume that this must not be the case in their church simply since they don't hear about it. So the question is, how do we go about getting faith leaders and religious institutions to connect the dots and realize that what statistics are showing probably represents the young people who are sitting right in front of them?

A recent article in Neue magazine (link below) features several stories about why it is critical for religious organizations to start addressing unplanned pregnancies, abortion, and family planning. It also touches upon the shame factor that goes along with being a sexually active yet religious young adult and often deters these young people from seeking needed advice or counsel from their faith leaders. Particularly for this reason, faith leaders should strive to create a welcoming environment that encourages members of the congregation to feel comfortable addressing topics typically stigmatized in religious settings. A great example of this, featured in the article, is Pastor Dharius Daniels of Kingdom Church in Ewing, NJ. Pastor Daniels has begun offering "Ask Me Anything" forums, where youth and young adults can come and literally ask him any question they have--most of which, he says, so far have been sex-related. He talks about how this has been an eye-opening experience for him and has really allowed him to get into his congregation's heads and helped him to better address their needs.

I think this effort to close the divide between one's own perceptions and what statistics are showing is critical in making progress in this area. Faith leaders are in a position with incredible influence and by encouraging open conversations and increasing the trust that exists in the leader-congregation relationship, they can help many youth and young adults get the information they want and need. To read more examples of what members of the faith community are saying and what you could do to help, check out the Neue article for yourself: "True Love Isn't Waiting."

Posted by: Sara Major

©2011, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036
ph: (202) 478-8507. fax: (202) 478-8588. CFC #10496

The Public Costs of Unplanned Pregnancy

The Public Costs of Unplanned Pregnancy

Unplanned pregnancy costs taxpayers approximately $11 billion each year, according to two new studies from the Guttmacher Institute and Brookings Institution. Additional new research provides the first-ever state-by-state estimates of unintended pregnancy. Among the headlines:

• Preventing unplanned pregnancy would yield substantial taxpayer savings. As Adam Thomas and Emily Monea of Brookings conclude, “The prevention of unintended pregnancy represents an important opportunity for the public to reap substantial savings, especially given the current fiscal climate. The enactment or expansion of cost-effective policies to prevent unintended pregnancies is therefore a timely and sensible strategy.”
• Fully 64% of births resulting from unplanned pregnancies were publicly funded in 2006---compared with 48% of all births and 35% of births resulting from intended pregnancies.
• At least 38% of pregnancies are unintended in all 50 states---more than half are unintended in 29 states and D.C.
• The media state unintended pregnancy rate was 51 per 1,000 women aged 15-44.

©2011, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036
ph: (202) 478-8507. fax: (202) 478-8588. CFC #10496

Choose Life Plate To Get House Vote

Choose Life Plate To Get House Vote

Special Report - June 3, 2011
On Thursday, the House Finance Committee passed HB 289—Authorize Various Special Plates, a bill that would give approval to a number of new specialty license plates for North Carolina drivers, including a long awaited “Choose Life” plate. The measure will now receive a vote on the House floor. Should HB 289 become law, North Carolina drivers would finally have the opportunity to purchase a “Choose Life” specialty license plate and help raise money for the state’s Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs), organizations that provide services and support for women considering alternatives to abortion. Under the measure, part of the proceeds from the sale of each “Choose Life” plate will be directed to the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, a nonprofit group charged with distributing the funds to the state’s Pregnancy Resource Centers.

In the Finance Committee, after primary bill sponsor Rep. Mitch Gillespie (R-McDowell) offered a brief explanation of the measure, the debate quickly focused on the inclusion of the “Choose Life” plate, which has been proposed for authorization for nearly a decade. Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Orange) offered an amendment, which sought to place restrictions on use of funds gained by the “Choose Life” plate, proposing that they only be directed to organizations that provide counseling for “all legal options,” including abortion. Rep. Gillespie urged committee members to vote down the amendment, adding that, as the bill’s sponsor, he would not allow the bill to proceed if such an amendment were adopted. After lengthy debate, Rep. Luebke’s amendment failed by a vote of 12-16.

