Sex. Justice. Change.

Blog for Choice 2011

2011-01-20T19:44:00.006-05:00

It's almost time for the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. To commemorate the day, NARAL is sponsoring the sixth annual Blog for Choice Day to get people reading and talking about reproductive rights. In wake of the recent decision by Congress to repeal health care reform, reproductive choice is starting to become less and less available.

I've participated privately over the years, updating my Livejournal and Facebook, with my thoughts on the day and sometimes talking about my experiences of becoming a feminist and how pro-choice became a part of my persona. I'd like to share this with all of you and encourage you to share your stories about why you're pro-choice.

Back in middle school, I got involved in an abusive relationship with a male friend of mine. It was the worst experience ever. I felt like I was walking on egg shells, hoping that I could make it through the day without a bruise or feeling like dirt. I was depressed and felt like nobody could help me. Abusive relationships weren't talked about much then - that would come later in high school. Nobody imagined that I was harboring this secret, a secret so bad that it nearly killed me. One afternoon he tried to choke me when I upset him and slapped him across the face for grabbing at me. After pinning me down, he finally let go after he saw that I was scared as hell. That's when I knew I had to tell someone.

I started high school a few weeks after that horrific day and eventually told my counselor. The physical abuse stopped but he continued to stalk me and taunt me in school. When I started telling people he knew, he got really angry and came to my house one day when I was alone. He pushed past my door and threatened to rape me. I shouted so loud to get out that he finally did. When I knew he was finally gone, I bolted the door, went into my room, crawled into a ball and just cried for over an hour. I should have been thankful that I was safe but I kept thinking what if he did rape me, what if I got pregnant, even resorting to thoughts of suicide.

Ever since that day I started digging more and more into subjects like abusive relationships, rape, and reproductive choice. If I came from a conservative family, I may have been expected to carry to term if I indeed become pregnant. My life would be so different now if I had become pregnant at fourteen, especially if it was by a violent assault.

Being pro-choice is not just about having abortions; it's about having control over your body and destiny.

Tune into MTV's "16 & Pregnant" Tonight!

2010-12-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

Tonight, December 28, at 11:30 PM, MTV, in collaboration with Exhale, will be airing a new episode of their popular show, 16 & Pregnant featuring three young women who chose to have abortions, titled "No Easy Decision." This is the first time MTV has covered teens who choose abortion in the three years of the 16 & Pregnant series.

Exhale is running a campaign to support the young women who are telling their stories on MTV called 16 & Loved. It is an incredibly brave act for these three teens to talk about their experience with abortion on the national stage and, unfortunately, there are people and groups out there that attack women who speak out about abortion. You can leave some love for the young women on the 16 & Loved website. They are sponsoring a live-blog tonight at the 16 & Loved website featuring feminist superstar bloggers: Lynn Harris, Shelby Knox, Jamia Wilson, & Jessica Valenti. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #16andLoved.

We haven't seen the program yet, so don't know how the young womens' stories will be portrayed, but we are glad to see MTV is covering all options available for teens facing unintended pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion. Tune in tonight and post your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.

We Will Fight for Women

2010-11-16T16:58:00.000-05:00

Now that we’ve had some time to reflect on the 2010 election, many of us are wondering where women’s health stands. First off, there were some bright spots in the 2010 election. For example, the defeat of Amendment 62 in Colorado, which, if enacted, would have had dramatic consequences for state anti-choice activity nationwide. Amendment 62, which was voted down, would have extended legal and constitutional rights to fertilized eggs, therefore outlawing abortion and even some forms of contraception. This scary anti-choice ballot initiative was defeated by a 3:1 margin.

There were lots of mixed feelings in the days following the election, some good, some disappointing, but one thing is very clear. Despite the few bright spots, it is obvious that the House of Representatives is now in the hands of dangerous anti-choice politicians. Politicians who oppose women’s health and the right to reproductive health care including birth control. Politicians who want to outlaw abortion, even in cases of rape, incest, and harm to the health of the woman. Politicians who specifically want to defund Planned Parenthood, leaving low-income women without basic women’s health care.

Though the 2010 election was a referendum on the economy and government, the results are truly alarming when it comes to women’s health. We have a tough fight on our hands with anti-choice House leaders like John Boehner, who will only be egged on by Tea Party extreminists, and conservative pundits like Sarah Palin.

But make no mistake about it, Planned Parenthood is here for the communities we serve, no matter what, and we are going to stand our ground. We will continue to deliver high-quality care and sex education to every community we serve. We've been here since 1924 and we will never stop caring for women or fighting for their rights.

Planned Parenthood supporters, it is time to get to work! We need your support to keep our doors open, to keep our communities healthy.

Please take a moment to sign the open letter to the members of Congress who want to gut women’s reproductive rights and health services.

And while you're on-line, be sure to sign up to get the latest advocacy updates from PPRSR.

Together, we will make ensure women now and for generations to come have access to reproductive health care and rights.

One Vote. One Election. One Future.

2010-11-02T10:56:00.001-04:00

It's election day in New York! Polls opened at 6am this morning and will stay open until 9pm tonight. If you're thinking your vote doesn't matter this year, think again! The stakes are high for many issues--the economy, education, the environment, and reproductive health. Your vote is your power! Make sure your voice is heard!

Where/How/When do I vote?

In NYS, polls are open until 9pm tonight. If you don't live in NYS, look up your poll info.
Need to know where your polling place is, who the candidates are, how to use the new ballot systems, or need any info about voting in your state? Check out Vote411, a really awesome nonpartisan site by the League of Women Voters.

Have a problem at the polls?

Not on the voter list? Make sure you're at the right polling place, then ask for a provisional ballot.
Need legal help? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE, email help@866ourvote.org, or go to the Election Protection website.
Need a ride to the polls? Call your local party headquarters--all major parties and some third parties offer rides to the polls regardless of if you are a registered party member, who you are voting for, etc.

Consider the Source

2010-10-19T15:41:00.003-04:00

This is an essay written by Betty DeFazio which was recently submitted to the Post Standard in Syracuse, NY.

On October 11, 2010 Former President Bill Clinton told a Syracuse crowd they should “encourage friends…to think about the facts.” Although this is good to remember, it is equally important to consider the “source.”

For several weeks, an anti-choice group has been picketing in front of Planned Parenthood in Syracuse. That is really not new “news.” What is important, though, is the spread inaccurate information supported by supposed “facts” that are nothing more than distorted nonsense.

Myth #1: “Abortion Causes Breast Cancer” – The American Cancer Society, recognized as an authority on cancer, is unequivocal in their response to this myth. “Induced abortion is not linked to an increase in breast cancer risk.” Further, they clarify “"Early studies of the relationship between prior induced abortion and breast cancer risk were methodologically flawed. More rigorous recent studies demonstrate no causal relationship between induced abortion and a subsequent increase in breast cancer risk."

Myth #2: “Aborted embryos and fetuses are being used for stem-cell research.” This statement couldn’t be further from the truth! According to the National Institutes of Health, “…embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro —in an in vitro fertilization clinic—and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors.” Just a few days ago, the first human study of stem cell research began with a patient who has a spinal cord injury. This research holds enormous hope for those who need treatment.

Myth #3: “Planned Parenthood targets African American women.” Sadly, the fact is African-American women are more likely to be uninsured or under-insured than white women and, as a result, they may lack resources to pay for needed care. For over 85 years, Planned Parenthood has been the provider women turn to. We will continue to trust every African-American woman who comes to Planned Parenthood to make an informed decision based on what she believes is best for her and her family.

Fact: Planned Parenthood works everyday with women from all walks of life to improve the quality of their health care and to help them protect their families through education, preventive care, birth control and life-saving screenings.

Next time you hear one of these myths, consider the facts – and the source.

Mandatory Ultrasound Legislation: The Latest Threat to Reproductive Rights

2010-10-07T21:46:00.007-04:00

One of the more recent threats to reproductive rights in the United States is the introduction of mandatory ultrasound laws. The new legislation proposals come under the guise of “informed consent.” Designed to protect patients by giving them accurate information to make decisions about their medical care, informed consent is an important patient protection.

However, some of the new laws require that a woman be required to undergo an ultrasound prior to the abortion and then stipulate how that information is to be used to deter a woman from choosing abortion. The woman must submit to this procedure regardless of her disapproval and disregards medical opinion on the necessity of such testing.

In Louisiana, the “Ultrasound Before Abortion Act” will require that women be offered the opportunity to see the ultrasound image, then hear a description of the image, and receive a print out of the ultrasound. There are no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. While the woman will not be required to accept the photograph from the provider, this does add an extra hurdle that is intentionally insensitive to women who go in for an abortion.

Nonprofit organizations have formed over the last decade to spread the use of ultrasound. According to the Project Ultrasound website, this non-profit group was formed “for the purpose of raising awareness about the effectiveness of ultrasound machines in deterring abortions”. They join with other organizations (such as Focus On the Family’s “Option Ultrasound”) to raise funds to donate ultrasound machines to crisis pregnancy centers across the country.

The use of ultrasound in these campaigns is not a new trend. Anti-choice extremist Dr. Bernard Nathanson, known for his narrating role in “The Silent Scream”, describes ultrasound in the film as the technology to see abortion from the “victim[‘]s vantage point”. The film was hailed by former President Ronald Reagan, distributed to members of Congress, shown on television news, and even the text was read into the Congressional Record.

Despite Planned Parenthood Federation of America efforts to point out the film’s medical inaccuracies and biases, the panel of medical professionals has been largely ignored.

Women who choose abortion understand the complexities involved in making their decision. We must guard against patronizing, intrusive tests that assume women are not well informed and are incapable of making hard decisions.

PPRSR: Making Friends at the Fair

2010-09-12T17:35:00.003-04:00

Volunteering at the New York State Fair with Planned Parenthood is something I had been looking forward to since last year. The Fair is a crazy place, filled with every type of New Yorker you can imagine. The Center of Progress (a fitting name to house the PPRSR table) is no different. There are tables selling sheets and jewelry, vendors selling hand lotions and irons, religious groups and politicians, as well as both a pro-life table and ours.

We handed out a bunch of different buttons:

My favorite is definitely "Trust Women." It's so perfect and simple, and yet basically encompasses everything there is about b

eing pro-choice and empowering women.if women were universally trusted to make their own decisions - about their bodies, their babies, their needs and wants, etc - there wouldn't be any pro-life rhetoric.

Strangely enough, that pin illicits the strangest reactions. At least 5 times, a couple walked by, the man picks up the pin, looks at us, and says "Trust women?? Have you ever met this woman?" Some people joke around that it should say "NEVER Trust Women." Har har har, aren't these people funny? We usually responded with something like "Funny! You know, trusting women is actually quite easy!" What did they expect us to say?

Another good pin is "Viva La Vulva." This one is written in the smallest font, so older people kept asking me to read it for them. I probably yelled "It says VIVA la VULVA" 10 times per shift. There were also a surprising number of people who didn't know what a vulva was! We made sure to teach everyone who seemed confused.

The only snag we ran into this year was running out of condoms! Last year, we ran out of pins, so we made sure we had a ton of pins - but this year we didn't have enough condoms! We made a sign and put it at our booth:

I can't tell you how many people walked by and reacted to that sign - more than would've reacted to a giant bowl of condoms, for sure. People laughed and pointed, people gasped, people ran and got their friends to take a look - but more than anything, people got out their cell phones and took pictures. I'm waiting for this photo to go viral.

All in all, I had a blast at the PPRSR booth at the Fair. And if you were one of the sad souls that came to the booth too late for free condoms, make sure you take a trip to your local Planned Parenthood to stock up!

Protecting Your Children From Sexual Assault: Communication is Key!

2010-06-28T13:37:00.004-04:00

Written by Theresa Asmus of Rape Crisis Service.

From the moment we come home with our fragile little infant, we parents take the job of protecting our children very seriously. We start with the crib we’ve checked to be sure hasn’t been recalled, we move on to cabinet locks, and before we know it, we’ve got our little ones decked out in a helmet for their first bike ride. As time goes on though, the things we do to keep our kids safe become less tangible. Sadly, there is no gadget we can purchase to keep our kids in happy and healthy relationships and safe from sexual violence. So what can parents do to prevent sexual assault? Lots!

First, we can start teaching our kids about healthy relationships from the time we take them home from the hospital. Children are observant little creatures, and parents serve as the most influential role models from birth. We can treat those around us respectfully, and demonstrate ways to disagree with others and resolve conflicts without resorting to verbal or physical intimidation or abuse. We can make it apparent to our child that respecting others is essential, and assist them in learning to express their feelings and wishes clearly. As our kids grow older, we can seize on teachable moments to get the conversation started. Does the teenage girl across the street come running when her boyfriend comes tearing in the driveway, honking his horn, refusing to come to the door? This is the perfect opportunity to talk with even young children about respect and the ways that people treat you when they truly care for and value you. With older children you can discuss the situation, and brainstorm with them the things that they need from people in order to feel respected, and the things that you know they deserve. Television shows also offer a wealth of teachable moments. Take the opportunity to discuss the relationships being depicted, the gender roles being displayed, and the ways that characters are resolving conflict. This is a much more painless way of discussing relationships that having a big “sit down” when your child starts dating.

As young people begin dating, it is important to make every effort to keep the lines of communication open and remind your kids that you are there to support and protect them. It can be hard to engage teens in conversations about dating, but don’t be afraid to do most of the talking. Continue to seize on the teachable moments you’re presented with. As your child gets older, and their peers begin dating, these teachable moments may hit even closer to home for them than the latest television drama. Sometimes kids who are uncomfortable discussing their relationships with their parents are able to have conversations about what they’ve observed among their peers. Use these conversations to help your child take a critical look at dating and decide what he or she expects from a relationship.

You can also discuss safety with your child. When it comes to sexual assault, our strongest weapon is our instincts. Discuss this with your kids, and let them know that you are there to help them when they’re getting the feeling that things are getting out of hand. Many young people who have been sexually assaulted report that they had a feeling that things were getting out of control, but they didn’t know what to do about it, so we need to be sure that our children know what to do and how we will help them. Would you come pick them up at three in the morning in order to keep them safe, no matter what the circumstances? Make sure your child knows that!

Finally, it is important to insist that the schools and groups that your children attend provide sexual abuse prevention education from a very young age. Children as young as five can learn to identify the common grooming behaviors of sex offenders, and report these behaviors to adults before any abuse is perpetrated. The majority of sex offenses are perpetrated by someone known to the victim, so learning to identify healthy and unhealthy relationships becomes a very effective tool in preventing sexual assault. Because they are starting to consider these things already, adolescent children are in a very good position for this kind of learning. Rape Crisis Service offers evidence-based sexual abuse prevention programs to children as young as five, free of charge. Information about prevention programming or other services provided by Rape Crisis Service can be obtained by calling Theresa Asmus at 344-0516 ext. 111.

Is your doctor answering your birth control questions?

2010-06-16T15:08:00.009-04:00

When I first became sexually active, I had already learned about many of the different types of birth control in my high school health class. I went to my gynecologist to ask her about contraceptives, and the only one that I was presented with then was the pill. The rest were dismissed with a wave. Over the next few years, I remained on the pill, sometimes not getting the pack on time at school, or forgetting to take a pill or two. I’ve been fed up with a daily pill since I started taking them. While it may work for some people, it’s clear that it was not the best option for me.

