News Items

The following is a letter published on September 15, 2000 in the Daily Herald located in Arlington Heights, IL. The letter was edited by the newspaper. (Please note that the Daily Herald omitted the fact that the two questions appearing in the second and third paragraphs were addressed to Steve Trombley, local president of Planned Parenthood.)

Daily Herald Fence Post 9/15/00 

by Karen Malec

RU-486 Risks 

Planned Parenthood's local president, Steve Trombley, argues that RU-486, an abortifacient, has not received FDA approval because of "anti-choice politics."

On December 16, a young pro-life sidewalk counselor at an abortion clinic in Fargo, ND, Amy Jo Mattson, filed a lawsuit against the Red River Women’s clinic, one of two abortion clinics in Fargo. The basis of the lawsuit, filed in Cass County District Court, is the allegation that the abortion clinic hands potential clients a brochure which violates the state’s truth-in-advertising law.

The brochure reads in pertinent part: "Anti-abortion activists claim that having an abortion increases the risk of developing breast cancer and endangers future childbearing. None of these claims are supported by medical research or established medical organizations" (boldface and underlining original).

The following is a preface to the U.S. House Debates. 

If you would like to view the debate in its entirety, click here.

ABORTION/BREAST CANCER COALITION URGES GOVERNOR: SIGN MEDICAID ABORTION BAN

An Illinois-based coalition whose aim is to prevent abortion-linked breast cancer by education and advocacy called on Governor George Ryan today to approve legislation to end state-sponsored abortions in Illinois.

Both houses of the General Assembly have passed House Bill 709 to bar taxpayer funding of abortions under the state's Medicaid program. The governor has until June 18th to decide whether to sign the measure.

"Added to the usual concerns about saving tax dollars and respecting consciences of Illinois taxpayers," said Karen Malec, coordinator of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, "is our own plea for Gov. Ryan to move to protect the health of women who probably do not know that induced abortion may increase their risk of later developing breast cancer.

"The state should be protecting the health of women, not paying for surgery that is always lethal for unborn children and poses a risk to the women undergoing it," said Mrs. Malec, a resident of Schaumburg.

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA EMBARKS ON AD CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE WOMEN ABOUT ABORTION-BREAST CANCER LINK

A coalition led by Rachelle Sauvageau, the director of the Pro-Life Office for the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, has embarked on a newspaper, billboard and parish bulletin ad campaign to educate women about the abortion-breast cancer link. The ads contain the web address and the toll free number for the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, an international women's organization whose purpose is to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer. 

This ad campaign coincides with a lawsuit against a Fargo abortion provider, the Red River Women's Clinic, which had been distributing a pamphlet to its clients containing false and misleading statements about the research concerning the abortion-breast cancer link. The plaintiff, Amy Jo Mattson, alleges false advertising and is seeking injunctive relief.