Rep. Kelly Alexander (D-Mecklenburg) then proposed an amendment, which would have added another specialty plate to the bill, with part of the proceeds from the sale of the plate to be directed to Planned Parenthood. Some committee members voiced support for the change, arguing that it was only fair that both sides of the abortion debate be represented. As we previously reported, this amendment, which was also proposed during consideration in the House Transportation Committee in May, was rejected by a vote of 14-15.

An additional amendment, proposed by Rep. Deborah Ross (D-Wake) sought to increase state regulation of the PRCs, which typically operate on a small budget, relying heavily on volunteers. That amendment also failed. The vote was 11-16. Ultimately, the House Finance committee passed the un-amended version of HB 289 by a vote of 17-13. It will now go to the House floor for consideration there.

Copyright © 2011. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.

Fast Fact- Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia can result in pelvic inflammatory disease in women, a condition that can cause infertility. Each year, STDs cause at least 24,000 women in the U.S. to become infertile. Check your risk for STDs at www.stdwizard.org.

Reference:

CDC. 2009 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance. Trends in Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States: 2009 National Data for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis. Available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats09/trends.htm.

STD wizard

Take 5 minutes to find out if you need to get tested for an STI such as HIV, hepatitis, or chlamydia.

Remember that you need to visit a healthcare provider for all your health needs. Information based on 2006 sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk assessment and screening guidelines, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is the nation's top health agency.

http://www.stdwizard.org/

HB 854-Woman's Right to Know

Legislative Alert June 6, 2011 The NC House of Representatives will consider HB 854-Woman's Right to Know, probably on Tuesday, June 7. This important measure will require abortionists to provide information to their patients about the abortion procedure. A woman considering an abortion will also have the opportunity to see an ultrasound of her unborn child before choosing to have the abortion. Legislative staff estimates this bill will save the lives of almost 3,000 children each year. Contact your State Representative NOW! HB 854, will require all doctors who do abortions to provide specific information to the women who are making the irreversible decision to end the life of their unborn child. The bill requires a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion could be performed in North Carolina. That time period would start after the woman is provided with the following information: The medical risks associated with the procedure The psychological risks The probable gestational age of the unborn child Information about the opportunity to view an ultrasound The name of the physician who will perform the abortion Whether the abortionist has malpractice liability insurance The location of the hospital that offers obstetrical or gynecological care within 30 miles where the abortionist has clinical privileges, should hospitalization be necessary This bill is expected to go to full House for a vote as early as Tuesday, June 7. It must pass the House before the "crossover" deadline at the end of the day on June 9. Please go to our Citizen Action Center and call or email your representative by clicking on the link below. Please contact your Representative NOW and ask them to SUPPORT HB 854-Abortion-Woman's Right to Know Act. PS: We hope you will forward this legislative alert to your those who support this effort. Thanks for your help!

Teens Say Parents Most Influence Their Decisions About Sex

Teen Birth Rate Hits Record Low
New Survey: Teens Say Parents Most Influence Their Decisions About Sex
Survey Also Reveals One-Third of Teens Believe Birth Control Doesn’t Work

Press Release
For Immediate Release
December 21, 2010

Contact: Bill Albert, 202-478-8510/balbert@thenc.org

(Washington, DC) --- The teen birth rate in the United States declined 6% in 2009 and is now at a record low, according to new data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Rates declined among older and younger teens and among all racial and ethnic groups. For example, the birth rate among Hispanic teens declined 10% in 2009 and is now at a record low.

“Good news just in time for the holidays – a steep decline in teen births,” said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “It is now apparent that the increase in the teen birth rate noted in 2007 and 2008 was only a hiccup – a blip – in the longer term, two-decade decline in teen births. We now are, thankfully, back on track. The credit and praise goes to teens themselves for making better decisions about their lives today and their plans for the future.”