I’ve always wished that I could get a different form of contraception. Now that I’ve been working at Planned Parenthood for a whopping two weeks, I’ve decided to go back to my gynecologist to discuss the options I've learned about. Hopefully, she’ll be more receptive to the idea of an IUD or Implanon .

I also hope that my insurance will cover it. My particular insurance company is very elusive when it comes to what it covers with respect to birth control and contraception. I’ve been looking online for answers to this issue, and can’t seem to find any answers. If my insurance doesn’t cover the more expensive forms, I’ll use more of the knowledge I’ve gained about family planning insurance from my short time at Planned Parenthood. There’s an option called the Family Planning Benefit Program which can cover teens and young adults, so that confidentiality is maintained, and nothing is sent home. Often, it covers young New York State residents fully over a few years. Planned Parenthood offers counseling and assistance in getting into this program, too, for those like me who are very confused by insurance and New York systems.

I know where my life will be if I don’t ask for a more permanent and less daily form of birth control, and I don’t like that reality. Even when patients do not mention an ad that they have seen or birth control education that they’ve received, doctors should be aware that information about birth control, other than the Pill, is in the patients’ heads, and pre-empt questions that the patients may have. Going over options on a personal level can make a huge difference in the decisions made about birth control. For tips and training on how to talk to patients about contraceptive options, check out the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. If you’re a patient, Planned Parenthood health centers can help fill you in on birth control and insurance options or call 1-866-600-6886 to learn more.

Anime, Gamers and Choice

2010-06-11T14:07:00.007-04:00

Here is my first blog entry. I hope people can read the emotions I had when writing it. Being able to connect with people on these issues is important to me, and my recent experience in Chicago reminded me about all the good we can do when we do something as simple as talking to each other.
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Since last fall, I’ve been volunteering in Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region. I also am involved in the gaming community. This means I enjoy playing board, card, role playing and computer games.

Every year I take a week off from my normal life and work at Anime Central, an anime and game convention held in Chicago. Anime is the term for Japanese cartoons, and many people are unaware that this genre has entertainment value for all age groups. Anime Central is a four-day annual convention where fans can share and celebrate anime and Japanese culture, in general. During the convention, I am the Nightshift Supervisor for the Table Top Gaming Department, running the game rooms overnight from midnight to 8 AM and whenever else they need me throughout the weekend!

This year I had the unique experience of talking to my peers from all across the country about Planned Parenthood and reproductive health. These people are my friends. But, I only see them face-to-face once a year, so I didn’t want to alienate any of them right off the bat by starting out with “I work at Planned Parenthood!” When we got to talking about what we had been doing since the last Convention, I brought up that I had started volunteering at Planned Parenthood.

Being nervous about how people would react, I was happy it went really well. Because I am disabled (my entire Anime Central department knows this), they realized that for me to be able to get out and do some work was a good thing.

With that opening the conversation, I felt comfortable talking about what I do and why it is important to me. I found most of my coworkers either used Planned Parenthood’s services or knew someone that did!

The Anime convention pulls people from all over the country, so in my department we had people from New York (me), Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Florida and Ohio (and most of them are men.) Once the conversation started, everyone wanted to tell me their stance on the ideas and ideals Planned Parenthood strives for. I heard many personal stories from my co-workers about how Planned Parenthood had changed their lives. There are only three women are in the Gaming department of twenty staff, so many of the stories were about someone's girlfriend getting birth control, condoms, or a female friend getting “in trouble” and Planned Parenthood helping them.

The women had more personal stories: going to Planned Parenthood for their first birth control; and using the services after college but before they were able to get insurance through workplaces.

The last conversation I had was after the convention had closed down, packed up and the staff was blowing off the steam that dealing with almost 20,000 people for four days can accumulate. It was then a friend from another department, whose life has been pretty rough, shared that she had to have an abortion and she was able to get care through her local Planned Parenthood office.

During this conversation my friend was very frank about her life, what she had to do and was unapologetic about it all. She also seemed pleased that she could talk to someone without feeling blamed or getting false sympathy.

Her story was the one that meant the most to me: from learning that her first sexual experience was an attempted rape when she was a child to how she lives her life now. It touched me and reminded me that the work we do at Planned Parenthood has lasting impacts on the lives of our patients and on the world around us.

Just how effective is the rhythm method?

2010-06-09T14:01:00.008-04:00

Natural family planning is different from the rhythm method, and it is not just guessing about when ovulation will occur. The natural family planning method requires a woman to monitor her body temperature every day of every month and matching it to a chart to determine when she is ovulating and then avoid intercourse during that time. And that's just the easiest way to do it. To really ensure that ovulation is occurring when predicted, the woman should also be comparing her cervical mucus viscosity (stickiness), to viscosity and temperature charts daily. In order to get the 75-87% effectiveness that Planned Parenthood predicts, the methods must be used correctly and consistently. This number drops considerably when only one measurement is used or the couple isn't really diligent about following the woman's temperature or cervical mucus.

The CDC just released results of a survey that said that more teens have been using the rhythm method--up 11% since 2002. If these teens are using the rhythm method IN ADDITION TO OTHER FORMS OF BIRTH CONTROL, that's great! Avoiding the most fertile times of the month, even when using condoms or other barrier methods is a great way to avoid pregnancy. However, if these young women are not measuring their body temperature and/or cervical mucus every day, but instead are just "guesstimating" when their most fertile period is, then this method is not really giving them the effectiveness they might be assuming. Many people confuse the rhythm method and natural family planning, which may lead to false assumptions about effectiveness as preventing pregnancy. Natural family planning takes a lot of work and knowledge about to be effective. If also will not protect partners from STI transmission.

All things considered, there are many options that are easier to use and are much more effective. Birth control pills take the ovulation out of the equation for you, so you don't have to measure any fertile period, and condoms both protect against fertilization and STIs when used correctly. Taking a pill every day is much less of a hassle than recording your body temp and cervical mucus data and comparing it to a chart. You can get condoms for free at any Planned Parenthood health center. Make sure to follow the directions!! They don't have to be a burden in the bedroom, either. If you think a condom as protecting yourself and your partner, and both of you help in the application process, condoms can be a pretty sexy addition to foreplay!

Happy Anniversary to the Birth Control Pill!

2010-05-17T17:44:00.003-04:00

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the approval of the birth control pill by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1960, we must ensure that women in the U.S. have access to effective, affordable contraception, regardless of their ability to pay or the kind of insurance they have. Why? Half of all pregnancies in America are still unplanned, and the rate is highest among teens. Ensuring affordable contraception is one of the most crucial investments we can make in women, so they can achieve their hopes for themselves and their families when it comes to family life, career, education and so much more.

The birth control pill was more than just a pill — it was a pathway for women to seek higher education, enter the work force and be able to control the number and spacing of their children. Moreover, in the past 50 years, the percentage of women who die as a result of pregnancy dropped by half. During that same period, there has been a more than threefold decline in the rate of infant deaths. The percentage of unplanned pregnancies has also declined, despite the fact that too many still occur. And, as access to contraception has increased, the rate of abortion has decreased.

There is no better way to build on the progress of the pill than by ensuring that quality contraception is covered as preventive care under the new health care reform law. To make your voice heard, please visit http://www.ppaction.org/.

May is Masturbation Month!

2010-05-04T11:25:00.004-04:00

May is Masturbation Month! Although not a recognized national month by the government, it is recognized by many groups around the nation. The Center for Sex and Culture, based in San Francisco, hosts a Masturbate-a-thon in which people can participate or watch. If one doesn't feel comfortable participating in public, they can participate at home. The Center for Sex and Culture is a sex-positive group that teaches people about positive sex and how to have a healthy sexual relationship. So what about the history behind Masturbation Month? Masturbation month started in May 1995 by the company Good Vibrations to protest firing then Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders. When asked about safe sex, Elders responded: "Masturbation is something that perhaps should be taught." This did not sit well with some people in the American population, and Elders was fired. The first Masturbate-A-Thon was hosted in 1998. Since the Masturbate-A-Thon was created, over 10,000 articles have appeared on Google. The event also

It's a great idea to have a masturbation month. This promotes the idea of self love and it aims to take away the stigmatization of it. This month should definitely be brought to light, especially to the youth. Like Elders said, it is something that perhaps should be taught. This could prevent riskier sexual activity that youth might participate in.

History of the Masturbate-a-Thon

Do you GYT?

2010-04-19T14:47:00.002-04:00

What do you think GYT stands for? In this commercial, some celebrities take their best guess and come up with some odd answers. Green Young Tomatoes? Gerbils Yearn Touching?.......The real answer: GYT is Get Yourself Tested!

Did you know that one in two young adults will get a sexually transmitted disease by age 25? This statistic has caused alarm to health care providers, parents, and teens and has spured a national campaign to help people feel comfortable asking their doctors for STD testing. That’s why the month of April is dedicated to the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign, hosted by MTV, Kaiser Family Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

As seen in the commercial and on the GYT website, many celebrities are contributing to the campaign and the issue to help raise awareness. These celebs include Keri Hilson, Perez Hilton, Debi Nova, Emily VanCamp, Iyaz and many more.

Go to itsyoursexlife.com to find the testing center near you, to watch entertaining ads, and to learn more about this important topic and campaign. You can also download fliers and other materials to help spread the GYT message within your community.

How will YOU help spread the GYT message?

Nebraska's Attack on Choice

2010-04-16T13:42:00.005-04:00

Lately, anti-choice measures have appeared frequently in the news. First, there was Utah’s intention to create a bill that would charge women if their reckless behavior led to a miscarriage. Now, the state of Nebraska has jumped onto the anti-choice train. Governor Dave Heineman signed a law on Tuesday, April 13th that banned most abortions after 20 weeks. Heineman signed this law in the beliefs of a theory that the fetus by that point in pregnancy is able to feel pain. This law has sparked debate between pro-choice and anti-choice groups. What makes this scary is that the legislative branch passed this law with 44 votes to 5 votes. Dr. Leroy Carhart, a partner of the late Dr. Tiller, said he would continue to offer late-term abortions in his Nebraska clinic. The NY Times quoted lawmakers as being outraged that Nebraska was going to become the “late-term abortion capital of the Midwest.”

This law will take effect in October and will ban abortions anytime after a gestation period of 20 weeks. The law does allow late-term abortions in the cases of a medical emergency, usually something that would cause death to the mother.

Legal battles have already ensued over this law. These legal battles refer to the 1973 case of Roe V. Wade case which stated that no state could ban abortions prior to fetal viability. Some articles reported this as 22 weeks and some reported it as 24 weeks. Nebraska’s law would go against the stipulations provided by the landmark abortion case. In the weeks leading up to the vote, over 1,000 people over the nation signed the Trust Women PAC’s petition that called for legislators to reject the bill.

The heat of this battle is not expected to die down and the legal battles are expected to go to the Supreme Court. It is estimated that 5 of 9 of the Supreme Court justices would consider Nebraska’s claim and judge that it is a legitimate law.

This has been a huge attack on women and abortion providers. If this law is upheld in the Supreme Court, it would give other states the same opportunity to introduce the same type of bill, threatening women’s health everywhere. If the Supreme Court does legitimize this law, it would violate parts of Roe V. Wade, which would cause a huge step back in the progress of abortion rights that we have made since 1973. If this law stays in place, it will spread to other states as well and it will be a large threat to women everywhere. This law is a direct attack on the right to choose and is one that challenges Roe V. Wade. This law is also an attack on Dr. Carhart and his clinic. Carhart provides a vital service to women. This law limits his services and womens' access to abortion.

The following link is the article to the NY Times article referenced:

Nebraska Law Sets New Limits on Abortion

What does YOUR country believe about condoms?

2010-04-12T14:37:00.001-04:00

Did you know that in the U.S. approximately 4 in 10 women become pregnant at least once before turning 20 years old or that 1 in 4 sexually active teens become infected with an STD every year? These statistics are startlingly high, especially when compared to other countries throughout the world. Why in a country as progressive as ours are safe sexual practices not happening? Although there are many different reasons and factors, I think one important factor to look at is the acceptance of the condom. The male latex condom is one of the most popular forms of birth control used worldwide. However, in looking at condom advertisements from different countries you can clearly see the differences in social acceptance of the condom.

For example, the ads from both Sweden and France are very straight forward “slap in the face” type ads that use humor to show the importance of condom use. Whether it is to avoid STDs or unwanted children, they both blatantly imply “Use Condoms”. No ifs, ands or buts.

A few of the commercials even show the actual condom and how it is unrolled. For example, in the commercial from Kenya, a man is shown being chivalrous by supplying a condom when a women needs one to keep her umbrella closed. Even though this isn’t the obvious or advertised use for the condom, the meaning behind it shows that chivalry will make a women appreciate you. I also thought it was great that every onlooker in the background cheers and is smiling when the condom is taken out and used on the umbrella. Condoms in this commercial are encouraged and portrayed as helpful.

In my opinion, the condom ad from India was the best for many reasons. It provided information about the condoms, such as the fact that it can be made in different colors, or can be lubricated. It shows the actual condom, and provides information about where it can be bought, and what it does, such as prevent an STD.

Then we see the U.S. commercial. The condom is only shown once, when it is still in the package and coming out of the dispenser. Rather than focuses on the use of the condom, the ad focuses more on the message that most men are pigs (presumably because they won’t use condoms). The one man who buys a condom is seen as unusual. It sends the message that every women should try to be lucky enough to find a man who will use one. This message does not promote the idea that condoms should be generally accepted. Sadly, this ad is one of the best ads from the U.S. and was, in fact, banned on Fox and CBS when it came out in 2007 for being “inappropriate.”

It is startling that these ads are sometimes the only education teens receive about condoms. While proper condom use, sex positions and same-sex relationships are all part of the curriculum for students in Swedish high schools, U.S. high school students are often taught little or no information on basic condom use. Although it varies state to state, it is widely known that safer sex information is not widely publicized in the U.S. There are definitely very few schools teaching sex posititions or same- sex relationship information. Just by viewing these short condom commericials, we can see the basic beliefs about sex that each of these countries believe in. Is it any surprise that the U.S. has twice the teen pregnancy rate of Canda, four times the rate of Germany and France, and eight times the rate of Japan?

Bristol Palin PSA: Insulting to Teen Mothers?

2010-04-09T13:00:00.008-04:00

Recently the Candie’s Foundation released a Public Service Announcement about teen pregnancy, starring none other than America’s favorite teen mother, Bristol Palin. This ad has come under fire by several different blogs, including Jezebel and The Frisky, for it’s portrayal of teen pregnancy. The opening of the ad is Bristol with her son Tripp in which she says: “What if I didn’t come from a famous family? What if I didn’t have all their support? What if I didn’t have these opportunities?” The ad shows Bristol and her son well dressed in a nice home. It then fades into her looking ragged and saying if she didn’t have all of that “it wouldn’t be pretty.”

Although the ad has good intentions, it comes off insulting to those who were and are teen moms. I’m sure it was not supposed to come off like it, but this ad makes it sound like teen pregnancy is okay if you’re from a prominent family. Just because someone is not from a prominent family, it does not mean that they don’t have any support from their family. She acknowledges that she is fortunate to have the support (and money) of her family, but the ad comes off classist. The imagery of the ad makes it seem as if a girl isn’t from a privileged famous family and becomes pregnant; she will end up poor and without anything.

