96,000 Women Needlessly Abort Over Medication Fears

Many Korean pregnant women make the hasty decision to have an abortion because of medication they were taking when they became pregnant. The practice is often based on unfounded fears that the medicine could lead to fetal deformities, says Dr. Kim Tae-yoon, head of the gynecological department of Miz Medi Hospital. "Though doctors assure them that most of the drugs are okay and recommend them to keep the baby, they just ask for the procedure," he said. Korea Times

14 Year Old British Girl Dies after HPV Vaccination

Natalie Morton died hours after being given Cervarix - the controversial cervical cancer vaccine manufactured for the UK market by Glaxo SmithKline. Natalie was injected with the vaccine as part of the UK National Health Service's immunization program directed at teenage girls with the purpose of protecting them against strains of the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease. The NHS started the HPV vaccination program in April last year and has recorded 2,137 reports of adverse effects. Health officials said today they are not sure whether Natalie had an extreme reaction to a standard vaccine, or whether the particular dose she was given was from a "rogue contaminated batch." Either situation raises serious questions about the safety of the vaccine. LifeSiteNews

Report details PCC impact over 40 years

Wednesday, September 30th, at 1:00 pm, at a National Press Club luncheon, Family Research Council, will release a groundbreaking report, A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life, which shares the tremendous contributions of pregnancy resource centers since the inception of the movement over forty years ago. Access the live webcast of the event.

PCC on Good Morning America this Wednesday!

Jill Nelson, of Alpha Family Center in Newaygo, MI, wrote to say, "We were filmed by Good Morning America last week for a story they're doing about a huge donation that Gerber Products made to Feeding America (formerly 2nd Harvest Gleaners). Feeding America could choose one agency that receives food from them and they chose our Alpha Center. The crew came up and filmed for 3 1/2 hours for a spot that might last 45 seconds, if we're shown at all in the finished product. The story is to air next Wednesday, September 30 during the 8:00 a.m. hour." Tune in to GMA this Wednesday!

PCCs and consumer product safety

According to NIFLA, "[w]hile PCCs are not required to test products for safety, they cannot knowingly distribute products that do not meet the requirements of the law." This applies to centers with Earn While You Learn and similar programs. Download the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers. To keep abreast of recalled items, a staff person should regularly check the recall list on the CPSC web site.

Webinar on Board Development

The Center for Nonprofit Success has just released its first webinar on how to build a successful and effective board. The webinar consists of two components: 1. An online video that you can download at any time 2. A teleconference with the speakers on 9/29 for registered webinar viewers in which questions emerging from the video will be answered by the speakers.

HIV: The Biggest Threat to Pregnant Women

HIV is the leading cause of maternal mortality in South Africa, according to a five year study of maternal mortality at one of the country’s largest hospitals. Published in the August 2009 issue of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the study found that the maternal mortality ratio was more than six times higher in HIV-positive women than in HIV-negative women, and nearly half of the overall deaths were from HIV related causes, such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. Women Deliver

Opposition to Health Care Plans Not Racist

A top black pro-life advocate says there is nothing racist about opposing the health care plans pending in Congress because they force taxpayers to finance abortions. Dr. Alveda King is responding to critics who say such opposition is racist and point to the outburst from Rep. Joe Wilson. King says abortion itself is racist because it targets the African-American community as abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood place centers in minority neighborhoods. LifeNews

Abortions Could Increase By One-Third Under Health Care Bills

Speaking at the Values Voters Summit sponsored by the Family Research Council, pro-life Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey made it abundantly clear what would happen under the current legislation. Smith predicted that abortions could rise by as much as one-third because of the massive abortion subsidies and mandates found in HR 3200 and the Kennedy and Baucus bills.
Unfortunately, he said, President Barack Obama and White House personnel are hiding that fact. LifeNews

New H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccines Don't Rely on Aborted Fetal Cells

A pro-life group that monitors vaccinations is pleased to report that the new H1N1 swine flu vaccines the federal government will be distributing next month do not rely on cells from babies killed in abortions. Other vaccinations have been condemned for relying on such cells to formulate the vaccines. Children of God for Life says that four new H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines approved late last week by the FDA do not use aborted fetal cell lines. The four vaccines are made by Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis, CSL and Medimmune and all are using eggs from baby chickens instead of cells from humans. LifeNews