Brown continued, “Still, The Grinch among us recognizes that what goes down can go back up again. Even when the news is good, it is essential that parents, practitioners, policymakers, and really anyone who cares about teenagers remember that the U.S. still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births among comparable countries and that we all need to continue helping teens postpone their families until they are older, through school, and in stable, committed relationships.”

A new public opinion survey released today by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy provides some important context for the new birth data. Two of the toplines from With One Voice 2010, a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,008 young people (aged 12-19) and 1,000 adults (age 20 and older), are:

• Teens (46%) say parents most influence their decisions about sex. By comparison, only 20% say friends most influence their decisions.
• Although 78% of teens say they have all the information they need to avoid an unplanned pregnancy, one-third (34%) agree “it doesn’t matter whether you use birth control or not, when it is your time to get pregnant, it will happen,” and half (49%) admit that they know “little or nothing” about condoms and how to use them.

Other findings from the survey of teens and adults include:

Parents

• Eight in ten teens (80%) say that it would be much easier for teens to delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents.
• Six in ten teens (63%) agree that the primary reason teens don’t use contraception is because they are afraid that their parents will find out.

Sex Education

• Many teens (46%) and most adults (73%) wish young people were getting more information about both abstinence and contraception rather than either/or. By comparison, 18% of teens say they want more information about birth control and 9% want more information about abstinence. The overwhelming majority of teens (87%) and adults (93%) also agree it is important for teens to be given a strong message that they should not have sex until they are at least out of high school.

Teen Pregnancy, Education, and Religion

• About nine in ten teens (91% of girls and 87% of boys) and two-thirds of adults (66%) say that teen pregnancy is a “very important” problem in the United States and nearly all adults (89%) believe there should be a direct effort in their community to prevent teen pregnancy.
• About nine in ten teens (87%) and adults (90%) believe reducing teen pregnancy is a very effective way to reduce the high school dropout rate and improve academic achievement.
• Most teens (73%) and adults (70%) believe religious leaders and faith groups should be doing more to help prevent teen pregnancy.

Media

• Among those teens who have watched MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, 82% think the show helps teens better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy and parenthood and how to avoid it.
• More broadly, most teens (79% of girls and 67% of boys) agree with the statement: “When a TV show or character I like deals with teen pregnancy, it makes me think more about my own risk of becoming pregnant/causing a pregnancy and how to avoid it.”

Sex, Regret, Relationships, and Sexting

• Among those teens who have had sex, most (65% of girls and 57% of boys) say they wish they had waited longer.
• Most teens (93% of girls and 88% of boys) say they would rather have a boyfriend/girlfriend and not have sex than have sex but not have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
• Most teens (71%) agree that sharing nude or semi-nude images of themselves or other teens electronically through cell phones, websites, and/or social media networks leads to more sex in real life.

About the survey and The National Campaign. Click here to read the survey in its entirety, including the wording of the polling questions and the exact methodology; click here for a fact sheet on the new teen birth rate data. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults. We support a combination of responsible values and behavior by both men and women and responsible policies in both the public and private sectors.

North Carolina Choose Life License Plates

Dear North Carolina Choose Life supporters,

The efforts are still underway. Please keep praying and take the action suggested at the end of the article.

http://www.lifenews.com/2011/05/10/north-carolina-panel-holds-hearing-on-choose-life-plates/

North Carolina Panel Holds Hearing on Choose Life Plates

by Steven Ertelt | Charlotte, NC | LifeNews.com | 5/10/11 4:04 PM

North Carolina would join more than two dozen states that currently have Choose Life license plates if the state legislature approves a bill the House Transportation Committee held a hearing on today.

The plates are designed to allow state residents to support adoption and crisis pregnancy programs to help women find better solutions than abortion. The Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, a collection of pro-life groups, is behind the plate.