The ad fails to address that a majority of teenage pregnancies come from girls who are already in poverty. The ad also is noticeably missing Levi Johnson, the father of Bristol Palin’s son. This ad only features Bristol, which makes it seem as though the unintended pregnancy was her “fault.” The media and society often place the fault of teenage pregnancy on young girls. It is not just the girl’s responsibility to practice safer sex.

Although the ad is poorly created, Bristol Palin, in interviews, does offer some words of wisdom on her ending message “pause before you play.” In an interview on Good Morning America, Palin stated: “"It could be pause and go get a condom or it could be pause and think about your life or it could even be pause and wait until marriage.” This message does not promote abstinence, but offers abstinence as one method, alongside the use of contraceptives.

This message is associated with what Palin said last year about abstinence not necessarily being a reality for teenagers. Although the ad is aiming to prevent teenage pregnancy, it glamorizes Bristol Palin’s situation, and almost seems to say: “As long as you’re privileged, it’s okay to have an unintended pregnancy.”

The Ad Presented by the Candie's Foundation:

House Passes Historic Health Care Reform Bill!

2010-03-22T14:56:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, the health care bill was passed by Congress late last night by a vote of 219 to 212. This bill, one that Obama has been promoting and arguing for since he ran for office, will provide many positive changes in the lives of Americans, and will affect all citizens in one way or another.

In regards to affecting women’s reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood is pleased that the health care reform bill will extend health care coverage to tens of millions of women and families, guarantee access to affordable life-saving screenings for breast and cervical cancer, protect women against gender discrimination by private insurers, end the practice of dropping coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and significantly increase insurance coverage of reproductive health care, including family planning.

Thanks to supporters like you, we were able to keep the Stupak abortion ban out of the final legislation and President Obama did not include the Stupak language in his Executive Order. Unfortunately, the bill includes the Nelson amendment that will impose new and severe restrictions on private health insurance coverage for abortion for millions of women. While we celebrate the passage of health care reform, we're going to need your commitment to fix the damage caused by the Nelson amendment — and that starts right now.

Take a moment to check out the statement by Cecile Richards, President of PPFA, about the bill being passed. Also, this Planned Parenthood website provides a list of representatives and whether they voted YES or NO on the bill. Feel free to follow the links to thank or express your concern about how they voted!

Newest accessory: Condom holders aren't just for convenience.

2010-03-10T12:14:00.008-05:00

Condoms? Yes please. A cute, incognito way to stash my condoms…but still have them within reach? Yes again.

Lets be honest, girls will find any excuse to buy cute accessories, whether it’s for their outfits, apartments, or their condoms. Though it could be used as a shopping excuse, the practicality of the array of new, fun condom holders on sale is reason enough to buy. Not many want to display their array of condom choices in public view, but stashing them at the bottom of your drawer, or losing them in that giant “purse” you carry around is just not convenient. Well ladies (and gents) those days of fumbling blindly in your drawer or purse are gone!

There are now a ton of options and ways to store your protection. The Frisky has a great article showcasing different options for condom holders. There are clean, sleek condom dispensers that hold a significant amount and are perfect for a guy’s nightstand, so they are always within reach. If you’re main concern isn’t just convenience but instead want something a little more disguised and stylish, there are several vase-like options. The newest trend seems to be sleek cases meant to hold one or two condoms and stored in your purse. Many look just like a stylish compact. I even discovered a cool website where you can design your own!

Basically, your options are endless when it comes to storing your condoms. Whether you’re looking for an industrial-sized dispenser or a sleek, fashionable holder for your purse, there’s a condom holder out there for you…so get shopping!

p.s. if you’re not in the market for a holder but still want some cute protection, check out the different lines of Proper Attire condoms.

Blog for International Women's Day!

2010-03-08T15:15:00.003-05:00

Today is International Women's Day! Gender Across Borders is organizing a massive blog effort - the theme is "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity," and today, I'm thinking about the Oscars.

Yesterday, Kathryn Bigelow became the first women to win the Academy Award for best director for her work with The Hurt Locker - an important achievement in a field almost completely dominated by men.

Throughout the Oscars, despite this milestone and shattering of another glass ceiling, I couldn't help but see inequality all night. I'm in a class called "Fashion and Feminism: The Politics of Dress" this semester, and I was particularly interested in the fashion throughout the evening. Of course, this is nothing new - the men wear basically identical tuxes (although very expensive and designer-made, of course) while the women strut around in the craziest contraptions. But I kept noticing women having trouble going up and down the stairs on the stage - some women even needed assistance, assumedly because their dresses were too constricting or revealing. Kathryn Bigelow was clutching her chest when she won best picture - I was afraid she would faint (although perhaps it wasn't because of her tight dress, I probably would've fainted had i just won Best Director and Best Picture, back to back). Either way, I was fascinated by this slight juxtaposition.

While women have come a long way, and now a female has won best director, how many female directors can you name? Does this equalizing force mean that women have equal opportunity in this field? Just something to think about.

Changing gears entirely, International Women's Day is a day to recognize women and celebrate women's rights, as well as recognize change and progress worldwide. On the global stage, Kathryn Bigelow's win is meaningful, but there are slightly more pressing matters. Planned Parenthood has been committed to investing in girls and women globally for more than 40 years. In terms of reproductive health, we still have a long way to go. While contraception usage has increased, more women are attending school for longer, and more women are in governments than ever, there are still glaring issues. Over 200 million women who wan't to use contraception don't have access it, and every year, half a million women die from pregnancy-related causes, and 20 million have unsafe abortions. Planned Parenthood Federation of America is working within the federal government, and overseas to help with this epidemic.

I'm in the middle of reading Michelle Goldberg's new book, "The Means of Reproduction: Sex power, and the Future of the World," which addresses these issues head on. I think when we talk about reproductive health and equality, we lose sight of what this looks like from an international point of view, and Goldberg puts a persuasive, urgent lens on the idea of reproductive rights. I recommend it, and maybe I'll make a more cohesive blog post about it in a few weeks (spring break can't come soon enough!). For now though, let's celebrate all the gains women have made internationally, while not losing sight of all the work ahead of us. Happy International Women's Day!

Adventures in Sex City: Can a video game be a Sex-Ed tool?

2010-03-05T14:49:00.003-05:00

Though it wasn’t terribly long ago, I can only remember what my sexual education consisted of when I think really, really, hard. I do not even recall any health education classes before high school, and I think this might be due to the fact that I found the whole process of sitting in a classroom, full of my peers, while my crazy teacher held up and pointed out different forms of birth control, terribly uncomfortable and embarrassing.

However, that is basically all my health class covered in relation to sex. Our teacher held up, explained, and passed around a box full of different forms of contraception. We were then required to fill out a worksheet about them, and subsequently quizzed on the varying effectiveness percentages and who they were best suitable for. Sex may have been covered for maybe a week of class time if I round up…and to be honest I do not think anyone absorbed any of the material. This may be due to numerous reasons but personally, I think it is because it was treated as a taboo topic…even in our health class!

The teacher even seemed to be slightly embarrassed to be holding condoms in front of her 15 year-old students…so how could we not exude the uncomfortable feelings right back to her? Because of this mutual uncomfortable-ness, there was no interactive learning whatsoever in this class. There were no discussions prompted, or questions asked, or any sort of interactive learning tactics used at all. In my opinion, interactive learning is most important to keep the message you are teaching stuck in a student’s brain. That, along with connecting it to a way the students will care about it and feel comfortable learning about it, is vital.

The UK seems to have recognized this as well and has come up with a virtual video game to help spread important messages about sex. Adventures in Sex City, created by the UK's Middlesex-London Health Unit, uses characters like The Sperminator, Wonder Vag, and Willy the Kid to engage teens to learn important sexual facts.

Though at first glance I was extremely skeptical, as I delved further into the material and got a sample glance of some of the characters and messages displayed, I started to think that this was genius. Why had someone not come up with a sex-ed video game sooner? Pre-teens and teenagers are notorious of being glued to their computer screens and video game consoles…so of course a video game would get their attention! Topics from abstinence, condoms, STIs to virginity were all covered in the preview that I saw. Though some may think the idea is cheesy, I think it would have definitely gotten my peers’ attention more than the textbook we were forced to read, and the irrelevant facts we were supposed to memorize in my high school.

Hopefully some companies will expand on this idea and bring it over to the States. Though I think the game can be improved to not be so silly and ridiculous, it is a great starting point….and is undoubtedly more entertaining than the old textbooks and sex-ed movies I was forced to sit uncomfortabley through as an adolescent. Hopefully these new interactive video games will save future health class goers from the same health class experiences I had to endure.

How was YOUR National Condom Week?

2010-02-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

Valentine’s Day is sometimes seen as a cheesy hallmark holiday that causes awkward “I love you” moments, filled with expensive dinners, flowers, and chocolates. But if you take a break from the Hallmark attacks, there is something nice about taking time out of your busy life to acknowledge your commitment, love and trust to your significant other. Or to do something sweet for friends and family you love.

Valentine’s Day was also the beginning of National Condom Week, which runs February 14 – February 21st. What better way to show love for your partner than to have safer sex, and talk about condoms, sexual health and love?

During National Condom Week, Planned Parenthood distributed as many free condoms as possible—thousands all over the U.S. You may have seen our Vox chapters spreading the love at SUNY Brockport, SUNY Cortland, or SUNY Geneseo. Perhaps you ran into one of our educators at the Tap & Mallet last weekend giving out fun valentine’s-day themed condom and candy gift bags.

Getting condoms to everybody is an important first step in promoting safer sex. However, once you have the condom, it is just as important to know how to properly use it, and what your back up plan will be if it breaks. (For example, having a packet of emergency contraception in your medicine cabinet just in case.) Discussing these options and ideas with your partner before sex is just as important as making sure you have plenty of condoms onhand.

Remember that male condoms are not the only way to practice safer sex. Female condoms, when used correctly, have been proven to be 79%-95% effective in preventing pregnancies. Also available are hormonal types of birth control, such as the patch or the pill (although these methods do not protect against STIs).

Safer sex isn’t only important for vaginal sex, but for oral or anal sex, too. Yes, the risk of pregnancy goes away. However, it is still possible to transmit STIs via these methods. So use a barrier method like a condom or dental dam for oral and anal sex, too.

In conclusion, stock up, discuss, and have lots of fun. But don’t forget about respecting yourself, and for THAT reason alone insist on condoms.

Hope you had a HAPPY NATIONAL CONDOM WEEK! What did you do to celebrate?

Superbowl Sunday Ad: Controversial?

2010-02-02T13:50:00.006-05:00

Pizza, football, chicken wings, beer….and anti-choice commercials? The biggest buzz about the Super Bowl this year is not the teams playing or the half time show but a 30-second ad by the anti-choice group, Focus on the Family. The ad, featuring football superstar Tim Tebow, has both anti-choice and pro-choice groups up in arms. According to Focus on the Family, the commercial will share the personal story of Pam Tebow, Tim Tebow’s mother. Mrs. Tebow has spoken in the past about her difficult decision to continue her pregnancy during a serious illness, against her doctor’s advice. Her pregnancy resulted in the birth of her son, Tim Tebow, who is now a famous football player.

As this ad shows, because of Roe v Wade, women have the legal right to make decisions about their health that are best for them and their families. This is a right that must be preserved to strengthen the health of women and their families. However, this is not an ad that has a pro-choice message. If you look at the Focus on the Family, their long-stated agenda has been to overturn Roe V. Wade. If Focus on the Family is successful in repealing a woman’s right to choose, women facing a high-risk pregnancy like Pam Tebow’s would not have the ability to make the personal health decision that is right for them. Women with high-risk pregnancies, who know that their lives or the lives of their fetuses are at risk, deserve to have every medical option available to them to consider in consultation with medical professionals. Pam Tebow made the choice to keep her child and the right to do so.

Despite the appeal of the Tebow family story, it is important to remember that Focus on the Family’s goal is to overturn Roe v. Wade and outlaw abortion. This is a position that runs counter to what the majority of Americans believe. Focus on the Family has every right to spend $3 million as it chooses, but it is surprising, at a time when so many individuals in the U.S. and around the world are in need of aid, that a Super Bowl ad is the organization’s priority. The commercial is slated to air on this Sunday’s Superbowl broadcast.

The following is a video featuring Sean James that has been put out by Planned Parenthood:

Scott Roeder found guilty

2010-02-01T14:26:00.005-05:00

“At this time, we hope that George can be remembered for his legacy of service to women (and) the help he provided for those who needed it and the love and happiness he provided us as a husband, father and grandfather.” – Statement on behalf of Jeanne Tiller, Dr. Tiller’s wife

This past Friday, a Kansas jury convicted Scott Roeder of first degree murder in the killing of Dr. George Tiller. I was happy to learn that it only took jurors 37 minutes to find Roeder guilty. He was also convicted of two counts of aggravated assault for pointing his gun at two church members. This verdict is important because it sends the message that a difference of beliefs is never a justifiable reason for murder. Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, issued a statement affirming support for Roeder’s conviction. She said, “Doctors who perform abortions deserve and must receive the full protection of the law. To that end, we are gratified that Judge Warren Wilbert prohibited the argument that Scott Roeder’s deeply felt anti-abortion beliefs made him less culpable for Dr. Tiller’s murder, therefore not allowing the jury to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter.” Family Planning Advocates of NYS President,Tracey Brooks, said the “conviction reinforces the strongly held American value that violence is never the solution to our differences."

Roeder’s trial began on January 22, which was also the 37th anniversary of Roe. V. Wade. Before the trial had even started, Roeder publicly admitted to shooting Dr. Tiller at his church on May 31st. During the trial, Scott Roeder also admitted he had planned to kill Dr. Tiller for many years and had even taken a gun to Tiller’s church before. Roeder argued that his reason for committing the murder was to “halt the death of babies”. This chilling “reason” made Judge Wilbert publicly admit the importance of keeping the issue of abortion, and even the word itself, out of the courtroom. From what was reported from the trial, it seemed that he did a great job at doing just that.

Judge Wilbert originally considered giving jurors the option of convicting Roeder of voluntary manslaughter, which is defined as "an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed that justified deadly force" under Kansas statute. If convicted for voluntary manslaughter, Roeder would have only received a sentence of around five years, as opposed to a possible life sentence if convicted of first-degree murder. The possible use of this defense worried me that a conviction of voluntary manslaughter would have negatively opened the doors for many other killings of this nature. However, as hoped for, Judge Wilbert rejected this defense.

Although I am relieved that justice has been served in this trial, it is impossible to forget the loss of Dr. George Tiller. His bravery to continue working despite numerous attempts on his life and threats to his practice showed his dedication and commitment to helping women. Tiller is the fourth abortion doctor to be killed in the United States since 1993. While I applaud the jury for their fair and honest conviction, it is impossible to overlook the fact that the issue of protecting abortion providers is still far from being resolved.

My Generation, Threats to Roe, and a Call to Action

2010-01-28T13:14:00.034-05:00

Last week, as we celebrated the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I couldn't help but do some deep thinking about my generation and the future of reproductive justice. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade guaranteed a federal Constitutional right to abortion. When I was born, a decade later in 1983, the world had changed for women.