Carhart will Open Kansas Clinic, but Not for Late-Term Abortions

LeRoy Carhart changed his story over the weekend and said he plans to open a new abortion business near Wichita, Kansas. However, he now says he has no plans to replace George Tiller by becoming the next to do late-term abortions in the state. LifeNews

Sportsmanship wins

Matt is a special athlete who has Down Syndrome. He loves football. This year, he told his mother and father he wanted to play. He puts his pads and helmet on, stands next to Coach McCamy and waits for his turn. Over and over during the course of the game Matt will say, "Coach McCamy, I am ready! I am ready Coach!" On this Monday night coach gave him a chance. The Cardinals were down by a few touchdowns with 15 seconds left. Coach McCamy called a timeout and asked the coach of Maryville High School if they could run their "Matt Play." He agreed and this is where the video begins. YouTube, LifeSiteNews

Good News from AUL's 2009 State Legislative Sessions in Review

Despite Congress and the Obama Administration’s pursuit of an incremental strategy to implement a regime of unregulated and unrestricted abortion-on-demand, fund unethical and destructive biotechnologies, and coerce and undermine the consciences of health care providers, the majority of states continue their pursuit of life-affirming laws and policies. In 2009, approximately 60 pro-life measures were enacted in the states, a marked increase from 2008. This accomplishment is especially notable given that there was a nearly one-third decline in the number of pro-life measures introduced in the states in 2009 (as compared to 2008 activity levels). AUL

PolitiFact Half Wrong on Abortion Funding in Baucus Bill

PolitiFact, the web site fact-checks politicians and political issues, got it right when it validated a pro-life group's analysis that abortion funding is found in the Baucus health care bill. But it got wrong its assessment of National Right to Life's description of the kind of money involved. PolitiFact confirmed that NRLC is right on abortion funding. But PolitiFact declared wrong an NRLC statement saying, "Under the Baucus bill...federal funds would subsidize coverage of elective abortions." PolitiFact reached these seemingly contradictory conclusions by making the odd claim that the federal government can use federal funds to help purchase private health insurance plans that cover elective abortions, and yet not "subsidize coverage of elective abortions." LifeNews

Care Net conference wrap-up

Order CDs of the 2009 conference workshops and keynotes by using this link to Barker Productions. You may also contact them by phone at (205) 969-3227.

Outsmarting the Facebook Lobster Trap

Three Worries, One Guideline, Seven Principles from Non-Profit Online News

Director Query: Exit Surveys?

A director asked for a sample exit survey form. I had one on file that I could share with her, but I thought I'd activate my PCC List readership to see if you have one you'd like to share (in electronic format). Send it to my email and I'll forward it along.

Kenya decries high abortion rate

As the world marks the 3rd World Contraceptive Day on Saturday, inadequate use of contraceptives associated with high rates of abortions and birth rates remained a major concern among reproductive health experts in Kenya. Departmental Head of Family Health in the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation Dr. Josephine Kibaru said there were 300,000 abortions every year in public health centres alone. “Our study shows that the number of abortions in this country is so high, this was done only in public facilities which mean that this is just a tip of the iceberg." Capital News

Boy enters guilty plea to attempt to kill fetus

A Williamsburg-area teen who tried to abort his girlfriend's pregnancy last year by giving her a bottle of Gatorade laced with a drug meant for cows entered guilty pleas Tuesday in juvenile court to charges of attempted third-degree murder and aggravated assault. Altoona Mirror

Blackmun's daughter relates story about her unplanned pregnancy

Seven years before her father would author a landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, Sally Blackmun found herself grappling with an unexpected pregnancy in 1966. She ultimately decided against abortion. "The fact that my father was a sitting federal judge made (an abortion's) illicit nature not only a risk to my health but a potential embarrassment to my family and Dad's career." She ended up choosing marriage. Three weeks after the wedding, she miscarried. The marriage ended after six years. Blackmun told her story at a fundraising luncheon for a political action committee that funds women candidates in Minnesota who support abortion rights. Post Bulletin