Rep. Mitch Gillespie, a Marion Republican, has been trying to get the plate through the legislature for years and he hopes newly-elected Republicans will help him make this go-round successful. H 289 would add more than 50 specialty plates to the list in North Carolina, according to the News-Record, and put a standard design in place to help state troopers identify vehicles.

During the debate, Rep. Diane Parfitt, a Fayetteville Democrat, attempted to get a “Trust Women, Respect Choice” plate added to the list that would send money to the Planned Parenthood abortion business, but that was voted down.

“This is, I think, an appropriate counter-balance to the ‘Choose Life’ plate,’” Parfitt said, according to the newspaper. But Gillespie and other legislators voted that down on a 14-11 vote.

The committee ultimately did not cast a final vote on the bill, which also has to clear the Finance Committee before it can receive a vote on the House floor.

Last year, Bobbie Meyer, the state director of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, told LifeNews: “North Carolina is the only state in the southeast that refuses to let its citizens purchase the choose life license plate. For eight years the legislation for the choose life plate has been denied a vote even though more than 130 other plates have been approved.”

“The choose life license plate has already raised over 12 million dollars in the states that allow them thereby helping mothers and their families,” she added. “Here in NC there are 85 pregnancy care centers who last year saw over 46,000 women and children.”

NC Right to Life, the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh, NC Baptist Association, Russ Amerling, National Director of Choose Life license plates, The Family Policy Council of NC, Civitas NC, The Christian Action League, and NC Pro-Life Democrats all support the plates. There are currently 80 pregnancy centers across the Tar Heel State that served more than 46,000 women, men and families last year.

Brevard graphic artist Deborah Vernon Scott designed the proposed North Carolina plate, which depicts mountains and waves separated by two children’s faces on a yellow background. The phrase “Choose Life” is emblazoned in red at top.

ACTION: Tell your legislators to support the plate by going to http://www.ncga.state.nc.us

You can help support Choose Life by purchasing some of the products in our Product Store.

Respectfully,

Russ & Jill Amerling

National Publicity Coordinators

Choose Life, Inc

PO Box 830152

Ocala, FL 34483-0152

Phone: 352 624-2854

Email: russ@choose-life.org

Toll Free Fax: 866 850-8572

Web: http://www.choose-life.org

Toll Free Phone: 877 454-1203

North Carolina Panel Passes Women's Right to Know Bill | LifeNews.com

North Carolina Panel Passes Women's Right to Know Bill | LifeNews.com

Abortions Down In NC, Steady Nationwide

Abortions Down In NC, Steady Nationwide

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Youth Leadership Team

NOMINATE A TEEN TO THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN'S
YOUTH LEADERSHIP TEAM

The National Campaign is looking for exceptional teenagers with a genuine commitment to preventing teen pregnancy to join our Youth Leadership Team (YLT). The YLT works to reflect teens’ views and to give voice to their unique perspectives by getting them actively involved—both nationally and locally—in teen pregnancy prevention efforts. During their 18-month term, YLT members participate in a variety of activities that both promote teen pregnancy prevention and expand their own abilities. The deadline for Youth Leadership Team applications is June 1, 2011 (5pm EST).

• Get more information and download an application form here.
• Curious about what being a YLT member is like? Read a firsthand account from one of our favorite YLT alums here.

New Planned Parenthood Report: Record Abortions Done in 2009

LifeNews.com | 2/23/11

A new report the Planned Parenthood national abortion business recently released shows the embattled agency did more abortions in 2009 than it has done in any prior year. The report also shows it providing fewer pregnant women with non-abortion services. Planned Parenthood Federation of America recently posted on its website what it calls its service numbers for 2009. This document, dated February 2011, shows Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide did 332,278 surgical abortions or abortions using the dangerous RU 486 abortion during in 2009.