My generation grew up in a post-Roe world. We knew about condoms and birth control and in NYS, we could get birth control without parental consent. Some of us had comprehensive sex ed in our schools (though too many of us still suffered through ineffective abstinence-only programs). We’ve had access to safe and legal reproductive health services all our lives.

Fast forward to today, thirty-seven years post-Roe; my generation is facing the most egregious attack on our reproductive rights of our lifetime. As our federal government debates different proposals to reform health care, abortion access has become the political football.

In the Senate, the “Nelson abortion check provision” would create an unworkable system that burdens individuals and private insurance providers. Under the Nelson provision, individuals who choose a health plan that includes abortion will be required to write two separate checks—one for abortion care and one for everything else.

The House bill is no better. The Stupak amendment to the House bill would ban abortion coverage altogether in the new health care exchange, though it would allow insurance companies to offer a so-called “abortion rider.”

According to recent studies at George Washington University on the impact of the Nelson provision and Stupak amendment, it is highly likely insurers will forgo covering abortion rather than adhere to cumbersome new administrative requirements.

Even if insurers offered separate abortion coverage, women simply would not purchase it. Why? Women do not plan to have an unplanned pregnancy, nor for unexpected medical complications resulting in termination of a wanted pregnancy.

The bottom line is that the Nelson provision and Stupak amendment are not about restricting federal funds from being used for abortion, as anti-choice proponents suggest. The restriction of federal funds for abortion has been law since the passage of the Hyde Amendment in 1976. The Nelson provision and Stupak amendment are thinly cloaked attempts to strip women of abortion access and to stigmatize abortion in health care.

If new language that restricts abortion coverage is passed, women that already pay for private insurance that covers abortion will lose coverage. Women that lose coverage for abortion will have to make hard decisions when faced with an unintended pregnancy. Post-Roe women, like me, can never truly conceive of what happens when access to abortion is denied.

Before Roe, abortions were not legal, but women had them anyway. Wealthier women were able to pay for safer illegal abortions from a doctor. Other women were forced to have back alley abortions, which often caused injury and even death resulting from lack of medical skill and proper sanitation. Some women tried to perform abortions on themselves using coat hangers, knitting needles, chemicals, and other horrifying methods. Thousands of women died.

If health reform includes restriction on abortion coverage, wealthier women will still be able to pay for safe and legal abortion, even if their insurance will not. But what about the rest of us? What about my friends that are recent college grads or single parents with limited income? What about the majority of Americans who, like me, are working full-time and still living paycheck to paycheck? What about those who do not have steady income or have recently become unemployed?

As the health care reform debate presses on, those who want to deny access to comprehensive reproductive health will continue to use women’s health as a barrier to passing health care reform. As we reflect on 37 years of safe and legal abortion, we need the leadership of pro-choice champions in the House and Senate (like Congresswoman Louise Slaughter in Rochester and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer in NYS) to guarantee that health care reform doesn’t leave women worse off than they are today.

This could be the biggest setback of my generation's lifetime. We must act to defeat abortion restrictions in health car ereform! Send a message to your representatives today and educate your friends and family about Stupak and Nelson using the Activist Toolkit.

"The Pregnancy Pact"

2010-01-25T15:02:00.008-05:00

This past Saturday night started off with the intentions of having a simple, relaxing night spent watching a movie with some girlfriends. However, it soon turned into us engaging in somewhat heated discussions over the contents of the movie we were watching. What were we watching you ask? Surprisingly, it was a Lifetime movie that got us all riled up.

Lifetime’s newest “inspired by true events” creation, “The Pregnancy Pact”, premiered last Saturday night at 9:00 pm. The movie followed four teenage girls at a high school in Gloucester, Massachusetts who all become pregnant at the age of fifteen. When the number of pregnant girls at their high school spikes to an astonishing 18, media from all over the nation start to focus on this tiny town. Even more controversy starts to arise when rumors surface that the pregnant girls made a pact to all become pregnant at the same time. Throw in the mother of the main character (pregnant 15 year old Sara’s) who believes in “abstinence-only education”, and Lifetime has quite the drama.

Most of the movie was inspired, not based-on, the 2008 events that occurred in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Though the movie portrays four of the pregnant girls making a pact, none of the real life pregnant Gloucester girls ever admitted to such a pact.

As my friends and I watched the movie, we found ourselves using each commercial break to discuss how irritated we were with the movie. The first thing that immediately got our attention was the immaturity, and seemingly-naivety of the girls who were getting pregnant. Whether this came from the abstinence-only education that their school system firmly believed in, or the way the director wanted these characters to be portrayed, we felt they had no idea how their decision to get pregnant was going to affect them and everyone around them for the rest of their lives. Though this clueless-ness continued throughout most of the movie, the last ten minutes showed the girls coming to the realization of what they had done and the consequences. Everything from the thought of adoption, financial strains, to losing a high-school love was shown as a consequence, and rightfully so.

While we could not come to a conclusion on how we exactly felt about this movie, the fact remains that it gets people to think about the topic of teen pregnancy. Overall, this movie can be used as a great tool for mothers and daughters to open the lines of communication about pregnancy, sex and birth control. I’m confident that no mother that has seen this movie wants to be put in the situation of Sara’s, who firmly believed that her daughter Sara believed in abstinence and was not having sex, only to be completely misinformed when 15 year-old Sara announces she is pregnant. After seeing that miscommunication, I think every mother with a daughter would want to sit her daughter down and watch this with her.

While the actions and thoughts of the movies’ teen girls are more than often very questionable, by the end of the movie I believe a strong message was put forth that teen pregnancy is a serious issue facing the entire nation, and is not something that should be accepted or ignored. Communication, education, and prevention were all ways the movie highlighted on how to deal with this issue, and overall, I believe Lifetime did a good job bringing teen pregnancy to the forefront of many families’ minds.

Blog For Choice 2010

2010-01-22T17:45:00.005-05:00

Happy 37th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade!
This year, the focus of Blog For Choice Day is simply "Trust Women" in honor of Dr. George Tiller. I have so much to say that I'm not even sure where to start.

After Dr. Tiller's murder, I spoke to my mom about late-term abortions. My mom conceded that she was somewhat confused about them. I recognize that the underlying assumption that people have about these procedures is that these women simply "waited too long" before deciding to have an abortion - women who suddenly had a change of heart, and ran down to Kansas to nip it in the bud, on a whim.

Doesn't sound very trusting of women, does it? That mentality assumes that women don't know anything - they don't know what they're doing, they don't understand the enormity of this decision, and they shouldn't be trusted to make these decisions for themselves. This is the same mentality that allows waiting laws to be put in place (Here's the link to a map of waiting periods around the nation) and the mentality that would consider mandating that women see a sonogram before obtaining an abortion. These laws are not very trusting of women, are they. At the very least, they assume that for women to make good choices, they need the intervention of the (overwhelmingly male) government.

I had a related conversation today with my cousin. She's a registered nurse in the maternity ward of a nearby hospital. We started the chat by admitting that our views probably clashed on choice - but it turned out that we were almost on the same page. We both agreed that if abortion wasn't legal, it wouldn't change the number of abortions - it would just make them less safe. And we both agreed that there are times that women need safe and legal abortions. But she sees women and teens come in for their 3rd or 4th abortion, and felt very strongly that it shouldn't be used as birth control. I argued that there are other forces at work that put women into those positions. At the end of our conversation, I timidly informed her that she was, in fact, pro-choice, according to my definition.

But it got me thinking - the reason my cousin considers herself pro-life is because she doesn't think all women make good decisions concerning it. I tried to say that there's no way anyone can know what any woman goes through because deciding to get an abortion, and there are probably very few women that take the issue lightly, and don't think much of it. And that assuming all women are airheads doesn't help any of these causes. That's what Trust Women is all about! If we trusted that all women knew what they were doing, and could be trusted to make decisions concerning their bodies and their personal physical and mental health, nobody would be pro-life. Right? Nobody would want to intervene in that personal, life-changing choice - because it wouldn't be questioned.

All these conversations remind me of this amazing site, which includes memoirs by women who went to Kansas for late-term abortions at Dr. Tiller's clinic. None of the decisions were taken lightly. Some of the women discovered that their child would have a horrible condition if they carried it to term, and the child's life would be confined to a few painful (expensive) months in a hospital room. I heard a story of a set of twins with a rare blood condition, and the mother had a selective abortion in order to give one baby the chance of survival. Some women were faced with their own health risks if they didn't abort. Some women were faced with financial hurdles - they couldn't raise the money in time to have an abortion in their state, or they couldn't take off work, or couldn't pay for the necessary transportation to get them to the clinic until late in the pregnancy. It seemed like most of the women in need of late-term abortion had already been slammed with the worst situations and circumstances, and the system had put them into these dire positions. It pains me to think that people would say that these women shouldn't be trusted to make these decisions - but that's exactly what's going on.

Trusting women is a big deal, and a big commitment, but it's more important to our cause than almost anything else. People think my generation doesn't understand the importance of Roe V. Wade because I never lived in a time without it, and I don't fully understand what it would mean not to be there - and that may be true, to an extent. But Dr. Tiller's death, and Kansas stories opened my eyes to the importance of Roe V. Wade, and all the other work that we need to do.

Women's Health Matters! Day of Action

2010-01-14T23:28:00.008-05:00

Monday was the Women's Health Matters Day of Action in Albany, NY. After the "Stop Stupak" lobbying effort in DC in December, I knew I couldn't miss out on more lobbying, especially on a more local and tangible level. I'd never really been to Albany before, and was eager to channel my love for New York into support of family planning funding and other pro-choice initiatives.

On the bus ride up, we were all briefed on what we'd be lobbying for and I was sort of blown away by the scope of the situation. Here are the key points:

Family Planning Funding

Funding has been frozen at 1993 levels since 1995. One speaker put this in perspective by saying "Can you think of any service that doesn't cost more now than it did in 1995?"
For every $1 spent on family planning services in New York, $4 in Medicaid costs are saved - in the same budget year.
For every Medicaid dollar New york spends on family planning, the federal government reimburses the state 90 cents.
More in 6 in 10 patients receiving care at a women's health center (like Planned Parenthood) consider it their primary source of health care. In other words, this may be the only doctor many people see on a regular basis.

Reproductive Health Act

On the bus, I learned that the law in New York that legalized abortion needs to be updated. For one thing, it doesn’t allow for abortion if a woman’s health is in danger during her pregnancy, like Roe v. Wade does. This means that if Roe Vs Wade was overturned (worst case scenario), a women would not have the same reproductive health care services available to her in New York that she does now. .
This act ensures that a woman will be able to have an abortion if her health is endangered, regulates abortion care in public health law instead of the criminal code (where it has been since before 1970), and guarantees everyone the right to use or refuse contraception.
New York was one of the first states to permit safe and legal abortion, but now the laws need to be strengthened to protect a woman's health and her access to comprehensive reproductive health care.

I was amazed at how dire these issues seem, yet I didn't really know anything about either one beforehand. I guess that makes it more pressing and more important to educate about.

Once we got to Albany, we were ushered to The Well, where we got to see a handful of really amazing speakers and supporters. Tracey Brooks, President and CEO of Family Planning Advocates opened the program; Hon. Thomas DiNapoli, State Comptroller, was remarkably candid and honest in his support of these pro-choice initiatives, and a group of six distinguished state legislators showed their unwavering support before the Governor got to the podium. I've always loved David A. Paterson, and he is a really wonderful, amicable speaker. On the issues I am passionate about, Governor Paterson is without a doubt the best person for the job.

The keynote address was by Michelle Goldberg, author of NYTimes Bestseller The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World. She put all her pro-choice views into a global, intersectional perspective and spoke about the lack of abortion laws in other countries. Without being patronizing or negative, she reminded us that the fight was nowhere near over, not in New York, and not anywhere. Her speech was so moving that my mom and I both ordered her book as soon as we got home (without realizing we were each doing it! So now we'll have two).

My mom and I only had one lobbying visit - state Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, from my district. Thankfully, she was already briefed on our positions, and turned out to be good friends with two of the women accompanying us. She was understanding and open, and our meeting turned out to be rather informal, which was nice. I had never met her before, and I was really pleased to see how much she already knew about family planning funding. She assured us that she would cosign the Reproductive Rights Act (adding that she might have done so already, and that she was pretty sure she had cosigned every reproductive rights bill ever. Very cool.)

One of the best parts of this day, for me, was spending the day with my mom (and her friend Denise! Hi!). She lobbied in Albany 30 years ago, and actually interned with Family Planning Advocates when she was at school at SUNY Albany. Being back in the thick of the action was really exciting for her, and made her want to be more involved again, like she used to be. And, not to toot my own horn, but I was the reason she came to Albany. She is really proud of me for being so active and vocal, but I wouldn't be so passionate if it wasn't for her involvement. A few people thought she had taken me on my first lobbying trip, but it was more like I persuaded her to join me. All in all, it was a cool way ensure that the pro-choice movement is still strong - that the younger generation is getting involved and lobbying just as hard our mothers did - and hey, maybe we're reminding our mothers how good it felt back then.

Sex Education Is Never Too Late

2010-01-09T19:59:00.012-05:00

I'm 20 years old. I remember a few years ago, when I was 17 or so, my mom said something to me like "I'm glad you're past the point where it'd be a problem if you got pregnant." I was shocked - I didn't feel that way at all. I reminded her that I was still in high school, I was planning on college, still wasn't at a point where I'd want to have a baby - but she had just meant that I "wasn't 14" anymore, and that it wouldn't be as scandalous, as unsafe, as unexpected. I couldn't believe she had said that to me, to be honest.

I know my mom didn't mean "Relax! Now's the time to have a baby!" She still wants me on birth control, and I'm sure that if I got pregnant today, it would be a somewhat unwelcome alteration in my life and hers (among many other lives!). But new research shows that I'm still not out of the woods yet:

For parents like me, who hoped that a child's 21st birthday meant we finally could put our feet up on the coffee table, this is alarming news: New research shows that our 20somethings don't want to have a child at this time in their lives but aren't doing much to prevent it. And the result is that among unmarried women in their 20s, 7 of 10 pregnancies are unplanned. Seventy percent.

My mom's response to this article is "That's because parents don't teach their kids about birth control!" She went on to say that the message isn't clear to girls that you can get pregnant just by having sex once - and that girls aren't informed, and sex education is lacking. But she stressed that a lot of it lies with parents. The article agrees:

It turns out that the heads of our 20somethings are filling with so much myth, misinformation and magical thinking that we, their parents, should be ashamed of the job we've done on this important topic.

The article is interesting because it points out that these women aren't stupid, aren't necessarily ill-informed about contraception, and seem to know what they want, but are still having unplanned pregnancies. That confuses me - I don't want a kid today. So I use condoms and I'm on the pill - it just makes sense. But my mom and I talk openly (sometimes too openly!) about sex and protection, and I'm a huge planned parenthood advocate. Aside from being a women's studies major. Maybe I take this all this information and foresight for granted.

The disconnect between what women WANT and what women DO seems to be huge; that women might want a pregnancy at some point, but aren't taking the necessary precautions to ensure that that time isn't NOW. The writer of this article is confused, as am I. Is the answer better sex ed? More sex ed? Different sex ed? Probably. But something has gotta change.

Definitely check it out here!

