By Christy Barritt

NYC Includes Bisexuals in New Teen Pregnancy App

The New York City Health Department has developed a new smartphone app to help battle teen pregnancy. Among the features included in the app is a video of a bisexual teen discussing her feelings for a friend of the same sex.

In the segment, this student goes to a clinic for birth control and is told that her feelings for both men and women are normal.

The app features three main sections concerning birth control and other sexual services including where to go, what to get, and what to expect. There are also 60 healthcare providers listed that will provide services to teens regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status.

More than one organization has criticized this app, including New York State’s Right to Life. The group’s committee chairwoman, Barbara Meara, said, “The app doesn’t emphasize the value of abstinence, which is problematic.”

The Face of Pro-Choice and Pro-Life Supporters

A new poll by Gallup has painted a clearer picture of who does and doesn’t support abortion in the United States.

According to the poll data, 48 percent of people in the U.S. say they are pro-life, while 45 percent say they’re pro-choice. 

Other results show that 80 percent of individuals with no religious identity consider themselves pro-choice, as well as 73 percent of Democrats.

Catholics, Protestants, conservatives, and Republicans are most supportive of pro-life values. Sixty-six percent of conservatives and 68 percent of Republicans embrace the label. 

According to age, 50 percent of those ages 18-29 considered themselves pro-choice, while only 41 percent of those 65 and older said they were the same.

There was also a gender difference. Fifty percent of men and 46 percent of women consider themselves pro-life. 

FDA Seeks to Regulate Caffeine While Approving Plan B

The Food and Drug Administration is considering regulating caffeine consumption in children and teens.

In an official statement, the FDA recently said that it is “particularly concerned about children and adolescents and the responsibility of the FDA and the food industry to protect public health” concerning caffeine consumption among young people.

This announcement came not long after the agency revealed that it would offer “Plan B,” an emergency contraception pill, over the counter to children as young as 15 without a prescription, consultation with a doctor, or parental consent.

Many groups are outraged, saying that the FDA is more concerned about the dangers of caffeine than this contraceptive, which can cause abortions and other life-threatening side effects.

Vermont Legalizes Physician-Assisted Suicide

Vermont has become the third state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. This law will decriminalize the killing of terminally ill patients at the hands of their doctors upon the request of the patient.

The law grants physicians immunity from prosecution as long as they adhere to government stipulations. 

In order to qualify for the “measure,” a patient must be expected to die from terminal illness within six months.

Vermont is the third state, coming in after Oregon and Washington, to decriminalize assisted suicide. However, the first two states used a ballot initiative process, while Vermont is the first state to pass this law through a vote of the legislature. 

Christy Barritt is an award-winning author, freelance writer, and speaker living in Chesapeake, Virginia. She and her husband Scott have two sons.
www.christybarritt.com