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International Safe Abortion Day

Posted in Kids with tags , , , , , , , , , on September 30, 2026 by xi'an

“it is time to guarantee the sexual and reproductive health and rights of everyone, including the right to make decisions about their own bodies and lives and to ensure access to quality abortion care and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including access to modern contraception, information and education.”

While several EUropean governments (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) published a joint statement supporting the right to safe, timely and affordable abortion care on International Safe Abortion Day, the French Planned Parenthood (Planning Familial) is posting a concerning study on the increasingly difficult access to abortion in France, for structural reasons linked to the overall degradation of the medical infrastructure as well as ideological actions from healthcare professionals. The inclusion of the right to abortion in the French Constitution has thus had little impact on the respect and implementation of this right…

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under wraps, if not enough for Nature

Posted in Books, Mountains, pictures, Travel, University life with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2026 by xi'an

In its 01 January 2026 issue, Nature covers a current exhibit at the Musée de l’Homme, Paris, on mummies (or momies in French), incl. an Assassin’s Creed interactive device! With a complaint that the exhibit discloses too much about the individuals behind (or before?) the mummies, incl. age, cause of death and sometimes a scan… I find the complaint rather weird in that the individuals have been mummified for hundreds or thousands of years, mostly from cultures that have themselves vanished. (Note: As an atheist, I do not believe in an absolute “sanctity” of corpses and hope my dead body will be put to use for organ donations and medical student practice. The more so because people often have less concern for the living, just like anti-abortion activists rarely care about the children born from mothers denied a right to abortion.) Part of the article message is actually about de-colonising museums, even though transferring mummies back to where they were found does not include time travel to recreate the conditions the (hopefully) dead individuals were processed. (Note: As a universalist, I do not see much rationale in deeming multiple generation descendants (which ones?) or related ethnic groups having more say about handling these remains.) Which also bring to mind a puzzling, caricatural, “Perspective” Nature article in the 07 January 2026 issue arguing that conservation (towards protecting endangered species) is driven by “Western science”, colonialist, racist and marginalizing indigenous communities. Acknowledged as inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and submitted in 2021, I am surprised the article ever got accepted given its focus on ideology rather than (universal) science, e.g., when referring to Michel Foucault’s theories as essential to conservation theory and practice or in opposing trophy hunting bans as providing income for communities. The nadir being the play on RACE (for rights, agency, challenge, and education) as the acronym for the supported model for conservation. (Note: As a frequent traveller, I do realise the tension between conservation of endangered animal populations and the survival needs of local communities. During our last trip to India, we had a hugely educative conversation with a Kerala farmer family, where they complained about the damages from and the dangers of local elephants on crops, as well as monkeys on their cocoa plantation, to the point they were considering giving up that crop.)

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and it only gets worse & worse & …

Posted in Books, Kids, pictures, Travel with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2025 by xi'an

“

“We’re going to get some back. We’re going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both [Ukraine and Russia]. You’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died” – DT, 08 Aug

“I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements [by Dmitry Medvedev] are more than just that.  Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.” – DT, 01 Aug

“[The 23 July Energy Department report] critically assesses many areas of ongoing scientific inquiry that are frequently assigned high levels of confidence — not by the scientists themselves but by the political bodies involved, such as the United Nations or previous presidential administrations. Unlike previous administrations, the Trump administration is committed to engaging in a more thoughtful and science-based conversation about climate change and energy.” – Ben Dietderich, DoE, 31 July

“Climate change is real, and it deserves attention. But it is not the greatest threat facing humanity. As someone who values data, I know that improving the human condition depends on expanding access to reliable, affordable energy. If we empower innovation rather than restrain it, America can lead the world in providing more abundant energy” Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy, 29 July

“Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.” – DT, 31 July

“The Trump Administration dismantled American aid organisations in a politically-driven witch hunt for ‘waste, fraud, and abuse.’ Now, they are letting millions of dollars of lifesaving humanitarian aid go to waste. President Trump is preparing to let over $12 million worth of HIV-prevention supplies and contraceptives, which have already been purchased for use in developing countries, be destroyed, rather than let other countries or groups take control of and distribute the products. HIV is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. People will die because of this decision. Their lives are at risk because of President Trump.” – Senator Rosa DeLauro, 18 July

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cont[rump]inuing [mag]attacks on reproductive rights

Posted in Kids with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 26, 2025 by xi'an

[From the Center for Reproductive Rights:]

Cancelling the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which was requiring hospitals to provide life-saving abortion care

Blocking funding from Title X, a federal program dedicated to providing family planning and preventive reproductive health care services

Supporting the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 21)

Removing information on reproductive health and rights from government websites, like ReproductiveRights.gov

Abstaining from enforcing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, that protects reproductive health care patients and providers from violence and harassment, by ordering prosecutors to ignore violations, and pardoning individuals convicted of violating the Act

Joining a global anti-abortion pact, along with Uganda, Saudi Arabia and Belarus

Reinstating the global gag rule, denying aid to overseas health centres that provide or support abortion services and counselling

Joining a case against Planned Parenthood

Cutting funding to the United Nations Population Fund

Overturning the previous regulation that prohibited states from defunding abortion facilities as part of their family planning programs

Enforcing a separate payment requirement for abortion coverage in Obamacare

Stopping federal funding of fætal tissue research

Prioritising healthcare entities and individuals’ conscience rights

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abortion bans increased fertility rates and infant deaths (through a Bayesian analysis)

Posted in Books, Kids, Statistics with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 26, 2025 by xi'an

“fertility rates in states with abortion bans were higher than would have been expected in the absence of these policies, with the largest estimated differences among subpopulations experiencing the greatest structural disadvantages and in states with among the worst maternal and child health and well-being outcomes” Bell, Frank & al., JAMA, 13 Feb 2025

“The groups that are most likely to have children as a result of abortion bans are also individuals who are most likely, for a number of different reasons, to have higher rates of infant mortality,” THYT, 13 Feb 2025

“Infant mortality in Texas was 9.4 percent higher after abortion bans were implemented than would have been expected” THYT, 13 Feb 2025

“Evidence suggests that increases in the fertility rate due to abortion bans were especially large among people who experienced structural disadvantage, including racially minoritized individuals, those without a college degree, and individuals using public health insurance3—all groups with higher infant mortality rates.” Gemmil, Frank & al., JAMA, 13 Feb 2025

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