A Lose for Nelson: A Win for Women

2009-12-16T13:13:00.004-05:00

On December 8th Planned Parenthood along with women across the country celebrated the defeat of the Nelson-Hatch amendment in the Senate. Senator Barbara Boxer motioned to table the amendment and the motion passed with vote of 54-45.The Nelson-Hatch Amendment, proposed by Senators Ben Nelson and Orrin Hatch mirrored the Stupak amendment in the House health care reform bill. Meaning, the amendment would have placed a new restriction on women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, effectively undermining the ability of millions of women to purchase private health insurance plans that cover abortion care, even if they pay the entire premium with their own money.

I would also like to point out that before Senator Nelson formally proposed his anti-choice amendment he publicly stated he needed more time so the Conference of Catholic Bishops could review the language of the amendment. Um, let’s back up here; a U.S. Senator cannot propose his bill until Catholic Bishops review it? Perhaps Senator Nelson needs to take another look at the First amendment of the U.S. Constitution. You know, that one credited with separation of church and state because the Conference of Catholic Bishops should have no place in formally reviewing the language of any political amendments before they are proposed for legislation.

Thankfully, most of our Senators do not feel the way Senator Nelson does; sixteen Senators spoke out against the bill before it was tabled including New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: “I think there has been a lot of misinformation about what the Stupak measure does and the level of danger that this kind of sweeping change could pose to women and young girls. … This health care package must move us forward towards quality, affordable health care for all Americans. I ask my colleagues to oppose the Nelson Amendment and any similar measure and I ask that we work together to preserve current law and respect the private choices made between a woman and her doctor.” I highly recommend watching Gillibrand and the 15 other Senators speeches, they put a much needed reality check on the Stupak and Nelson amendments.

Unfortunately the fight is not over yet though, the Stupak amendment is still in the House bill and can still make it into the final bill. Once the Senate passes their form of the health care bill the two bills need to be reconciled and then proposed to the President. So while this week was cause for celebration the fight for women’s reproductive rights still continues. The Stupak amendment continues to be a threat to woman’s reproductive rights and we must remain vigilant in order to make sure that Stupak does not make it into the final bill.

To thank New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer for protecting women’s rights for choice and voting against the Nelson amendment click the following link: http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/hcr09hnat_af?rk=p1SvXnpqaBfIE

Failure in New York State Senate

2009-12-04T16:28:00.002-05:00

"There's never a good time for civil rights... but the paradox is that it's always the right time to be on the right side of history."
The preceding quote was spoken by Senator Tom Duane referring to New York’s proposed Gay Marriage bill. As we all know now, the bill failed but that doesn’t mean the issue is over or that the bills proposal was a complete failure. Senators supporting the bill made impassionate and empowering speeches hopefully opening up the eyes of all New Yorkers and shaming those Senators who voted the bill down.

It is not the role or right of government to decide who people can or cannot marry. Separation of church and state is a fundamental value of the American constitution. If a church refuses to marry a couple then that is their right, for our government to deny a couple their legal right to obtain a marriage license though is a blatant disregard of our constitution as well as the American value equality.

Those opposed to gay marriage defend themselves by saying they are protecting the “sanctity of marriage”. I have a friend who, at age 20, married a 19 year old boy she met three weeks earlier. Did I approve of that marriage? Of course not. But they were able to do it because they were two legal, willing adults who decided to make the commitment to each other. How can we say that the two of them, being so young, barely knowing each other and having no real life plan can get married but two adults of the same sex who have been in a long term committed relationship cannot? Who are the ones that are really threatening the sanctity of marriage; those in same sex relationships or those who are too immature, selfish or ignorant to even know what a marriage is?

Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson summed it up best when she said her constituents did not elect her to be the moral arbiter of their decisions, everyone has the right to choose the way they want to live. Other senators pointed out how it was not too long ago that the color of a person’s skin determined who they could and could not marry and the same arguments were used then that are being used now.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, marriage is: the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage . Look at that Senators, it appears we wouldn’t have been changing the definition of marriage after all, huh?

STOP STUPAK - National Day of Action

2009-12-04T00:37:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I had the good fortune to be able to attend the National Day of Action against the Stupak Amendment in Washington, DC.

When I got the first email about the event a few weeks ago, I lamented the fact the Wednesdays I have class straight from 9:30 until 3:35, and couldn't rationalize missing a Wednesday. But after receiving a few more emails, and reading up about Stupak, I couldn't rationalize NOT going down to DC. Skipping classes wasn't even a question once I thought about it. Exercising my right as a citizen, and participating in democracy is infinitely more important than one day of my classes. And what is college preparing me for, if not this? So we went. A group from my WGS 301 class with Minnie Bruce Pratt drove down with a bunch of other other students, totaling at 11!

After an eventful drive down at 4am -- I'll spare you the details, (OK I won't - we ran over a dead deer! It was so crazy! So we lost an hour off the drive waiting for AAA to come help us out. But the damage is very minor, don't worry) we made it into DC just in time for the noon rally. We were ushered to an overflow room since the main room was over capacity - and when we sat down, we noticed that our party was standing right behind the podium! Our friend Andrea was on screen the whole rally! She was directly behind so many famous and influential women, I couldn't believe it. We kept cursing that deer for making us late!

But the rally was incredible. So many women I admire so much! Cecile Richards was the emcee - it was weird seeing her right there - I'm so used to seeing her face as an icon at the bottom of all the emails I get from PPFA! Other memorable speakers were Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who got the crowd really pumped, and Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), who showed us an old campaign poster, when her slogan was "Pro-Choice. Pro-Change." My own representative, Nita Lowey (D-NY!) gave a rousing call to action that made me proud to be from the great 18th district of the Empire State. She's very vocal and wonderful and I love her a lot (She also hooked me up with tickets to Obama's inauguration, back in January!).

Many other important people spoke, and one woman relayed another woman's extremely moving story. The woman was never hugely concerned with abortion rights, since she knew that if she got pregnant, she wouldn't consider getting an abortion. But when she got pregnant with twins, and they were diagnosed with a very dangerous fetal anomaly, she was thrust into the abortion debate. The odds were that both twins would die, unless they elected to abort one in the hopes that the other survived. If the Stupak Amendment passes, this procedure won't be covered by insurance. Luckily for her, 80% of it was covered, and it seemed that it went well - she just finished paying off the bills, 3 years later. She reminded us that these diseases don't choose wealthy people, and that if she wasn't fortunate enough to be covered by issuance and be able to pay for her share of the abortion, there is no way she would've been able to have it, and she would've buried both her twins, not just one. It was incredibly moving, and refocused my thoughts on abortion and why it's necessary that it be safe and legal.

Our room began clearing out for another meeting, and the main room was open, so we went down and saw the end of the rally in person, holding up our signs and waving the our party standing behind the podium. Then we met up with KaeLyn Rich, who I'd never met in person! She told us about a free youth lunch, and about our meeting at 3:15 with Senator Gillibrand.

The lunch was one of the highlights of the day for me. Everyone says that our generation is characterized by apathy and inaction, but this lunch proved that all very wrong. It was full of youth activists and feminists, all passionate and excited. The room was buzzing with excitement. And furthermore, a host of my idols were there. I had spotted Shelby Knox at the rally, and couldn't figure out where I knew her from - and then I realized she's awesome and famous and I've seen her movie! She was at the lunch, as well as Miriam and Jos - two editors from Feministing. Latoya Peterson was there too, from Racialicious and a host of other blogs and media. There were also representatives from a bunch of other organizations that cater to youth, who were willing to talk to us and make connections. It was really a power-lunch, and I met a lot of people I admire. A lot.

Then we walked back to the Senate building to see my senator - Kristen Gillibrand - I wasn't sure it going to actually be her, I heard a lot of people would be meeting with Aides - but sure enough, she walked right in. I sat in the front row, and it was really cool. I've never really seen a politician up close like that. I thought about how powerful she is and how much impact she has on my life, yet she's just a normal lady who is against the Stupak amendment like me. And thankfully, she made that crystal clear. She was unwavering is announcing her opposition to Stupak and her support of our cause. We asked her what we could be doing to help - she said to blog about it, and spread the word. So here I am.

Then Chuck Schumer walked in! I literally gasped when I saw him walk in, I'm not quite sure why. He has so much leverage in the Senate, and is so well-known, I just was so amazed that he was there. And he, too, was very firm and positive about Stupak. He loudly voiced his opposition to any healthcare bill that restricted abortion even further than current laws. He said that what we could do is call our Representatives and tell them that they should yield to the Senate wording (assuming that no Stupak-esque language makes it into the Senate version, which is not yet guaranteed…) of the bill. My friend Mary stood up and told him where our group was from, and thanked him for his work on these issues, and he said Go Orange! It was so exciting! Someone asked him what he would do if the Stupak amendment made it into the final version, after the discussions - would he vote for it? And he basically said No. He sad that he would try to get his colleagues to urge the bill to be sent back, and for that wording to be taken out, before voting yet for healthcare. That was very reassuring to me - I hope he sticks to his guns. I emailed him today urging him to be strong on that promise.

This post is getting long, let me wrap it up. All in all, it was a very cool day. Being in DC, walking around the house and senate office buildings, felt so good and right - this is what we should be doing: making our voices heard. Being surrounded by other pro-choice activists felt so right. It was such an amazing, empowering day. And I left feeling reassured by Schumer's comment - let's all urge our senators to put a stop to these restrictions. We can't let this language make it into the healthcare reform. Women's rights are human rights - it's as simple as that.

With liberty and healthcare for all,
Sammy

PS - read about some of the concerns I had about the day, and some of the tension we felt, over at Conscious Media, the blog for my "Race, Gender and Media" class!

Oh! And that's me on the left!

Should Teen Vogue have pulled this cover?

2009-11-24T10:38:00.008-05:00

Teen Vogue's November cover has caused quite a stir. Though it is not evident from the picture, one of the models on this cover is a teenager, and pregnant. Jourdan Dunn is not visibly pregnant on the cover, but the 19-year-old reveals this information inside the magazine.

Many parents, teens, and teen-pregnancy prevention groups were not happy that a popular publication like Teen Vogue, a magazine that many teenage girls read, had a pregnant model in the magazine, without an accompanying article that states that teen pregnancy is "not OK".

I personally think that they are blowing the issue out of proportion. The cover only shows the models from the chest up and does not show any physical evidence of Jourdan's pregnancy. While it is stated in the magazine, the article in no way advocates teen pregnancy.

Instead of reprimanding Teen Vogue, I think parents should actually use this cover as a "teachable moment" to talk to their daughters about how to prevent pregnancy until it is the right time in their lives. The average age of Teen Vogue readers is 18, so pregnancy is an applicable topic that they should be educated on and not be afraid to talk about. If parents are so afraid that the media their daughters are consuming will have an adverse affect on them, then they should intervene when they see a topic like this brought up and use it as an opportunity to open the lines of communication.

Stupak Attack

2009-11-12T21:56:00.003-05:00

Upon hearing that the health care reform bill finally passed the House most of us shouted, “Victory!”; however, when I heard that the bill passed with the Stupak/Pitts amendment attached which leaves women worse off than they were before reform and blatantly violates President Obama’s promise that no man or woman would lose coverage they have today, I could not be more disappointed.

Abortion is a legal medical procedure in this country and should not be treated differently than any other medical procedure. In today’s health insurance system over 85% of private insurance companies cover abortion. The Stupak/Pitts amendment would restrict women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. I think what really bothers me the most though is our elected officials. Do we not live in America? The country that was founded on freedom and choice? The Stupak/Pitts amendment takes away that right to choose from millions of women because of the personal feelings of a select group of people who are against reproductive rights. The vast majority of House members who support the Stupak/Pitts amendment do not even support the health care reform bill. They are simply using health care reform to advance their extreme, ideological agenda at the expense of tens of millions of women.

Those who voted for the Stupak/Pitts amendment defend themselves by saying women who want comprehensive reproductive health care coverage can purchase a separate, single-service rider to cover abortion. The fact is that no one plans on having an unintended or medically complicated pregnancy that would require ending the pregnancy so why would anyone purchase separate insurance for it? That is like saying anyone who has ever smoked a cigarette should purchase separate insurance in case they get lung cancer because we don’t want to pay for it.

The Stupak/Pitts amendment violates the spirit of health care reform. Every American citizen should be outraged by the Stupak/Pitts amendment, no matter what your stance on abortion is. Our government is supposed to defend everyone’s right to make personal choices on what is best for them. It seems they have forgotten that and I think it is time for us to remind them.

Join Planned Parenthood in the fight against the Stupak Ban and for women's rights by signing this petition addressed to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Pelosi. You can also share your stories illustrating why it is important to you for health care insurance to cover abortion services by emailing them to krich@pprsr.org.

FEMINISM - The Other F Word

2009-11-09T00:45:00.004-05:00

I know that title is cliche and overdone - everyone even remotely involved in feminist circles knows that feminism is a "dirty word" to those who don't self-identify. It conjures up images of radical, petty, bra-burning, hairy-legged lesbians ("what's so wrong about that?!" says the radical, hairy-legged women's studies major). I've been thinking a lot about THE WORD recently, because of my most recent endeavor, a feminist magazine startup here at Syracuse University, Medusa. (Check out our blog!)

We decided (or maybe we didn't decide, maybe it just happened organically) to overtly identify our magazine as feminist. We labeled it as a "feminist publication," and we made one of our goals to "demystify the word." We want women to recognize that their goals are in line with feminism and "convince" women that feminism isn't scary, and explain how the reasons we find it threatening are related the same forces that keep women oppressed in the first place. But even with all that talk, I get confused as to why the word is important. And I need to bear in mind that we don't want to indoctrinate people or try and "convert" them to feminism; that wouldn't solve anything either.

It gets confusing! And it's easy to get lost in the rhetoric, and to get caught up in the controversies. That's why it was refreshing to see this analysis of the word, among other topics. At a recent PPNYC event, three awesome feminists had a panel-type discussion that touched on these exact issues.

I especially like Jessica Valenti's takedown (I tend to think that everything Jessica Valenti touches turns to gold)

Valenti said she embraced the word [feminism], and that there was no point in picking another, less loaded term because "I think any word you use to talk about women's rights is going to become a dirty word."

It's kind of sad to think about, but I think it's true. It can't be a coincidence that the word that many of the strongest, most empowered and autonomous women I know identify as is also a bad word. It keeps people from embracing those ideals, and that framing is what keeps women apart, keeps women pitted against each other.

To paraphrase Valenti, any word you use to talk about a woman's control over her own body is going to become, for some people, a dirty word.

I am still working this out, and trying to balance out my own beliefs about feminism with running a feminist magazine. And figuring out how to explain to people why feminism is amazing, and not something to be feared. And while I work all this out, I'm going to keep identifying as feminist, and hopefully changing peoples misconceptions about what that means. (h/t Hannah Warren, my amazing Medusa co-founder and editor-in-chief; I'll keep everyone posted when the first issue drops next semester!)

What is Sexually Explicit About this Photo?

2009-11-06T14:54:00.005-05:00

Celebrating a woman’s body has always been a controversial thought. However, many would like to think that our world is becoming increasingly open to the human form in all of its glory, including a woman’s pregnant body. Unfortunately, the ever-evolving world of Facebook (most of whose users are of college age), does not agree.

