Biology Of Women

Question Description

Biology of Women

Assignment 1 – Data interpretation

Is the Mexico City Policy Effective?

Directions:Please read through the assignment and complete questions 1-6.Responses to questions should be in complete sentences and should demonstrate an understanding of the material.There are no length requirements, but most of these questions will require more than just one or two sentence answers to demonstrate to me that you do understand the material.

Here is an overview of the Mexico City Policy that was implemented in 1984.This is page 10 and 11 from this document.

Mexico City Policy

The Mexico City policy restricted U.S. family planning assistance to foreign NGOs engaged in voluntary abortion activities, even if such activities were conducted with non-U.S. funds. Though the policy was rescinded by the Obama Administration in January 2009, it has remained a controversial issue in U.S. foreign assistance. Unlike the policies listed in the previous section, which were enacted through legislation, the Mexico City policy has been established and rescinded through executive statements and instruments by past and current Presidents.

Reagan through George W. Bush Administrations

At the 1984 International Conference on Population held in Mexico City, the Reagan Administration announced that it would restrict U.S. population assistance by terminating USAID support for any foreign organization—but not national government—that was involved in voluntary abortion activities, even if such activities were undertaken with non-U.S. funds.

The Mexico City policy represented a shift in U.S. population policy. Under the Helms amendment and other abortion and family planning-related restrictions, no U.S. funds could be used directly to pay for the performance of an abortion as a method of family planning or for Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law Congressional Research Service 11 involuntary sterilizations. However, U.S. and foreign recipients of USAID grants could use their own funds and funds received from other sources to engage, where legal, in abortion-related activities—though they were required to maintain segregated accounts for U.S. money in order to demonstrate compliance with the abortion restrictions. Under the Mexico City policy, foreign NGOs were required to certify in writing that they did not, and would not during the time of the funding agreement, perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning as a condition for receiving USAID family planning assistance.

During the George H. W. Bush Administration, several Members of Congress attempted unsuccessfully to overturn the Mexico City policy, arguing that existing congressional restrictions, such as the Helms and Biden amendments, were sufficient. President Clinton, in a January 22, 1993, memo to USAID, lifted restrictions imposed by the Reagan and George H. W. Bush Administrations on grants to family planning NGOs—in effect ending the Mexico City policy. On January 22, 2001, however, President George W. Bush revoked the Clinton Administration memorandum and restored the Mexico City restrictions for the next eight years. He also directed that the restrictions be expanded to State Department programs in the same way they applied to USAID activities. In addition, he clarified that the Mexico City policy did not prohibit the use of U.S. family planning assistance toward post-abortion care.

Obama Administration Rescinds Mexico City Policy

On January 23, 2009, President Obama issued a presidential memorandum to the USAID Administrator and Secretary of State rescinding the Mexico City policy and Bush Administration conditions placed on USAID and the State Department for voluntary population planning activities.

The memorandum stated:

These excessively broad conditions on grants and assistance awards are unwarranted. Moreover, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning programs in foreign nations.

President Obama also directed the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator to waive the conditions set forth by previous Administrations in these policies and to notify current grantees as soon as possible. He further directed the State Department and USAID to cease imposing such conditions on any future grants.

Though the Mexico City policy was rescinded by the Obama Administration, it remains a controversial issue among many Members of Congress. It will likely be an area of continued interest for the 114th Congress and beyond.

NOTE:The Mexico City Policy was reinstated by the Trump administration early in 2017.

Assignment:

Your objective is to look at some data collected between the years of 1994-2008 and determine whether those data support the idea that the policy was effective at what it was meant to do.

Step one – background info.

Be sure you have an understanding of what the policy actually means and why it was implemented.I have provided just a basic summary of the policy.It is up to you to find out more about it.For example, who is in favor of this policy and why?Who is against this policy and why?What is the actual goal of this policy?

Step two – look at and interpret data.

Look at the two graphs provided and interpret what they mean.Be sure to read all and think about all parts of a graph.What is on the x-axis (horizontal axis) and what is on the y-axis (vertical axis)?What do the different symbols mean?What is the overall pattern or trend across both axes?

In figure two there is a red circle around one blue triangle.The circle was added by me so I could discuss what that point actually means.If you drew a line down from that circle it would cross that x-axis in the year 1998, and it would cross the y-axis at about 13 or 14.This means that at there were about 13 or 14 induced abortions per every 10,000 woman years.Using 10,000 woman years allows them to standardize the y-axis for age differences among the women.For example, 400 women all age 25 equals 10,000 woman years (25*400 = 10,000).If all women were 25 in 1998 (which they weren’t) it would mean about 13 or 14 abortions per 400 women that were pregnant.

Another difference among that data is that there are triangles and circles.Triangles represent areas that had low exposure to the Mexico City Policy.This means that these areas have never really had any dependence on USAID for family planning.Whereas the circles are areas that do rely on USAID for family planning.

Finally, the red dashed line shows when the policy was not in effect until 2001.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER (please answer on a separate sheet of paper):