In an attempt to help the economically deprived people reduce unwanted pregnancies and cut down on illegal abortions, the government of Brazil now plans to distribute "morning after" pills to the poor.

Under the newly expanded birth control program, the country's Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao announced the new development just a month after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the government would provide cheap birth control pills at 10,000 drug stores across Brazil

The number of Irish women traveling to the U.K. with the purpose of having an abortion has dropped in the past five years. According to figures recently released by the British Department of Health (DoH), just over 5,000 women headed to Britain to terminate their pregnancy, a fall of 1,600 cases from 2001.

While supporters of rightful abortion dispute the illegality of abortion in Ireland, the anti-abortion groups have welcomed the decline

Parents can now find out if their baby is a boy or a girl only six weeks into gestation through a test available online.

DNA Worldwide recently made the blood-test kit available for purchase online but it has been met with some controversy. One group said the kit would prompt parents to abort the child if it is not the desired gender

Many anti-abortion agencies in Britain say there could a possible surge in abortions after the release of a new DNA testing kit which determines the sex of a baby six weeks into pregnancy.

Manufactured by British company DNA worldwide, The Early Gender Test checks blood from the mother for Y-chromosomes and determines the presence of boy. The test which went on sale on the Internet to non-U.S. customers this week, costs 190 pounds ($375)

The Washington State Board of Pharmacy has set out new rules after several public complaints were reported over pharmacists' and pharmacies' denial to fill prescriptions for the controversial "morning after" birth control pills. Under the new rules, all the pharmacists and pharmacies throughout the state will be required to fill all the valid prescriptions until and unless there's concern that the medication could be unsafe for the patient.

"The rules assure that patients will be treated in a dignified, respectful manner even if the pharmacy is unable to fill the prescription," the board said on its Website