Her entire life, Christina Mitchell has lived with Roe as the law of the land. On Friday morning, the 23-year-old was on her way out for a run in Houston. As she was about to walk out the door, her mother delivered the news: The Supreme Court had just overturned the fundamental right to an abortion . "My initial reaction was shock," said Mitchell, a law student at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. This year, Mitchell, who is black, had travelled to DC to celebrate Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court. Among a throng of supporters, she cheered and chanted and held up signs supporting the court's first Black female justice. Now, what Mitchell feels the most is uncertainty in the wake of the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation decision . She viewed abortion as the Supreme Court had laid it out in its 1973 Roe v Wade ruling: a fundamental right giving women the power to exercise control over their bodies. While Mitchell lives in … [Read more...] about US women of colour will be most impacted by the end of Roe v Wade, experts say
Women infant and children
Infertility: Nine diseases that can stop you having children – see the symptoms
Pregnancy and carrying a baby to term are incredibly complex biological processes and it doesn't come easy to everyone. Infertility affects at least one in seven young couples and can be caused by anything from genetics to lifestyle choices, or as a side effect of common illnesses and diseases. Despite a historic misconception, infertility in couples is evenly split between men and women. In men, issues with the production of healthy sperm are the main cause and, in women, 40 per cent of infertility is caused by problems ovulating. We have previously debunked some of the other myths around infertility. Couples are considered to have fertility problems if they have struggled to conceive after spending a year trying for a baby, but there are plenty of genetic illnesses or possible infections that could hinder your chances of conceiving that are important to consider on the journey to conception. Want to get the latest health news direct to your inbox? Sign up for our daily … [Read more...] about Infertility: Nine diseases that can stop you having children – see the symptoms
Sea, land tragedies claim lives of 50 migrants in Libya
A flimsy rubber boat collapsed and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s coast, leaving at least 30 people including women and children missing and feared dead, an international charity said on Wednesday (local time). Officials said meanwhile they found the bodies of 20 migrants who they said died of thirst in the desert close to the border with Chad. The deaths marked the latest tragedies involving migrants who use Libya as a transit point on a perilous journey to Europe. The vessel sank in the deadly central Mediterranean Sea route, said Doctors Without Borders, also known by its abbreviation MSF for the French name of the group. READ MORE: Europe is bankrolling a force that routinely abuses African migrants Around 1600 migrants lost at sea in the Mediterranean this year 26 teenage girls found dead in the Mediterranean Sea Kiwi shares his story from the front line of migrant rescue missions A rescue ship operated by MSF reached the boat, and managed to … [Read more...] about Sea, land tragedies claim lives of 50 migrants in Libya
Woman who stole diapers after hourly raise sparks outcry of support
A woman has ignited a wave of support after she stole diapers despite a pay increase that culminated in her benefits being cut. The viral Reddit post has garnered 7,100 upvotes and 900 comments, and it's titled, "I got a raise, and my government benefits were cut. I had to steal diapers for my child today." Redditor @NoOccasion2633 shared the post to the subreddit "Antiwork" on June 28, and it has been turning heads ever since. The original poster (OP) revealed she received a raise, going from making $9.50 to $15.25 an hour. The worker had to report the new income to her social worker, and according to social services in her state, she makes "too much to continue to receive the $362 a month we were getting in SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits." Not only that, but her daycare assistance was also "drastically cut," and her Medicaid was "cut" as well. However, the OP's daughter still has her Medicaid coverage, and she still gets WIC, or the Special … [Read more...] about Woman who stole diapers after hourly raise sparks outcry of support
Charity says 30 Europe-bound migrants feared dead off Libya
A flimsy rubber boat collapsed and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya's coast, leaving at least 30 people including women and children missing and feared dead, an international charity said Wednesday. It marked the latest tragedy at sea involving migrants seeking a better life in Europe . The vessel sank in the deadly central Mediterranean Sea route, said Doctors Without Borders , also known by its abbreviation MSF for the French name of the group. A rescue ship operated by MSF reached the boat, and managed to rescue dozens of other migrants including some women, the charity said. A pregnant woman died on board the rescue ship, Geo Barents. The missing migrants include five women and eight children, MSF said. “We have seen so many people drowning — men, women and children — and we will never forget the day we had yesterday. We tried to save them but we couldn’t save them all," a 17-year-old boy from Cameroon said in a testimony posted by MSF on Twitter . … [Read more...] about Charity says 30 Europe-bound migrants feared dead off Libya
