Melissa Gira Grant is a writer and activist who spoke yesterday at a panel on sex work and feminism at the Civil Liberties and Public Policy's 2010 Reproductive Justice Conference. Before she spoke to them, though, she spoke to me.

"Why aren't there doulas for abortions?" The Utne Reader points the way to Bust magazine's write up of an emerging movement. In order to support women "across the spectrum of pregnancy," the Doula Project has started to rethink its role.

Tessa Savicki wanted to take control of her reproductive life. On December 19th, 2006, Savicki instructed doctors to insert an IUD after she delivered her ninth child. Instead, the doctors elected to forcibly sterilize her on the operating table.

Afghanistan holds the distinction of having of the highest fertility rate per woman in Asia - the average woman will bear six children in her lifetime. As the nation struggles, hope has shifted to the Mullahs to encourage reproductive restraint.

In the Philippines, many women are facing a grim reality: with poverty levels rising along with the population, some can't afford to keep supporting their growing families. The problem? Birth control is hard to find, and abortion is illegal.

Ever since women fought against twilight sleep being used in hospitals, questions about giving birth and what practices are helpful or harmful has captivated public conversation. A growing movement hopes to draw attention to the overuse of Caesarean procedures.