Philadelphia NOW News 8-1

HHS GUIDELINES A VICTORY FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH

Great news!! HHS issued guidelines today to require new health insurance plans to cover women's preventive health services without co-pays or deductibles including: well-woman visits, breastfeeding support, contraception and family planning counseling, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, and domestic violence screening and counseling. Find out more at the Raising Women's Voices website.

TELL YOUR LEGISLATOR "WE'VE HAD ENOUGH"! RALLY 9-27

Despite today's good news, women in Pennsylvania should expect more attacks on women's health and particularly safe abortion access when Harrisburg re-convenes in September. Tell your legislator you've had enough!! Join Pennsylvania women in Harrisburg, Tues, 9-27, in the Capitol Rotunda, 11AM to 1PM. PA lawmakers have spent about a third of their days at the Capitol this year in relentless attack on women's rights, following the lead of rabidly anti-abortion Kansas. Expect these attacks to continue when the House takes up a bill aimed at closing down health centers. Learn more and take action to fight anti-choice legislation NOW!

TOMORROW- SAY NO TO VOUCHERS 8-2

Please attend the School Voucher Roundtable TOMORROW, Tues, 8-2, 10AM - noon, at Philadelphia Community College, NE Regional Center, in the Community Room, 12901 Townsend Rd, 19154 for a public discussion of vouchers. Key legislators will be there to listen to presenters opposed to and in favor of school vouchers. It's important that our legislators see that there is significant opposition in Philadelphia to SB1, so try to attend. Learn more about vouchers at the Education Voters PA site.

SUPPORT BREASTFEEDING FRIENDLY PHILADELPHIA WEDNESDAY 8-3

Maternity Care Coalition provides lactation support programs for working mothers and encourages hospitals to promote breastfeeding after delivery. This Wednesday, 8-3, a film crew will be here in Philadelphia documenting the Latch On America cross-country tour which promotes breastfeeding. The film covers how cities are responding to the Surgeon General's call to support breastfeeding. Please attend this event at Houston Hall at UPenn from 2-5PM. More info at Milk for Thought site.

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE NOW on PHILLYCAM

Reproductive Justice NOW, sponsored by Philadelphia NOW, examines sex education, contraception, maternity care and abortion as a continuum of related healthcare needs for women. Episode 1 is an interview with historian Heather Munro Prescott about the "morning after" pill, and how anti-abortion restrictions erode women's legal right to contraception. You can watch it "on demand" at PhillyCAM here, just click the "NOW" channel.