That’s 2.5 percent more abortions than the September 2010 report the abortion business released covering 2008 and showing it doing 324,008 abortions, which was a 6.1 percent increase over the 305,310 abortions it did in 2007. The 2007 figure was itself a 5.3 percent increase over the 289,750 abortions Planned Parenthood did in 2006.

With approximately 1.2 million abortions done annually in the United States via surgical abortions or the milepristone abortion drug, Planned Parenthood has increased its share of the abortion industry to 27.6 percent of all abortions done annually.

Planned Parenthood has been on the receiving end of significant negative publicity related to undercover videos showing its officials helping investigators posing as sex traffickers obtain abortions and STD testing for underage girls who are victims of the sex trade. The abortion business has defended itself in part by attempting to show that abortions constitute a small percentage of its overall services.

However, the new numbers make it more clear that women who are pregnant who come to Planned Parenthood receive only abortion services rather than help and support.

Obama Distances Himself From Planned Parenthood Sex Trafficking Scandal

LifeNews.com 2/26

In a weekend interview with a local television station in Virginia, President Barack Obama was forced to answer a question concerning the national scandal surrounding Planned Parenthood.

The scandal has Planned Parenthood centers in Virginia and three other places — New Jersey, New York, and the District of Columbia — actively helping to arrange for abortions and STD testing for undercover investigators who pose as operators of a sex trafficking ring. The Planned Parenthood staff not only show no concern about he illegal and anti-woman activities, they help the sex trafficking operators avoid further scrutiny and give them advice for how to get the girls back out on the street.

“There’s a conservative group that went into Planned Parenthood with video cameras and taped what appeared to be Planned Parenthood workers turning a blind eye to sex trafficking,” the NBC 12 interviewer began in the late Friday interview. “Republicans here in Washington have turned this into a call for you and for other leaders in Washington to strip Planned Parenthood’s funding from the federal government. Do you think this video should be a reason to look at Planned Parenthood funding? Do you think it’s a setup? How would you react to that?”

Obama responded initially trying to deflect the issue from Planned Parenthood to the economy:

“Well, you know, I will tell you, um, the vast majority of people right now, uh, what they’re thinking about are jobs, the economy, um, and I think that sometimes these issues get manufactured and they a lot of attention on the blogosphere. But what folks that I talk to have been asking is: How is the economy going to be doing? Are jobs going to be created? Are businesses going to be located here in the United States?”

Eventually, Obama got around to responding directly to the question:

“So, you know, my bottom line is, that uh, I think that Planned Parenthood in the past has done good work. If there was a specific problem at this center, it should be addressed,” Obama continued.

Then the president retreated back to other issues to close his answer: “But we shouldn’t get so distracted with some of these issues that we ignore what really determines how well our kids do in the future. Are we educating them properly? Are we investing in research and development and science and technology to keep our cutting edge? Are we dealing with our budget in a serious way and reducing spending? If we do those things, then some of these other issues are going to be addressed at the local level, but I’m pretty confident that we can address them.”

Congress Defending Life

Congress Defending Life

"Choose Life" Bill Introduced

"Choose Life" Bill Introduced

Update on HB 1366

Friday, 11 February 2011, Action Alert

Action Alert from Heartbeat International

Surprised and disappointed!

The Pregnancy Help Centers in Washington State are in a fight for their lives. Yesterday, they lost a round. We are discouraged but not despairing. We are disappointed, but ready to fight on for our right to provide free services to women, freely, as we deem best, as neighbors helping neighbors.

The Washington State House Health & Wellness Committee passed HB 1366, in a straight party-line vote. HB 1366 slanders pregnancy help workers as not being truthful and forces them to advertise services they do not provide. It demands centers post signs saying, among other things, that they do not provide or refer for abortion. We know of no other business, profit or non-profit, required to advertise what they do not provide.