Cary Curran, a member of a New York City based dance troupe, recently had her Facebook account deleted without her knowledge or consent by the administrators of the popular social networking site. This was due to the fact that Curran decided to upload a picture of her semi-nude pregnant body as her profile picture. Curran, who celebrates the often semi-naked body daily as part of her profession, saw nothing wrong with the picture that featured her in simply “gold pasties, a thong bikini bottom and a liberal sprinkling of gold body glitter”.

Facebook decided this picture constituted sexually explicit material, which is banned by Facebook user's Statements of Rights and Responsibilities. Though parts of Curran’s breasts are exposed in the picture, she is not fully nude. In addition to her not being fully nude in the picture, so again, the question can be posed, what is sexually explicit about her picture? Her genitalia is not exposed, and no sexual acts are being performed in the picture. Therefore, Facebook seems to be defining any form of nudity as sexually explicit, thereby further reinforcing our country’s outlook that the naked woman form is shameful and should not be exposed.

This makes me wonder if Facebook applies this view of nudity being sexually explicit material to other cultures where unlike America, nudity is embraced. Last semester as I traveled around Europe, I was time and time again exposed to nudity on numerous beaches from Spain to Italy. Women everywhere sunbathed topless and no one gave a second glance. As I pondered how everyone seemed to be so comfortable with their bodies, I realized the reason why I would never think about taking my top off was the fact that I was raised in a country where nudity and celebrating the woman’s body is looked down upon, and not talked about often. By deleting Curran’s account, Facebook is reinforcing this thought process. I would in fact like to see how European Facebook account holders would react to this profile picture of Curran. My bet is they would see nothing wrong with it, and in fact, it would not faze them in the slightest.

The fact of the matter is, we are all exposed to far more explicit material everyday on primetime television. Tune in at anytime to an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and while body parts are not fully exposed, the actions they are portraying during sex scenes are far more sexually explicit than a picture of a semi-nude, pregnant, female body. Or, how about this weeks upcoming attraction for the latest Gossip Girl episode which apparently is featuring a threesome?! Sexually explicit material? Guess we will see.

All in all, if Facebook insists on counting Curran’s picture as sexually explicit material, they could have at least given her a warning so that she could take appropriate action such as removing the picture, instead of deleting her entire account. Really Facebook, do you know how much time it takes to accumulate all of those “friends” and upload all of those pictures? Work with us here.

Abstinence-Only MISeducation

2009-11-05T14:35:00.002-05:00

I went to high school in diverse, liberal White Plains, New York. The health classes I had were more honest and less shameful than most of my friends went through. I remember my teacher putting a condom on my friend's head in 7th grade, to show how strong and durable they were (and to prove that nobody is "too big" for a normal sized condom, but that's another story). I learned all about birth control and contraception very early on, and although it wasn't always gay-friendly or perfect in all respects, I was happy with my sexual education, especially after it was supplemented by my openminded mother.

That is, until high school. Which is strange. We still had the openminded curriculum, the table full of different birth control methods (so many choices!), but we also had a textbook. A textbook from Texas. ok. And in the index, the word "condom" was not found.

I wrote an editorial for the my high school newspaper, The Orange, about how misleading this was. And how even though my teacher supplemented the curriculum with that table covered in birth control choices, it wasn't right to have that abstinence-only textbook. Not in my liberal school district. My editorial was met with scorn from the health department - my teacher cornered me in the hallway and reminded me about how well they taught birth control. And I reminded her that I really appreciated that - and that if we support teaching that, we shouldn't have been using a textbook that didn't uphold those beliefs. I'm still kind of impressed that my highschool-self had the foresight to feel so strongly about that. I wonder if they still use those textbooks.

Ok, what am I trying to say? I remember from that textbook, the chapter on STDs said, under the heading "how to avoid contracting an STD" something along the lines of "have a high self esteem! So you can't be coerced into having sex." There wasn't anything overt about shame, or about how sex is bad and dirty (not that I remember, anyway) - but even so, I couldn't take it.

Abstinence-only sex education is unacceptable. Not only does it not work (which ought to be enough, right?) but it instills shame and fear in everyone. And it's dangerous! Even if everyone listened and decided to be abstinent until marriage (63% of high school seniors have had sex), they wouldn't know how to use a condom when they got around to it. STDs and unplanned pregnancies don't just go away once you get married. IF you get married.

That's why we need REAL sex ed! This post over at RHrealitycheck details some of the more shameful tactics abstinence-only people are using, and explains how the industry is changing. As more people reject abstinence-only sex ed, the less government money goes toward it, the people proliferating it are going to have to change their tactics - and we need to watch out for that underlying shame!

UN Report on Human Rights Takes Gender Binaries and Shatters 'em!

2009-10-26T12:33:00.004-04:00

An article today on Feministing.com shared that a UN study titled "Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism" was released that focuses primarily on gender discrimination within the issue. It takes a fluid and flexible approach to gender as a social structure and uses inclusive language to also recognize transgender identity and experience.

Most important, in my opinion, is that the report acknowledges the ways by which national security measures negatively impact transgender people. This is a quote straight from the UN report:

"Counter-terrorism measures disproportionately affect women and transgender asylum-seekers, refugees and immigrants in specific ways. For example, enhanced immigration controls that focus attention on male bombers who may be dressing as females to avoid scrutiny make transgender persons susceptible to increased harassment and suspicion. Similarly, counter-terrorism measures that involve increased travel document security, such as stricter procedures for issuing, changing and verifying identity documents, risk unduly penalizing transgender persons whose personal appearance and data are subject to change."

Click the title above to link to the full story.

International Sex-Ed

2009-10-23T13:03:00.002-04:00

UNESCO, an education based agency of the United Nations has proposed setting voluntary universal sexual education guidelines for all UN members in what is titled International Guidelines for Sexuality Education. The initiative aims at reducing H.I.V. infections as well as other STI’s among young people, teaching the right to obtain an abortion as a fundamental human value, instructing on the different ways to have safe sex and educating on sexualities other than heterosexual as well as on masturbation. UNESCO states the guidelines are based on 87 studies from around the world and review curriculum's from 12 different countries. The guidelines, which are evidence-informed and rights-based in content, explain what sexual education is and why it is important to teach.

According to International Planned Parenthood Federation, at least 111 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted diseases occur among young people (ages 15-24) every single year which many, including UNESCO officials, believe is due to lack of education on safe sex. “Math and Science are valued as important knowledge for young people to have for their own sake, a sound sexuality education should be equally valued” states co-author Nanette Ecker. And she makes a valid point; education is recognized as progress in any country so why should sexual education be any different?

The guidelines have raised a lot of criticism from conservative and religious groups stating the content counters their personal beliefs and therefore is culturally insensitive. Strange, I was not aware of any culture that prescribed to ignorance. Teaching acceptance, safe sex practices and educating for safe healthy abortion rights simply means that those who want to exercise these rights will be better informed and lead healthier lives. No where in the guidelines does it advocate for young people to do anything except make healthy and safe life choices of their own and accept the choices of others. The simple purpose of these proposed guidelines is to educate kids on all the alternatives they have when it comes to their sexual health and everyone should be educated on their right to choose, what they choose is up to them.

How do you love it?

2009-10-19T11:51:00.006-04:00

I wanted to post this early so that you could have enough time to plan your celebration! October 21st is Love Your Body Day and, yes, it seems sad that in our busy lives we must set aside a day to be conscious of loving your body, but it's so hard to LOVE YOUR BODY when often all you see in ads are incredibly hard to attain bodies. So, on Wednesday, take a moment with yourself or with your friends to ruminate on your curvy hips, your yummy legs, lovely tummy or that scar you got from falling off your bike when you were chasing the neighborhood boys down the street.

Leave a comment and let us know how you are celebrating!

"Be my date for my abortion?"

2009-10-12T16:27:00.007-04:00

Lots of blog chatter about a short film directed by Gillian Robespierre, called Obvious Child. It captures the essence of Juno and Knocked Up but does what neither of them could: presents a meaningful representation of abortion.

A touch of unbelievable romantic comedy? Yes. Dialogue very similar to Juno? Yes. If these things bother you, get past it and quickly realize that your watching a conversation about abortion that is very similar to the experience that a majority of people have when it comes to unintended pregnancy. Guttmacher states that 1 in 3 women will have an abortion before age 45. That means many of us have someone in our lives who has experienced abortion. It's something that we don't talk about in our culture. The truth is, women have a wide range of feelings when it comes to unintended pregnancy and abortion. What to do following a postive pregnancy test may be simple for some and complicated for others.

Another great thing about this film is that it sheds some light on the actual process of abortion which is often mystified. Not only do some people make assumptions of what it's like for someone to decide to have an abortion but they also have assumptions of what the actual medical process is like. People may wonder what the clinic looks like or what the clinic "feels" like. This short film provides insight to the realities of abortion. When it comes to women's health and reproductive rights, demystifying abortion is an important step in educating others.

If you get an abortion in Oklahoma, your information will be published on the world wide web.

2009-10-10T20:51:00.006-04:00

I thought Roe vs. Wade upheld that abortions fall under our constitutional right to privacy? Then HOW is THIS allowed?

The law...mandates that a 34-item questionnaire be filled out by abortion providers for each procedure. The questionnaire doesn't include the woman's name or "any information specifically identifying the patient," but it does ask for age, race, level of education, marital status, number of previous pregnancies, and the county in which the abortion was performed, information which opponents of the bill argue would be enough to identify a woman in a small town. The questionnaire also asks about the mother's reason for the abortion, her method of payment, and even what type of insurance she has, as well as whether the fetus received anaesthetic and whether there was "an infant born alive as a result of the abortion." (emphasis mine)

I suppose the makers of this law (which will be enacted November 1 - it has already passed) think that by leaving out a woman's name, all published information is completely anonymous, and can't in any way be incriminating or identifying? I am so disgusted.

They are saying the new laws will help get information to prevent future abortions, but I just don't see the correlation. All I can see is that women are going to be scared. And it's yet another hurdle women must get over before they are allowed to have this legal procedure.

Miriam at Feministing says:

Imagine these kinds of requirements for other medical procedures? Plastic surgeries, or vasectomies, or anything else? It's absurd beyond belief.

Luckily, lots of organizations have already begun fighting this new law. Let's hope it never goes into effect...

For now, here are some links to check out what others are saying:
Salon
Feminists for Choice
Feministing
Jezebel
Think Progress
And you can read the full version of the law here(pdf).

Georgia teen told by school officials to dress more "manly"

2009-10-09T15:44:00.001-04:00

This is outrageous.

Dr. Phil: Another Irresponsible Talking Head

2009-10-09T15:39:00.010-04:00

I’m on a forever media watch. We have lies about health care, propaganda of political agendas. I’m confused: is it the media’s job to relay information that is happening among the everyday people or is it to find little tidbits of material to sensationalize and broadcast over the air?

Dr. Phil’s latest episode Teen Sex Trends, has done an enormous disservice to people who are raising and caring for young adults in our society. Jezebel sums up the episode very well with an edited video clip. Dr. Phil's opening is infuriating, referencing “your” young daughters as these little stuffed animal toting powder puffs that are being destroyed by sex. He says he will “arm” and “prepare” you to “inoculate your daughter against getting caught up in this.” Ugh. He goes on misconstrue statistics to support his argument that “teen whoring” is every where.

His view, unfortunately, goes along with how a majority of our society approaches sexuality: that, in this case, young girls need to be “protected” from the evil ways of sex. Disease, disaster and dysfunction are is often the framework of how people think of sexuality and here is a prime example of it in the mainstream media.

Educating about sexuality is the answer here. Talking to kids and young adults is the answer. Making assumptions about why young people are participating in oral sex is not the answer. For some amazing commentary on this topic check out the Sex Positions blog on the National Sexuality Resource Center website (one of my fav sites!).

P.S. I'm excited for my first post here! I'm an outreach and education specialist here at PPRSR. You'll be hearing more from me soon.

College regulates student sex..

2009-10-09T15:15:00.004-04:00

So, a new policy at Tufts University regulates sex in dorms, which actually (to me) seems fair enough:

"The Office of Residential Life and Learning (ResLife) has added a new stipulation to its guest policy that prohibits any sex act in a dorm room while one's roommate is present. The stipulation further states that any sexual activity in the room should not interfere with a roommate's privacy, study habits or sleep."

The new regulations also state that non-Tufts overnight guests must be registered with the student's resident assistant ("RA") and the roommate must consent to the guest's stay.

You can read the full article here, but I'll give you my two cents if yer just not feeling like it.

According to Tufts, the new rule is meant to address a common conflict between roommates in dorms: sex and sexual activity. It claims to help open the floor for dialogue about sex, something that officials think students are uncomfortable about discussing.

Personally, I think it's a good idea. Now, normally I am pretty anti-rules and regulations, but as a former dorm resident I think that this type of rule is necessary in protecting the individual rights of students to have a comfortable living space (and the right to study and sleep!). In the two years I lived on campus there were numerous times where partners staying the night was an issue, and unfortunately sometimes mere reasoning and compromise is not enough. It's pretty amazing and unfortunate how stubborn and disrespectful people are.

Now, I'm all about sex. And I'm all about college. But when we must share small spaces with people who we don't really know... mutual respect has gotta come first. Wait... shouldn't mutual respect always come first for EVERYTHING? Ding ding ding - we have a winner!

So... what do you think???

Sexual Satisfaction May Lead to Greater Well-Being in Women

2009-10-06T13:08:00.003-04:00

This article is really interesting, and at first glance, makes me want to say "of course! I'm so glad a study is finding this out!"

But upon further investigation, it kind of leaves me confused. From the headline, I think the article would go in details about how a new study proves that sex is good for women's self-esteem and health - but instead, most of the article is spent wondering if this could actually be the case.

Of course, the data needs to be scrutinized - and it's fair enough to say that the cause-and-effect here isn't so clear -

...it is impossible to determine if dissatisfied women had lower well-being because they were sexually dissatisfied, or if the reverse is true, such that women who started with lower well-being tended to secondarily have sexual dissatisfaction.

Ok. So this is in a journal of medicine - it's going to be critical of data, as it should be. But why can't we focus on the benefits of having a healthy sex life - not the doubts that this claim brings up? I appreciate a good analysis of data, but I'm tired of people not being ready to say "SEX IS GOOD! DO IT!" There's always a caveat, it seems there's never any decisive reporting on these types of issues.

And furthermore, I wonder why this is even a study to begin with. By focusing it just on women, it insinuates that there are certain scientific doubts about women having sex in the first place (has anyone noticed this article that keeps showing on the CCN homepage? jeez). Why are we questioning why women have sex, and whether it is good for women? Nobody seems to be asking these questions about male sexual behaviors...hmmm....

I guess this study is important to dispel beliefs about female pleasure and women being sexually active, but the tone just puts me off, somehow. There has got to be a better way to report on these issues, and a more unambiguous, frank way to present this data.

Cecile Richards Is Awesome

2009-09-18T23:11:00.003-04:00

I've always had a cool-person crush on Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Aside from seeing her name the bottom of emails I get from PP, she's always right there, on the front lines, doing the crucial work that Planned Parenthood does every day. If you want to know why I call Cecile Richards one of my heroes, read this interview.

It's important to remind people how important Planned Parenthood actually is - beyond the politics. When I was tabling at the State Fair, if people looked skeptical, we reminded them that it's about Women's Rights! And Women's Health! Cecile Richards does that for a living (and much much more!) and she is wonderful.

