NOTE TO EDITORS/REPORTERS/PRODUCERS
The June 2001 issue of The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy features the following special analyses:
President Bush's newly reinstated "global gag rule" imposes a U.S. position on other countries' abortion practices that reflects neither U.S. law nor U.S. public opinion. In doing so, the policy places women in need of international family planning services at risk, according to "Global Gag Rule: Exporting Antiabortion Ideology at the Expense of American Values" by Susan Cohen, deputy director for government affairs with The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Cohen cites new evidence that the most effective way to reduce the incidence of abortion is to facilitate access to high-quality contraceptive services. The "global gag rule" significantly impedes women's access to family planning and contraceptive services by prohibiting U.S. family planning assistance to hospitals and health clinics in developing countries that also provide abortions or abortion-related information.
A study conducted in Turkey and published in the June, 2001 issue of International Family Planning Perspectives documents that abortion rates can be reduced dramatically when women have access to postabortion family planning counseling and contraceptive services immediately and at the same sites where they are having abortions. However, under the "global gag rule," the U.S. government is making it more difficult for women overseas to access contraceptive services that will help them prevent unintended pregnancies and abortion.
IMPROVED OUTREACH COULD INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP)
Through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), states have the opportunity to provide reproductive health services to many of the nation's uninsured teens. New proposals in Congress seek to expand eligibility to 19- and 20-year olds, pregnant women, and parents of eligible children, according to "Expanding Eligibility and Improving Outreach Under CHIP," by Rachel Benson Gold, deputy director for policy analysis, and Adam Sonfield, a public policy associate, both with The Alan Guttmacher Institute. However, while policymakers work to extend CHIP eligibility, they also should be mindful of the need to address one of the most persistent challenges currently facing CHIP programs-low enrollment among eligible individuals.
Despite the progress CHIP has made in enrolling children, large numbers of teenage girls remain uninsured. In 1999, 1.85 million, or 16% of all 13-18-year-old girls in the United States were not insured. The analysis suggests that, as policymakers consider expansion proposals, it is important that they keep in mind that declaring people eligible for coverage is not sufficient-programs must also reach out to and enroll these individuals.
ANALYSIS EXAMINES POLITICAL HISTORY, PURPOSE AND DESIGN OF FEDERAL SURVEY OF YOUTH RISK
The $25 million federally funded National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health survey), conducted in the mid-to-late 1990s, is the first in-depth investigation of why young people engage in risky behaviors. In "The 'Add Health' Survey: Origins, Purposes and Design," Heather Boonstra, senior public policy associate with The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), reviews the history and politics behind the survey, what it was designed to do and how the data were collected.
The Add Health survey looks at a wide range of health-related youth behaviors, including cigarette use, alcohol use, illicit drug use, self-directed and interpersonal violence and sexual intercourse. Boonstra's article lays a foundation to understanding the Add Health Survey in preparation for a second article to be published in August, which will examine the major risk and protective factors that appear to be linked with sexual intercourse.
AWARENESS AND USE OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES LOW DESPITE WIDESPREAD AVAILABILITY AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS
Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) have the potential to cut the number of unwanted pregnancies in the United States by as much as one-half, thereby drastically reducing the number of unwanted births and abortions. However, awareness of ECPs in this country remains low among both patients and health care professionals. As a result, at least one member of Congress has taken the initial steps toward launching a federally funded public education campaign designed to promote awareness of emergency contraception, according to "Increased Awareness Needed to Reach Full Potential of Emergency Contraception," by Cynthia Dailard, senior public policy associate with The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Dailard reviews the history of the Food and Drug Administration's approval of ECPs, what they are and why they are effective. She also examines reasons for the public's limited awareness of ECPs, and what is being done to raise awareness and counter misconceptions.