Author Archives: Religious Institute

Now that President Obama has signed the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" into law, RH Reality Check offers an assessment of the wins, losses and ongoing challenges that the bill represents for sexual and reproductive rights. In another assessment of the legislation, the Guttmacher Institute concludes, "The bill’s onerous abortion restrictions have been rightly denounced by reproductive rights supporters. New funding for evidence-based sex education was regrettably paired with the retention of a failed and discredited abstinence-only program.

In response to the recent decisions by Catholic Charities to stop providing spousal benefits to its employees and to abandon its adoption and foster care programs in Washington, D.C. — both in order to exclude same-sex couples — the Religious Institute issued the following statement from Rev. Debra W. Haffner:

A collection of religious and secular advocacy organizations has launched a collaborative program to accelerate the movement toward full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in communities of faith.

(Boston — February 9, 2010) — Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), announced today that candidates for the Unitarian Universalist ministry will be required to demonstrate competency in critical areas relating to human sexuality.

A groundbreaking new study published in the online journal Contraception sheds light on a little-recognized form of abuse in which men use coercion and birth control sabotage to cause their partners to become pregnant against their wills.

Eight faith-based, LGBT advocacy organizations are joining forces this week (Feb. 4) to launch The American Prayer Hour, with events scheduled in seven cities nationwide. The American Prayer Hour, created to celebrate diversity and inclusive values, also counters The National Prayer Breakfast, whose sponsors include organizations linked to the proposed anti-gay legislation under consideration in Uganda. 

Nearly all unmarried young adults believe in planning for pregnancy and say that it is important for them to avoid pregnancy right now. Yet only half of them use contraception regularly, including nearly one in five who are sexually active and have not used any contraceptive method for the past three months.

Listen to Secretary of State Clinton give her major address regarding international family planning this Friday at 2:30 pm EST.  To listen online, go here.

For more information, refer to the State Department’s press release here.

Maternal deaths in developing countries could be reduced by 70% and newborn deaths cut nearly in half if global investments in family planning and pregnancy-related care were doubled, according to a new report by the Guttmacher Institute and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.