Latest news with #Dossett
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill advances requiring fewer trips to the pharmacy for women's contraception
Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, asks a question about a bill on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Barbara Hoberock/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would make it easier for women to obtain contraceptives despite opposition from a small bloc of Republicans who put up a lengthy argument that it results in murder. Senate Bill 176, by Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, would require insurance companies that cover contraceptives to allow women to obtain a six month supply, reducing the number of annual visits to the pharmacy, after obtaining a three-month prescription. Dossett said the bill was not about abortion, but aimed to increase access to preventative contraceptive medications. Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, disagreed and cited the The Physicians' Desk Reference. 'It induces the abortion or murder of a human embryo since a new human being has been created at fertilization, which is conception,' Deevers said. Deevers asked Dossett if she believed 'abortion is murder' and a violation of Oklahoma law and the Bible's sixth Commandment, which prohibits killing. While most women rely on the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy, oral contraception is used to treat other conditions, including acne, irregular periods, cramps, migraines and endometriosis. KFF reported in November that 82% of women of reproductive age used contraception in the past year, with condoms and oral birth control being the most common. Deevers focused on the side effects of various forms of contraception and the personal experiences of he and his wife. 'These drugs are very dangerous,' he said. Deevers said that women's brains shrink while on birth control, leading to more depression and anger and increased rates of suicide. He also said women experience a decreased sexual drive, leading to less intercourse while on hormonal birth control. He did not cite a source for that information. Deevers said that women using a combination of oral birth control and the patch or the vaginal ring have two to four times higher rate of blood clots, thus an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and cervical cancer. Medical experts say there is a small risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks for women using birth control, though they note that women's risk of experiencing the first two medical conditions is actually higher during pregnancy. Taking oral birth control for five or more years can increase the risk of cervical cancer, but the risk subsides after stopping the pill, according to the American Cancer Society. There is no known risk of cancer for women who use non-hormonal intrauterine devices, or IUDs. Women do not take medication they don't want, Dossett said. No one is being forced to take birth control, she said. She said she preferred not to talk about what people do in the privacy of their homes. Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said enabling women to plan a pregnancy leads to healthier outcomes and improved economic stability. Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, urged his colleagues not to increase women's access. 'I'm begging you to not do this, not only for the children whose lives will be saved, but also for the women who will not be harmed by taking these so-called medications,' Hamilton said. The bill passed by a vote of 33-13 and is available for consideration in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Carolina wildfires fueled by drought, wind and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene
Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene fueled wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday. Many people in the area are still getting over the hurricane that hit in September, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Bo Dossett. 'A lot of the damage and the blowdown, the downed trees from Hurricane Helene are contributing to the difficulties that our firefighters are facing trying to contain this fire and so that has just been kind of one ongoing crisis from September all through into the spring for a lot of these residents,' Dossett said. 'This is one more thing that they're having to deal with on top of what they experienced back in the fall.' The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for parts of the South Carolina Upstate, western North Carolina and northeast Georgia through Tuesday night, as conditions were expected to be favorable for the rapid spread of wildfire with lingering dry air and winds picking up to 10 to 20 mph and gusting 25 to 35 mph. Mandatory evacuations were in effect for 146 properties in rural Polk County on Tuesday, about 80 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon. Three fires there have burned at least 9.6 square miles in that county and in neighboring Henderson County as of Tuesday, and the two larger fires are uncontained, according to the forest service. Officials released maps on Tuesday that show evacuation zones in the two counties. The Black Cove Fire is one of the larger blazes. Officials said a downed power line sparked that fire, but the causes of the other two fires are under investigation. Henderson County has issued voluntary evacuation orders and opened an emergency shelter. Volunteer fire departments were on standby, Henderson County spokesperson Mike Morgan told WLOS-TV. 'Especially near some of the homes where if the fire did jump, we can be there to help protect those homes,' Morgan said. 'We're here to monitor the situation very closely.' Two fires were burning in the mountains of South Carolina. The fires in Table Rock State Park and nearby Persimmon Ridge have burned a combined 2.3 square miles, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. Officials said both fires were ignited by human activity and neither were contained as of Monday night. No injuries were reported, and no structures were imminently threatened as of Monday night, but voluntary evacuations were issued for about 100 homes over the weekend. On Tuesday morning, the forestry commission updated an earlier announcement to say no evacuations were planned near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents were urged to be prepared to leave their homes if an evacuation is suggested in the future. 'The weather over the next few days remains concerning, as relative humidities are expected to remain very low, and the forecasted wind speeds will still be conducive to spreading the fire,' the forestry commission said. Dry weather and millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year are creating a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, according to North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller. Scheller predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather after the hurricane. 'Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground,' Scheller said. 'Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.' Despite recent rain, most of the Carolinas are abnormally dry or experiencing a moderate drought, according to federal monitors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
