The rate of Texas women who died from complications related to pregnancy doubled from 2010 to 2014, a new study has found, for an estimated maternal mortality rate that is unmatched in any other state and the rest of the developed world.
The finding comes from a report, appearing in the September issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, that the maternal mortality rate in the United States increased between 2000 and 2014, even while the rest of the world succeeded in reducing its rate. Excluding California, where maternal mortality declined, and Texas, where it surged, the estimated number of maternal deaths per 100,000 births rose to 23.8 in 2014 from 18.8 in 2000 – or about 27%.
But the report singled out Texas for special concern, saying the doubling of mortality rates in a two-year period was hard to explain “in the absence of war, natural disaster, or severe economic upheaval”.
Boy that is puzzling.
After all without war or natural disaster what could possibly account for so many women dying?
In the wake of the report, reproductive health advocates are blaming the increase on Republican-led budget cuts that decimated the ranks of Texas’s reproductive healthcare clinics. In 2011, just as the spike began, the Texas state legislature cut $73.6m from the state’s family planning budget of $111.5m. The two-thirds cut forced more than 80 family planning clinics to shut down across the state. The remaining clinics managed to provide services – such as low-cost or free birth control, cancer screenings and well-woman exams – to only half as many women as before.
At the same time, Texas eliminated all Planned Parenthood clinics – whether or not they provided abortion services – from the state program that provides poor women with preventive healthcare. Previously, Planned Parenthood clinics in Texas offered cancer screenings and contraception to more than 130,000 women.
Oh that's right, the Texas Republicans took away the health services that many women rely on.
How could I forget?
But hey ladies you just keep right on voting Republican.
After all it's not like it was a matter of life or death or anything. Right?
Sadly, many poor people don't vote. Those who made the bad laws are not the ones suffering.
ReplyDeleteVoters for the Repubs seem suicidal. Here is the link to a hopefully-not-prescient & thoughtful essay posted by Salon.com
ReplyDeleteIs Trump sabotaging himself? Wrong question — he's channeling a deep-seated American urge toward self-destruction -- ANDREW O'HEHIR
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/06/trumps-suicide-mission-he-is-not-trying-to-destroy-his-own-campaign-the-destructive-urge-he-represents-is-much-bigger-than-that/
I think this sentence says it all.
Delete"Donald Trump is behaving very much like a megalomaniacal billionaire with no qualifications who wants to be president, or at least wants to be elected president."
He doesn't want the work or the responsibility associated with the job, just the glory, attention and power.
OT an excellent NYT editorial. How Can America Recover From Trump. I wish I could paste paragraphs here.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/opinion/sunday/how-can-america-recover-from-donald-trump.html?ribbon-ad-idx=2&rref=opinion&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Opinion&pgtype=article
Is there a reason why you can not paste paragraphs here?
DeleteRed Hat or White Hat?
Deletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2016/08/21/trump-losing-broke-billionaire-spent-4-times-hats-staff.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+politicususa%2FfJAl+%28Politicus+USA+%29
Anonymous 7:10 AM wrote: I wish I could paste paragraphs here.
DeleteSorry to hear about your difficulty. Here are the first and last paragraphs from
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/opinion/sunday/how-can-america-recover-from-donald-trump.html
How Can America Recover From Donald Trump?
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD AUG. 20, 2016
Donald Trump is heading to November like a certain zeppelin heading to New Jersey, in a darkening sky that crackles with electricity. He is fighting crosswinds and trying new tacks — hiring the head of Breitbart News to run his campaign, trying on a new emotion (regret) in a speech on Thursday night, promising to talk more this week about immigration, his prime subject. There’s still no telling what will happen when the gasbag reaches the mooring.
[…]
The challenge to responsible leaders of any political party will be to separate the economic discontent from the bigotry and paranoia that are the key to the Trump phenomenon. The question to future Republican leaders is whether they will even try to do so.
So I presume you are out helping to register and get those folks to the polls, while reminding us of these realities. I am!
ReplyDeleteLate-term abortions (induced labor) are pretty much exclusively performed in order to save the life of the mother. Karen Santorum (wife of Rick) had a late-term abortion performed in order to save her life.
ReplyDeleteWomen need to control their own reproductive health. Republican politicians seem to think they need to be in control. Government over-reach at it's worst.
Pass a law that makes everyone who has signed an "anti-abortion" petition responsible for caring for every unwanted baby born with disabilities.
ReplyDeleteA severely retarded, physically disabled baby is born to a mother who wanted an abortion?
By law, that baby will be raised and cared for by whomever put their name on the anti-abortion petition: first name, first baby. Second, second, etc.
BY LAW: a name on an anti-abortion petition automatically puts that same name on the list to adopt. No choice in babies: first name, first baby. etc.
No exceptions.
Really? Sounds dumb to me. Why should an innocent child be saddled with insane parents through no fault of their own?
DeleteAnd make them PAY for it. No government subsidies or any kind. It's their kid and their responsibility. Let the anti-abortion fundies put their money where their mouths are. If they can tell the difference between that and their ass hole.
DeleteWhat can one expect from people whose attitude is "Well, if your wife dies, just get another one". Women MUST take charge and vote those ignorant bible toting misogonysts out.
ReplyDeleteApparently every fertilized egg is unique and precious but full grown adult women are interchangeable and expendable. Eggs have rights but women don't.
DeleteYall are acting like their's something wrong with Texas. Their's always good with the bad.
ReplyDeleteOne thing for sure is everything's bigger in Texas! Even high school football stadiums.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20160819-mckinney-isd-s-69.9-million-high-school-stadium-nation-s-most-expensive.ece
When "Right to Life" equals "My right to destroy your life".
ReplyDeleteOnly #1 in the developed world? Texas won't stop until they also have the highest rate in the undeveloped world. They're not quitters. Then embrace "We're Number One!"
ReplyDeleteAt least there is no need to make Texas stupid again. They're there.
Someone's gotta be first, and Texas is just fine with it. Your wife dies from complications? No problem, just marry her sister.In all fairness, not all of Texas is crazy, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find them.
ReplyDelete