Here are some of my favorite parts:

Planned Parenthood is this incredible organization that is a legacy organization – it's 92 years old – and yet, as relevant today as it was when Margaret Sanger started it.

The incredible thing about Planned Parenthood is we're in every state. We're not just in blue states or just red states or just in in-between states. We're everywhere.

We are the largest reproductive healthcare provider in the country…Ninety-seven percent of our work is preventive care—contraception, STI testing and treatment…Last year we did 1.3 million cervical cancer screenings.

During the last few years, we've seen this country [USA] with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western industrialized world, and we have now one in four teenage girls in America has a sexually transmitted infection. So this is like, it's not just a theoretical problem, it's a healthcare problem.

And if you love her like I do, follow her on Twitter!

Working together to prevent rape.

2009-09-14T17:15:00.004-04:00

Check out this article on Jezebel, talking about rape prevention and different approaches on college campuses.

The article discusses the ways in which the weight falls on the shoulders of women to prevent rape. Oftentimes, the target group to educate is women, with the message being: "YOU have to avoid rape by not drinking, not dressing sexy, don't drink, don't be alone, don't stay out late..."

But (the article asks), what about educating men about rape, too?
The author of the article quotes Jaclyn Friedman:

"Schools would stop telling girls to mind their liquor so they don't "get themselves" raped and start teaching young men that alcohol is never an excuse to "get away" with anything. They would offer bystander training, so that all students on campus know what it looks like when someone's sexual boundaries are being violated and what to do if they see that happening. They would teach students that the only real consent is the kind that's freely and enthusiastically given, removing the "she didn't exactly say no" excuse that too many rapists hide behind. And their campus policies would support prevention, recovery, and justice, not dismissiveness, victim-blaming, and denial."

While I certainly agree with Friedman and the Jezebel.com article, I think that Jezebel fails to ackownledge the campuses that already have active rape prevention programs that involve many men.

What's also important to note is that while a large percentage of reported rapes are by men and the victims are women, we must remember that women can rape and men can be raped.

I think the main point, and one that we can all agree on, is that we all (as women, men, and otherwise) need to be watching out for eachother.. be it ensuring that our friends are safe from rape and that (as hard as it may be for some of us to imagine) our friends are not commiting rape or sexual assault. It's about being safe and watchful, but also making sure that we all are intolerant of any kind of sexual assault.

Asexuality is hot

2009-09-12T19:51:00.003-04:00

In my "Queer Fictions" class at Syracuse University last week, we talked about what the "binary" means for sexual orientation - "straight vs. gay" transforming into "straight vs. LGBT." And we talked about how even by using the word "binary," we're somewhat negating the differences between L, G, B, and T. And Q and Q and A and everything else in between.

The idea was that by enforcing the binary, in saying that "there's straight people, and then there's everyone else," we leave out a lot of nuances and diversity within all those categories. And when I read this article about the asexual movement, I realized how asexuality didn't even come into the picture. Even by talking about a sexual orientation binary, and proposing to broaden how we view that spectrum, we were still leaving people out.

And yeah, I guess I'm not sure what that means. But this article is one step in trying to figure it out...

Talking about abortion.

2009-09-09T14:13:00.003-04:00

Great article on feministing.com (full link here) discussing one woman's abortion story and how we all talk about abortion:

"But as I began to tell the relevant people in my life—my friends, my boyfriend, my family—I felt myself falling back on euphemisms. I was avoiding a word I say every day, and I didn’t like it. So I stopped. I made a conscious decision to talk frankly and directly about my abortion...

...It’s not that anyone I told was unsupportive. In fact, many even exceeded my expectations. When I called my Dad, I didn’t beat around the bush: “I have some health insurance questions because I need to get an abortion.” To his immense credit, he responded with the same matter-of-factness, answering my questions and asking none of his own. My boyfriend, after asking about the procedure, what was done, how I would feel, articulated what I considered a great stance to take: “I’m going to be as stressed out about this as you are.”

But I was thrown by so many hushed voices, the consistent tone of oh-my-god-this-must-be-the-end-of-the-world, the many utterances of “I don’t know what to say.”"

Proper Attire: Required for Entry

2009-08-31T00:42:00.002-04:00

Were you at the New York State Fair today? Well, I was! You may have spotted me volunteering at the Planned Parenthood booth in the Center of Progress (I thought a lot about how appropriate this name was for the location of our booth) from 3 till 8.

First of all, everyone should go to the fair. As if the butter sculpture isn't enough to tempt you, there's always the sand sculpture and fresh milk, and hundreds of other attractions, rides, and stands, and FOOD. Tonight there was Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish.

Being at the fair was somewhat exhilarating for me. It's fun to meet people, and it's really rewarding and nice to hear people say how important PPRSR is to them. People walked up to our booth and begin signing our petition before we had even explained what it was. Teenagers brought all their friends over to take a look at our pins and condoms. It was also fun to see old women pick up one of our snazzy "proper attire" condoms, thinking they were moist towelettes or sunscreen packets (and then dropping them with a gasp when we told them what they really were!). It was empowering to be there for all these people, providing info and condoms and temporary tattoos!

Part of me feels like volunteering with Planned Parenthood is common sense, a duty that seems required to do because of how important it is - it feels second nature, because of how many women rely on Planned Parenthood. But sometimes it feels like radical and revolutionary, like today when the Right to Life people came over and heckled us, and we kept our cool. Volunteering today made me feel really in touch with women in general, and part of something really big and important - especially when women walked by and simply said "thanks for all the work you do" or when men came over proudly and struck up a conversation with us, unashamed of aligning themselves with us (as they should be!).

Today I think we gave away close to 2,500 condoms, which is remarkable. I kept thinking about this article from Cosmopolitan. Now, it's not perfect (it's in Cosmo!) but it has a lot of good information, and even mentioned Planned Parenthood! It is attempting to stop "accidents waiting to happen" before they do.

A shocking stat recently caught Cosmo's eye: Nearly half of all unplanned pregnancies among young, sexually active women are due to birth-control lapses and screwups,

The funny thing about all the mindsets mentioned that can lead to pregnancy, is that they can mostly be stopped with a simple condom. Just by having a condom at arm's length, you can stop yourself from making a decision you might regret. How many of those 2,500 that we gave away today will stop an "accident waiting to happen?" or start a conversation? or just get someone thinking? It seems like a pretty powerful thing to have a huge bowl on condoms out in the open like we did today, when you really think about it. By putting contraception on that table, we put it right into people's minds - right at the forefront - where it belongs!

If you go to the Fair, make sure you stop by our booth and give us a wave, because we appreciate it. And make sure you grab some condoms too, while you're at it.

2009-08-20T18:09:00.001-04:00

Check out Colbert on Archie comics, sexism, and his defense of Hillary Clinton.

Judd Apatow: Funny People? or Funny Men.

2009-08-12T22:18:00.005-04:00

I am a fan of Judd Apatow's films. I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I loved The 40-year old Virgin, and I think I loved Funny People. I'm not sure yet. But overall, I think Apatow's new brand of somewhat-sentimental comedy is genius - they are consistently the funniest movies coming out these days.

But -- that doesn't mean I haven't noticed that Apatow's movies aren't perfect. The feminist-conscious, women-studies major side of me is always grappling with the part of me laughing out loud. To be honest, most of my favorite movies have some serious gender issues (see: Fight Club). My boyfriend will hate me for saying this, but Pixar, Judd Apatow and Wes Anderson, while all being faves of mine, each have definite problems creating strong female leads. It's nearly impossible to find a (mainstream), funny, successful film with a female lead I can relate to, and that's pretty messed up.

In her RHrealitycheck.org essay, "Men Are From Apatow-Land, Women Are From Venus," Sarah Seltzer tries to deal with the problems found in Funny People in a constructive way, while dissecting why they are problems to begin with:

"In Apatow's movies, men bond, fight, smoke pot and get drunk, laugh, fight, cry, make up and eventually grow up. Women exist mostly as the objects of lasting affection or the punchlines of dirty jokes."

It's hard to argue that Apatow's movies all deal with men. The men perform the actions that move the plot, without exception. Despite the occasional strong female characters, the leads are never ladies - they are generally peripheral, emotional, and annoying. The women are never the focus of the movie. The men are the stars - everyone who has gotten famous through Apatow's movies is male (with the exception of his wife, perhaps). Even if his depictions of masculinity can be critical and interesting, the movies are all about the bros.

But does that mean we should dismiss Apatow as inherently misogynistic? I don't think so. I don't think I can excuse his complete lack of adequate female - not even close - but I can try to enjoy the other aspects of his movies - like the perfect satire of Walk Hard, and the perfect dysfunction of Stepbrothers. I can even appreciate the bro-on-bro action, to some extent. I can't be blind to Apatow's problematic gender representations, but I want to give him another shot.

All in all? I love Judd Apatow's movies, but I think Seltzer said it best...

"Apatow needs to turn his female characters into actual characters, rather than rewards given to men who have proven able to resist their libidos and outgrow their immaturity. Even if those women exist on the periphery of a male-centric comedy, they should be engaged with as people, not grappled with as a concept."

What did you think of Funny People? Am I way off? I'm not entirely sure yet. I think I need to see Knocked Up again before I conclude.

Being Honest About Sex When Teaching Kids

2009-08-04T13:57:00.004-04:00

I first heard about this new sex-ed approach happening in the UK from Jenna, PPRSR's Education and Outreach specialist, who provided an article that you can link to through the title of this entry.

But, here's the gist for you: the Center for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS Sheffield published a booklet on talking with youth about sex and sexual pleasure.

Wow! I think this is great. The booklet promotes masturbation, age-appropriate attention to anatomy (i.e. not just talking about vaginas but also the clitoris), breaking traditional views of sex (i.e. sex=penetration), and condom use. I think that this type of sex-ed can help foster dialogue among young people about sex and make it more comfortable for them to talk about sex with each other and their partners.

As Simon Blake, cheif executive of the young people's sexual health charity Brook, says "We need to do more to find out why people are so afraid to talk about sexual pleasure."

Furthermore, Roger Ingham, professor of health psychology at the University of Southampton's Center for Sexual Health Research, says that countries who approach education about sex and relationships in a more open and positive way have much better sexual health outcomes.

So let's hear it for sex-positive, honest, open discussion. Horay!

Green Sex, Green Birth Control, Green Me, Green You.

2009-08-02T22:06:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I just said that. I'm here, I'm saying stupid green phrases, and I'm rounding up all the info I can find from RH Reality Check, Huffington Post, Planet Green, and random blogs.

Apparently the "green" catch-phrase that has been EVERYWHERE for the past couple years has even made its way into our sex lives. While I for one cringe and get ready to throw fists of granola every time I hear someone utter "green" anything, I can totally support the ideology.

And yes, you can make your sex and your birth control green. But how? Well, the act of using birth control is a green sex choice on its own. By not adding an unplanned pregnancy to the overpopulated earth, you do not add more strain to the other.

Speaking of condoms, how do you green those up? Well, avoid condoms made with polyurethane, a plastic that does not break down. Also, did you know that you can buy vegan, fair-trade condoms? French Letter Condoms (http://www.frenchlettercondoms.co.uk/) sells them on their website. Another good source for vegan condoms is Glyde (http://www.glydehealth.com/products.htm). Many people don't realize that often latex condoms are not vegan because there is an added milk enzyme.

If you want to be even more green than that, try an IUD. IUD's create barely any waste - a little implant that can last up to 10 years!

What are other ways to be green and sexy? Try out the crank operated vibrator at http://www.holisticwisdom.com. Use organic/all natural lubes. Shower together (saves water!.. I think).

Mainly, the idea here (as is so with any green whatever) is to reduce waste and decrease the potential strains you may cause for the earth.

Learning to Embrace Your Sexuality - or - How I finally stopped listening to judgmental jerks and you should, too!

2009-07-28T12:27:00.003-04:00

(I filled in this month for KaeLyn on the Vagina Dialogues column.. and I decided to share it here so the rest of y'all can check it out.)

I’m sure many of you are reading that title and thinking “Yeah, alright… I got there five years ago,” but I know there HAVE to be more of you (no matter what age) out there like me who just haven’t quite been able to do your own thing without letting the disapproving looks of your friends and peers burn a hole in your face.

By “do your own thing,” I assume you know I mean “have sex.” Freely. Making your own individual choices. I am talking about sex that is consensual, sex that is safe, sex that happens because you want it to, and sex that makes you feel good.

I want to make something very clear: nothing you are doing is wrong. “Wrong” is a social construction. Your sexual choices may not work for everyone, but if they make you happy and don’t threaten the safety of yourself or others, then gosh darnit please keep doing what you’re doing.

The problem is sex is still hard to talk about for many people. I grew up in a loving and accepting family, but we never talked about sex. Ever. I couldn’t say “sex” to my mom until I was 17. And don’t get me started on the lack of comprehensive sexual health education in schools, or worse, the lack of sex-positive sexual education in general.

If we can’t talk about sex then how will we ever figure it out? And if sex continues to be characterized as bad, as scary, as wrong… then where does that leave us? Stuck in a world where a group of people who think sex is the end of Western civilization try to control the dialogue. And that’s just not fair. It means that for the 95% of Americans who are having sex before marriage, there is a lack of comfort, resources, and openness for talking about sex.

So, how did I finally accept my own sexual identity and expression? I realized that I wasn’t wrong, that I make my choices for me and not the people judging me, and that thinking about and talking about sex help make sense of it. Really, it’s true. The first step was to be honest and frank with myself.

The bottom line: you’re sexuality is YOURS. Not your neighbor’s, not your brother’s, not the person sitting across from you at lunch. I may not know a whole lot in this world but I can tell you that life is far more rewarding and fulfilling when you find your own path and follow it.

So, what steps should we take when embracing our sexuality, however and with whomever we choose to experience it with?

1. Remember that the choices you make are yours. They need not apply to your best friend, your neighbor, or your parents. You have power over your individual choices.

2. Always, always, always make sure you are well stocked with safe sex materials: condoms, dental dams, finger cots, whatever. Besides that, keep some fun stuff around, too: lube, toys, whatever. And please make sure you and your partner(s) aren’t allergic to things like latex, certain lubricants, et cetera.

3. Communicate your needs and expectations, and be certain that your partner(s) is/are, also. And while you’re communicating, you might as well talk about your fantasies, too!

4. You can have erotic experiences without even having sex. And they don’t even have to be with people – they can be with the sky, the way the air smells, the way your cotton sheets feel. Get in tune with your erotic, sensual self.

5. Masturbate! Please. That way you know what you like and you will feel far more comfortable with talking about and having sex. Sex with yourself is just as legitimate and fulfilling as sex with other people.

6. Support age-appropriate, medically-accurate sex education that gives young people all the resources they need to make informed and safe decisions about sex and sexuality. You can learn more about how to support real sex ed at www.plannedparenthoodaction.org.

Get out there and enjoy your sexuality, no matter how you express it. But always remember, it’s about making choices that you feel good about.

Vox College Students, InControl Teen Peer Educators, and Staff Take Over D.C.!

2009-07-21T11:46:00.012-04:00

The first ever Youth Organizing and Policy Conference took place in Washington, D.C. from July 15-17 in conjunction with PPFA’s Organizing and Policy Summit, and PPRSR made a great showing with six Vox students, three InControl teen peer educators, and three staff members in attendance.

