The reports of forced sterilizations occurring in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities are extremely alarming. This is an egregious and staggering violation of human rights. No one should be subjected to reproductive coercion in any form. Unfortunately, the U.S. has a shameful history of forcing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), along with people with disabilities, to undergo sterilization. Read More »


In a victory for abortion access, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in June Medical Services v. Russo that Louisiana could not require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The ruling upholds an earlier Supreme Court decision, Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a similar Texas law because it placed on undue burden upon those seeking abortion care. While the Louisiana law was virtually identical to the Texas law, which was struck down in 2016, it was not a forgone conclusion that the Supreme Court—with the subsequent appointments of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the bench–would uphold the precedent. Read More »


George Floyd has been laid to rest, but racism in America remains alive. We must commit to eradicating racism in all its forms. It’s not just the fatal assaults by police on innocent Black lives. It’s not just White vigilantes gunning down Black people on the street or White nationalists attacking Black churches. It’s not just the epidemic of brutal assaults on the Black transgender community, particularly Black trans women. It’s time, as Philonise Floyd told Congress yesterday, to “stop the pain.” But we must also commit to ending systemic racism, for violence against Black Americans is only the most visible and hideous form of racism in America. Read More »


In response to the killing of George Floyd, millions of Americans have joined together to protest the taking of yet another innocent life by law enforcement officers whose duty it is to uphold the law and protect the public. The Population Institute condemns police brutality and the excessive use of force that continues to take a tragic and unacceptably high toll on the Black community. Read More »


With the U.S. Supreme Court preparing to render judgment on two cases that could significantly limit access to reproductive health services in the U.S, the Population Institute today released a report documenting the Trump/Pence administration’s expansive and tireless assault on sexual and reproductive health and rights. In releasing the report, Robert Walker, the president of … Read More »


In a major reversal, Congress this week rejected an increase in U.S. funding for international family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programs. The Senate and the House of Representatives passed an appropriations package that freezes spending for those programs at current levels ($607.5 million) for the tenth year in a row. Read More »


The Population Institute mourns the loss of the Rev. Dr. Rena Joyce Weller Karefa-Smart, who was the first black woman to graduate from Yale Divinity School and a leader in the international ecumenical movement.  She died on Jan. 9 at her daughter’s home in Rancho Mirage, California. She was 97. Karefa-Smart was also the first … Read More »


Last night the Trump-Pence administration unveiled their latest attack on women health and rights, a ‘domestic gag rule’ that will prevent people from getting the health care they need. This proposed domestic gag rule will apply to health care providers seeking Title X grants. Title X is the federal program that supports family planning clinics … Read More »


The new Amnesty International report on “The State of The World’s Human Rights” calls out the United States for abridging reproductive rights and harming reproductive health in 2017. The report sharply criticizes the Trump-Pence administration’s “broad and multifaceted” attacks on women and girls, and what it calls “particularly virulent” attacks and “extreme restrictions” on sexual … Read More »


IN MEMORIAM: David Poindexter

February 10, 2018

The Population Institute mourns the loss of David Poindexter. A former colleague, David championed the use of radio and television serial dramas to promote family planning, gender equity, and protection of the environment. He died February 8 at a hospital in Portland, Oregon, after suffering a stroke. He was 89. David was Director of the … Read More »