PRI Insider (Volume 3, Issue 45) November 10
In This Issue: : Italy has announced a new initiative to raise the nation’s flagging birth rate. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government approved a new budget last week, setting aside €1 billion (nearly $1.1 billion) in funding to support mothers and families. The government hopes these efforts will boost the national birth rate, which is currently one of the lowest in Europe. Some of the measures include increased financial aid to working mothers with two or more children, increased government funding for daycares, and extended parental leave.
PRI Insider (Volume 3, Issue 44) November 3
In This Issue: Abortion groups are stepping up their efforts to spread abortion across Africa. This development came in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Maputo Protocol. The Protocol, ratified by 44 African governments, mandates the legalization of abortion on broad grounds, including in cases where the pregnancy is causing mental distress to the mother, and to recognize abortion as a human right. It can be used to justify the legality of abortion in almost any situation.
PRI Insider (Volume 3, Issue 43) October 27
In This Issue: As the United States birth rate continues to decline, demographers warn of the calamitous economic effects this decline will trigger. According to CDC data, between 2007 and 2022, the U.S. birth rate fell by 22%. Not a single state reported an increase in birth rates, although some experienced a slower decline than others. Demographic strategist Bradley Schurman shared that, “Today, three-quarters of U.S. counties and half of the states have deaths outpacing births.”
PRI Insider (Volume 3, Issue 42) October 20
In This Issue: In this moving reflection on motherhood, Susanna Spencer details how a mother’s womb truly is a portal to eternity. Life begins in the womb, and too often ends, within a mother’s womb. But whether they live on Earth or head to eternity before birth, all lives are to be celebrated. That spark of life at conception is a gift, given to a husband and wife through co-creation with God.
PRI Insider (Volume 3, Issue 41) October 13
In This Issue: Last week, the Russian Ministry of Health announced new limits on abortion drug distribution and sales. Misoprostol and mifepristone are specifically being limited by subject-quantitative registration. Regarding these two drugs, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko stated that they pose medical and ethical risks for women. Russia as a whole is also experiencing a cultural shift away from abortion, which was common in the 20th century. The restrictions are set to go into effect on September 1st, 2024, and remain in place for six years.
PRI Insider (Volume 3, Issue 40) October 6
In This Issue: A new study showed that women who have multiple children may have a reduced risk of dementia. Experts have discovered that higher exposure to estrogen throughout a woman’s life could lead to a healthier brain. Those with a longer “reproductive lifespan,” or who have had several children, accumulate a higher exposure to the hormone. This appears to lead to a lower risk of cerebral small vessel disease – a condition that results from damage to small blood vessels in the brain and is linked to cognitive impairment and dementia. This is another natural and physical benefit of having children.