The bill is most likely headed to the House floor for final vote. It still could be derailed by the Rules Committee. More detailed information and reaction is available. But in summary, "The committee made no effort to respond to serious concerns regarding the unconstitutional 'forced speech' and 'viewpoint discrimination' provisions. They are fully aware that a similar bill in Baltimore was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in Maryland, and that Rob McKenna, our Attorney General, indicated that he thought this bill was even more clearly in violation of the First Amendment than the Baltimore ordinance."

Thank you for praying. God did not bring us the victory we hoped for yesterday. But let us fight on though prayer and help in every way we can. This battle is part of a nationwide strategy that is coming to your neighborhood soon, if it is allowed to succeed in places like Washington State.

Your co-laborer in the Great Work,

Rev. John Ensor, VP for Mission Advancement

P.S. Stay updated with all of the latest news out of Washington State by signing up to receive Heartbeat's Action Alerts and Stay Updated emails.

Washington Votes Thursday on Bill Attacking Pregnancy Centers | LifeNews.com

Washington Votes Thursday on Bill Attacking Pregnancy Centers | LifeNews.com

Mom: Woman who left baby in toilet can't remember

It's hard to imagine a woman who has already had one child giving birth to a second one without even knowing that she was pregnant. So, assuming this mom did have an inkling but for some reason was not able to deal with the fact that she was expecting, Lois' Lodge could have presented a wonderful opportunity for both mom and baby. And that support would have continued to be available after the child was brought into this world safely and securely. Lois' Lodge is an organization which offers practical support to families experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Our services include a residential setting which is available when housing is required and non-residential services through our Mom Shoppe. If you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy or know of someone else that is, please check out Lois' Lodge. www.loislodge.org. It could mean the difference between a baby that is born in a toilet and one that has received tender loving care prenatally and beyond. Debbie

GREENVILLE, S.C. – A South Carolina woman accused of giving birth in an arena toilet and leaving her baby to die didn't know she was pregnant and can't remember the birth, her mother told a judge Wednesday.

"She has not shown any signs of being pregnant whatsoever," Anita McAuliffe said during a bond hearing for her daughter, Jessica Blackham.

Blackham, 24, felt ill during a circus performance and went to the arena's bathroom, McAuliffe said. She told the judge that her daughter can't remember what happened next and later went to a hospital, where she was treated for bleeding.

Blackham, who is also mother to a 4-year-old child, gave birth to the 6-pound boy and left him in the toilet's cold water Friday night, police said.

Blackham was charged Tuesday with one count of felony child abuse and one count of unlawful neglect toward a child. Her bond was set at $30,000. If convicted of both charges, she could face up to 30 years in prison.

Arena workers found the asphyxiating child and called authorities. The infant, now in the care of the state Department of Social Services, was in good condition at a hospital.

Prosecutor Walt Wilkins said the charges are serious because the infant was abandoned for at least 90 minutes.

"During that time a newborn needs to be in a warm atmosphere," said Wilkins, who Blackham has no criminal record.

Authorities would not discuss the identity of the infant's father. Blackham is married but is estranged from her husband, McAuliffe said.

The baby was found suffering from hypothermia, which an expert said is one of the biggest risks for babies born away from medical care. The condition could lead to infection or breathing problems if not treated quickly.

"When a baby is moist and has exposure of its skin to the air, it will lose heat very rapidly," said Dr. Christopher Robinson, a fetal and maternal medicine professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Roger Newton, president and general manager of the 13-year-old Bi-Lo Center, said he'd never encountered anything like this in his 33 years of managing arenas from Ottawa, Canada, to Miami. He said the cleaning crew members deserved high praise.

"They did everything they should have, and we're very proud of them," he said.

The custodians said they found the infant with his feet in the water and head resting on the toilet rim.

"I never expected something like that to happen in my life — a baby in the toilet," Eder Serrano, 32, said during a news conference Wednesday. "But God gave me the strength to handle that."

Serrano called 911 while a co-worker, Marco Calle, pulled the baby from the toilet and used a finger to pull mucus from the boy's mouth.