Mum ‘humiliated’ after lifeguard ordered her to leave swimming pool for breastfeeding
A mum was wrongly ordered to leave a swimming pool by a lifeguard for breastfeeding her baby. Sarah Lappin, 31, started breastfeeding her son Kalel at the side of the pool following a baby and toddler session. But she was left feeling ‘humiliated’ after the lifeguard told her to feed her child somewhere else – despite it being legal to breastfeed in public places. Bosses at Rhyl Leisure Centre in Rhyl, North Wales, have now issued an apology to the mum, saying they will review their training. Making a stand for breastfeeding mums everywhere, Sarah said: ‘I know there’s no such rule. I felt so humiliated. I am a very proud breastfeeding mother and have been feeding for almost a decade now with five children. ‘I have never come across such negative behaviour towards a mother breastfeeding her infant; I’m a very confident breastfeeding mum and I take great pride in doing so. ‘I won’t be so easily affected by this incident and was very calm, but if this had been a new … [Read more...] about Mum ‘humiliated’ after lifeguard ordered her to leave swimming pool for breastfeeding
Coroner calls for compulsory abuse reporting
The coroner whose findings have implicated Chris Kahui in his sons' deaths is calling for mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse to prevent further tragedies. The move would help overcome "ethical and legal dilemmas" faced by frontline staff by replacing health professionals' "discretionary power" with a statutory duty to speak up, Garry Evans says. Making public his 77-page findings today into the twins' deaths in 2006, he says additional law changes should be considered to make health and education authorities legally responsible for child protection, as they are overseas. He also recommends that child protection teams be introduced at all district health boards to identify at-risk children and intervene. "The populist thought that health professionals should be required to prevent risks posed by patients or report crimes is fraught with risk," his decision says. "It is little wonder that providers err on the side of caution unless required to disclose by … [Read more...] about Coroner calls for compulsory abuse reporting
US Supreme Court: The woman who could end Roe v Wade
By Holly Honderich Published 1 day ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics US abortion debate In September 2021, Mississippi's chief legal officer sat down for an interview with Pro-Life Weekly, a Catholic television programme featuring anti-abortion activists. Lynn Fitch looked how she almost always does during public appearances: dyed-blonde hair blow-dried straight and neat, tasteful jewellery and a monochrome suit, this time in powder blue. The attorney general was there to celebrate. The United States Supreme Court had just announced the date it would hear her state's challenge to Roe v Wade, the 1973 ruling that has, for the nearly 50 years since, served as a nationwide guarantee to abortion access. The case, Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization, centres on a Mississippi law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, even in … [Read more...] about US Supreme Court: The woman who could end Roe v Wade
The Abortion Policy Most Americans Want
The relationship between public opinion and the codification of rights is not linear. Public opinion lagged decades behind the courts on the question of interracial marriage, but led the way on same-sex marriage. In theory, rights supersede public opinion—you should have the right to free speech even if what you’re saying is very unpopular. In practice, rights are safer when they are popular. Now that the Supreme Court seems poised to reverse itself on Roe v. Wade , abortion-rights advocates and anti-abortion advocates are both claiming the mantle of popularity. Who’s right? I dug into the numbers, and found that views were more straightforward than I’d thought—and the exercise was more disquieting than I’d anticipated. Most people want abortion to be legal, and they want restrictions on its availability. Beyond that basic position, however, voters’ views can appear contradictory. That’s in part because, although Americans tell pollsters that the details of an abortion policy … [Read more...] about The Abortion Policy Most Americans Want
Couple sues Boston hospital over loss of baby’s body
A Massachusetts couple whose prematurely born baby girl died less than two weeks after she was delivered has sued one of Boston 's most prestigious hospitals for losing the infant's body, denying the parents the opportunity to hold a proper funeral and burial. The lawsuit filed Thursday says that baby Everleigh's body was inadvertently thrown away by a Brigham and Women's Hospital employee along with soiled linens from the hospital's morgue. Everleigh's parents, Alana Ross and Daniel McCarthy, “suffered severe emotional distress and anguish, and have suffered physical manifestations and harms as a result of the severe and profound emotional distress inflicted” upon them, according to the suit filed in Suffolk Superior Court. “It was traumatic enough to lose their daughter, but it was like losing her all over again when she was literally thrown away," the couple's attorney, Greg Henning, said Friday. "They lost her twice.” The hospital, parent company Mass General … [Read more...] about Couple sues Boston hospital over loss of baby’s body