Following instructions from operators, Calle, 41, wrapped the baby in a towel and used a piece of string to cut the boy's umbilical cord.

Both men have children. Calle said he felt relieved when he heard Tuesday it appeared the boy would survive.

"I'm happy because he is alive," Calle said, with a big smile.

Current Needs at Lois' Lodge

Current needs for Lois' Lodge. Let us know if you can help!

Laundry Detergent, Bleach, Furniture Polish, Bathroom Cleaners, Trash Bags, House Filters-14"x20", 40 or 60 watt bulbs, toilet bowl cleaner and brushes, copy paper, stamps, paper towels, toilet paper, coffee, and diapers.

Lois' Lodge Mom Shoppe

Great planning meeting for the Mom Shoppe yesterday. We will be meeting every Thursday at 10:30 AM for awhile. Come and join us and watch God at work. Amazing stuff happening there.

The Lois' Lodge Mom Shoppe is Relaunching!!!!!

Using the nationally known “Earn as You Learn” program we are able to enhance the learning process for families experiencing an unplanned pregnancy by giving them a chance to earn Shoppe Cash for doing things that will positively influence their future and the future of their baby. The Shoppe Cash can then be used to purchase items for the baby such as diapers, formula, cribs, car seats, etc.

“Shoppe Cash” is earned by going to classes to learn about subjects such as parenting, cooking, adoption, health care, or career skills. These learning opportunities are available for the clients of our residential maternity home program and for those living in the community. Homework will be given which, upon completion will earn rewards of Mom Shoppe currency. The goal of this program is to provide our clients with an opportunity to earn items for themselves or their babies while teaching them to be responsible and to work toward their goals.

For more information click here: http://www.blodge.atomicshops.com/momshoppe.html

Planned Parenthood Scandal

February 4, 2011

Amy Woodruff had a lot to say. Amy was the manager on duty when a man and woman entered her Planned Parenthood office looking for help with their child prostitution ring. Some underage girls trafficked into the country illegally – sex slaves – needed STD testing and abortions.

That’s when Amy started talking. She was “cool,” she said, coaching the pair on how to avoid getting caught. “So as long as they just lie…then we just kind of play it stup[id],” she said. “Just kind of play along that they’re students. We want to make it look as legit as possible.”

The exchange took place on camera, documented as part of an undercover investigation led by Live Action. The group’s founder, Lila Rose, said the actors tried to make it easy for Planned Parenthood to do the right thing. But not once did Amy Woodruff express outrage. Not once did she indicate the sexual abuse of minors needed to stop. Not once did she indicate that Planned Parenthood would be anything less than accommodating.

In an attempt to salvage the mess, Planned Parenthood claimed staffers alerted the FBI, but only after becoming suspicious that the visit was part of an investigation. They called the video a hoax, a result of manipulative editing. But if Planned Parenthood acted responsibly, why fire Amy Woodruff as they did on Tuesday? Why admit she behaved in a repugnant and unacceptable manner if, as they claim, she went straight to the authorities? Why respond at all if the video was nothing but a hoax?

In an attempt to run for cover, Planned Parenthood can’t keep their story straight. And with the release of the complete, unedited video, there’s nothing left to argue. The evidence speaks for itself. Planned Parenthood not only ignored, but embraced criminal offenses. “We already know we’re gonna kind of alter the story and see what we can do and kind of tweak information,” the counselor had boldly offered. Yet again, the Planned Parenthood turned a blind eye to their legal, moral and ethical obligations.

Now that the story is gaining media attention, the abortion industry is stumbling for a response. But no amount of spin or deflection can hide the facts: Planned Parenthood is not in the business of protecting women’s rights and they are not right for women. Rather, Planned Parenthood is in the business of making money. If that means abandoning little girls who need help the most, they will do it, again and again, until America puts a stop to it. We must defund Planned Parenthood.

Sincerely,

Bradley Mattes

news@lifeissues.org