It’s hard to say what the best part of the trip was. For some of us, it was the informative workshop topics such as building campaigns, communicating with decision makers, and understanding the legislative process. For others it was getting to talk with Cecile Richards. For me, meeting Rep. Louise Slaughter was something I won’t forget anytime soon! What was exciting and empowering for all of us was being with over 450 likeminded people who were all fighting for a common goal: ensuring coverage for a full range of reproductive health benefits and making sure that women have access to trusted community health care providers like Planned Parenthood.

For me, two themes emerged during the trip. One of them was that personal stories about our relationship with Planned Parenthood as employees, volunteers and patients, are what make people listen. Certainly how we educate and converse with decision makers is important, but sometimes it is an individual story that sticks the strongest.
Second, decision makers like to think that youth don’t worry about health care and that assumption couldn’t be more wrong. I saw over 200 teenagers and college students who were passionate advocates for their own health care concerns in the health care reform process. With all the informative workshops and lobbying experience, the teens and young adults advocating with Planned Parenthood seemed empowered and energized.

The trip to D.C. couldn’t have been better, except maybe for our delayed flight on the way back! I think I speak for everyone in saying that we can’t wait to continue mobilizing for health care reform on our campuses and in our communities!

The dreaded FIRST TIME

2009-07-13T22:58:00.002-04:00

When we hear stories about "my first time," what to they tend to focus on? I feel like they usually hone in on negative experiences - hearts were broken, someone felt used...We focus on the messiness, the awkward moments, pain, potential regrets - leaving out that sometimes, people have a great time - with no looking back.

Promoters of abstinence-only education use negative experiences to convince students that the only "right" way to have sex is within marriage, and only then if the goal is procreation. In reality, 95% of people have sex before marriage - and not all those experiences are regrettable!

This article over at Sex Etc. tries to turn all that around. It provides stories of a few people's first sexual experiences, and does so in a really positive way, in an effort to change the way we view the "first time." It's refreshing to hear about people who are happy with their sexual choices - happy enough to talk about them openly.

I, for one, had a great experience my first time. It wasn't unplanned or unexpected - i knew exactly what was going on. We were both ready, and had discussed (in serious detail) what would be happening. It was very clear that if either of us wanted to stop, it would be completely ok. Of course, it wasn't perfect - it had those awkward moments and confusion that doing something new is bound to have - but I can definitely look back and smile.

When I began reading this article, I was worried that they wouldn't include a homosexual or queer experience - a group that often gets left out when talking about "virginity." But at the end, they surprised me with a story about two teenage boys deciding to take their relationship a step further. I was really excited to see the even hand they gave to that relationship, in comparison to the others. There was no hint of anything different treatment, which I liked to see.

I did have a few minor qualms with the site, though. First of all, it was generally assumed that sex meant penetration. Admittedly, this might be some of my own close-mindedness, but it didn't seem to me that any of the couples were talking about oral sex. But maybe I'm wrong. Either way, the various definitions of "sex" weren't really explored (no lesbian couple? Should I read too far into this?), and neither were the complex definitions of "virginity." Maybe it was left open on purpose, and I created my own ending, though. Hm. My other thought was that it seemed that all these couples stayed together. I know it was meant to be a positive view of that "first time," but it all seemed extremely rosy. In my case, my partner who I lost my virginity with have since broken up - and we haven't spoken in months. Regardless, I haven't let that tarnish my memory of the first time we had sex. It's ok if you don't stay together afterwards, as long as you feel good about your decisions.

Either way, it's a good read, and gave me a lot to think about. Go check it out!

Out FIRST WIN in Health Care Reform

2009-07-13T13:19:00.003-04:00

From Planned Parenthoof Federation of America

We got our first win in health care reform today, thanks to a strong, coordinated federation-wide effort. Senator Mikulski’s Women’s Health Amendment #201 passed the Senate HELP Committee 12-11. This amendment captures Planned Parenthood’s priorities in health care reform by doing two key things: 1) it provides coverage—with no or limited cost sharing—for women’s preventative health care and screenings; and 2) ensures patients’ access to essential community providers, such as HIV/AIDS clinics, public hospitals, and women’s health centers like Planned Parenthood.

While we still have a long way to go, the first step towards victory is often the most important. And the Women’s Health Amendment would not have happened without all of your hard work. Since the amendment was filed late Tuesday, Planned Parenthood volunteers logged in 374 calls into Senate HELP Committee members—a huge number of calls for such a short period of time. Thank you! The Senate HELP Committee will continue marking up their bill tomorrow, and we expect to see votes on some of the more than 15 amendments that were filed this week attacking women’s health. We will keep you posted on the outcome of those amendments.
On the Senate Finance Committee front, we have generated more than 12,000 e-mails and phone calls since last week, urging Committee members to ensure that women don’t lose access to reproductive health care services. We are hearing that those e-mails and calls have made a significant impact, but we won’t know for sure until we see bill language. The Senate Finance Committee hit another roadblock this week and is not expected to release bill language this week, as originally planned.

The three House Committees are in the midst of last-minute negotiations on their joint bill and could release it as early as tomorrow. It’s possible the Energy & Commerce Committee may begin marking it up as early as Monday afternoon. This is a tough Committee, so we really appreciate all the affiliate-organized calls to E&C members—highlighting the critical message that women should not be worse off under health care reform . As we have seen with our success today, our power is in our organizing. Thank you again for all of your work!

How Are Condoms Made?

2009-07-10T16:54:00.003-04:00

Have you ever wondered how condoms are made? How manufacturers really know that they're safe? Or how about what the "electronic testing" mentioned on the package means? Well, you're in luck, because the video below can fill you in on all of the above. The answers to all of the questions are really quite fascinating, and also might be a little bit different from what you had in mind.

And now you all know how the most effective barrier method of contraception, and greatest protector against HIV and other STIs, is made! You learn a little something new every day.

Google Disallows Ads for Abortion Services in Over 12 Countries

2009-07-03T13:15:00.004-04:00

What I'm filling you in on is just what the title says. If you click the title, you will be directed to the article on feministing.com from which I got the information from, as well as more information about the topic.

If you are feeling lazy, I'll fill you in:

"AdWords now prohibits ads for abortion services of any kind in over a dozen countries, including Brazil, France, Mexico, Poland, and Taiwan. " (AdWords is the google advertising network that allows advertisers to place ads in relevant search results.)

Google's defense was that they had tailored their search services to the laws of the different countries. While I haven't read much on globalisation and new media, I think this brings up an important question: how, why, and when can such services like google censor their information? Is this ever okay?

Obviously, I think not. Witholding reproductive health information from women is a violation of their rights, no matter what the law is.

Last thing to ponder: what to do with situations where service providers like google have the opportunity to make political and social decisions? On one hand, I see googles motivation: they don't want to lose customers. At the same time, every act matters; google's actions are a move against all women. Companies like google should be held accountable for such actions.

Just How Much Should Love Hurt? Or, Don't Claim Your Orgasm, Ladies.

2009-06-30T12:11:00.009-04:00

Just how much should love hurt? According to Christina Nehring, a lot. And you won't just hurt, you'll suffer. But oh will it be worth it.

In fact, you can expect to feel miserable, alone, on the edge of insanity... all for the plight of love and romance.

And sex? What sex? Nehring argues that the "availiablity" of sex in our age of internet technologies and mass mediated communications makes true love impossible; that romance depends on "other-ness, tension, and reserve." Well, I guess Nehring and I have different definitions of love and romance. It's difficult for me to imagine any deep feelings of companionship and compassion to come out of that blockade that she thinks must be built between partners.

Nehring uses the romance stories of centuries past as her models - Jane Austen, in particular. As a book nerd, I can even somewhat understand Nehring's sense of Romanticism and idealism towards love and romance, but I don't understand why this tortuous angst is required. Yes, love when it is towards an unwilling object, love when it is unreciprocated, is taxing on our emotions and bodies. But those are situations where the rational and self-respecting thing to do is walk away.

Out of all the things that Nehring says about the disintegration of love in our time, the most problematic to me are her sex-negative and even female body-negative opinions, paraphrased in an article by Laura Sessions Step for sexreally.com:

"It is not, for example, 'sex-on-tap,' or 'the relentless emphasis on sexual climax that…has a largely depleting effect on the life of the emotions.' 'When erotic intimacy is available at the tap of a mouse,' she writes, or, indeed, at the amiable request of one’s household partner (“what about a quickie before lunch, dear?”); when magazines nudge us to 'claim' orgasms as we do receipts at the end of our transactions at Starbucks; when Broadway hits like Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues have women hollering the names of their genitals and baking cakes in their shape, then sex has simply become too available.”

Wait... what? Since when does it make sense to link a woman's positive sense of self and body image with bad types of love? And, last time I checked, the Vagina Monologues have been nothing but positive for women all over the globe for over 10 years.

Sessions Stepp goes on, saying:

"Love is also not an equal partnership, in her view. It is the ardor of a college student for her professor, a young man for an older man."

This view on love is troubling. It means that we would be denied real human connection, openness, and comfort. It also would mean elevated levels of depression, partner abuse, and so on. I, for one, do not think that love means despair.

An interesting and maybe even enlightening or liberating exercise that I suggest all our readers do is to take a moment and think about what sex, love and romance mean to you. How do you define them? Do they involve two people? Can't they involve just you? Perhaps they involve more? I urge you to rethink those three vague ideas outside of their social constructions (p.s. this originally was an exercise in Dr. Sekile Nzinga Johnson's Psych of Women class in spring 2009, so I can't take all the credit for it!).

In Prison for Being Pregnant

2009-06-13T14:43:00.004-04:00

Since my last post, I've finished Jessica Valenti's Purity Myth, and it was excellent. I've been making connections left and right to lots of stuff going on in the world, and how it relates the issues raised in Valenti's book. I highly recommend it.

One of the current events that has really got me thinking is the case of Quinta Layin Tuleh, a pregnant, HIV-positive woman from the African nation of Cameroon. After being charged with having fake immigration documents, Judge John Woodcock from Maine gave her a longer-than-recommended sentence, purely because she is pregnant and HIV-positive. He cited that this would "protect the public from further crimes of the defendant,” or in other words, keep her from passing HIV on to her unborn child through the regular administration of anti-retroviral drugs.

It's a complex case - Tuleh didn't know she was pregnant or HIV-positive going into this, the administration of anti-retroviral drugs is something I know very little about, and that this sets a potentially dangerous precedent that it's ok to send someone to jail for being sick and pregnant. In a nutshell. There's a lot more to read on the case: this post at feministing.com, this report from rhrealitycheck.org, and this article from the Bangor Daily News, among many others.

In The Purity Myth, Valenti explores certain laws and practices that are in place because of the notion that women don't know what's best for them. The best example I can think of might be certain states requiring women to get sonograms before undergoing an abortion - doctors think women don't know there's a fetus inside them? It's based on this idea that women are frivolous and careless (hysterical!) and that they need the paternal guidance of lawmakers in order to know them what's best for them. To have a white, American judge, making decisions for this pregnant, sick, African women is exactly what Valenti is talking about.

Apparently, Tuleh had arrangements made to get anti-retroviral drugs (to try to ensure that HIV isn't passed down to her unborn child), but that wasn't enough to convince this judge she could handle the situation without his help. Also, it seems ridiculous that a judge can't just mandate a woman to get on Medicaid, or assign a nurse to make sure she takes the pills every day - how could being in JAIL really be the best option for this woman?

I'll leave you with a quote from Jess McCabe over at thefword,

Obviously, this doesn’t reflect well on the immigration system in the US, and there’s clearly a major problem if healthcare in prison is better than that available for people who are only criminals by virtue of having the audacity to try and move freely in a world that values people differently depending on where they’re born.

Late Abortion Services Will Return to Kansas

2009-06-12T16:10:00.003-04:00

Not long after the tragic murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, his family announced that they had decided to not reopen his clinic. The decision is entirely understandable considering the horrifying circumstances, and the many years that they have personally dealt with anti-choice harassment, intimidation and violence. It was, however, also a major blow to abortion access, as Dr. Tiller's clinic was one of only a few dozen clinics that provided late abortions in the United States, and one of only three that provided abortions for health reasons and fetal anomaly that late.

Thankfully, however, a provider has since stepped forward to take Dr. Tiller's place, and ensure that women's access to dire medical care does not become more limited. Dr. LeRoy Carhart, who has provided abortions for over 20 years and was a friend of Dr. Tiller's, has announced that he will begin performing late abortions in Kansas:

A Nebraska doctor said Wednesday that he will perform third-term abortions in Kansas after the slaying of abortion provider George Tiller, but would not say whether he will open a new facility or offer the procedure at an existing practice.

Dr. LeRoy Carhart declined to discuss his plans in detail during a telephone interview with The Associated Press, but insisted "there will be a place in Kansas for the later second- and the medically indicated third-trimester patients very soon."

"I just think that until everything is in place, it's something that doesn't need to be talked about" in detail, Carhart said a day after Tiller's family announced his Wichita clinic was permanently shutting its doors.

Whatever Dr. Carhart's full plans for providing late abortion services in Kansas look like, there is no doubt that he has just stepped in to do a brave and necessary thing. Thank you, Dr. Carhart, for your dedication to women's health, belief in reproductive justice, and willingness to stand up where you are needed!

Understanding Late Term Abortions

2009-06-04T09:04:00.004-04:00

In light of the murder of Dr. George Tiller there has been much media attention surrounding his work and the type of person he was. Unfortunately there has been a lack of information on what actually constitutes Late Term Abortion; this in turn has left the issue open to interpretation for people whom are uneducated on the procedure. I think it is important to fully understand the issue before speculations arise. The Republican Majority for Choice is an organization which supports principles of the Republican Party in regards to limited government and personal freedom. They have posted a blog outlining the "truth of late term abortions" that we believe would be vital for any audience to read so that they may become more informed on the inspiring work that Dr.Tiller performed.

WE need YOUR help!

2009-06-03T10:38:00.002-04:00

Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region wants to learn more about YOU and how you use Social Networking Sites. We would really appreciate it if all of you took a few minutes to fill out our survey. It's fun and SUPER easy. We hope this survey will give us a better idea of how you prefer to be communicated with. THANK YOU SO MUCH, your participation is greatly appreciated!

June Declared National LGBTQ Pride Month

2009-06-02T11:20:00.010-04:00

Sexuality and Gender are fundamental parts of who we are, because of the issue's immense importance to our society it seems obvious why President Barack Obama declared the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month.

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists."

The words of Barack Obama resonate with people all around the world who find hope and inspiration from LGBTQ progression throughout history.

"Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans," recalls the President.

Each of us has a gender and gender identity. Our gender identity is our deepest feelings about our gender. We express our gender identity in the way that we act masculine, feminine, neither, or both. Some of us are transgender — which means that our biological sex and our gender identity do not match up. Each of us also has a sexual orientation. You may be bisexual, gay, lesbian or straight. Or you may be “questioning” — unsure about your sexual orientation.

It is important to note that no matter what you identify with President Obama plans to ensure your safety and comfort, "The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect" proclaims Obama.

The more you understand biological sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, the more you may understand yourself and how you relate to other people. Because sex and gender are so complex, you may have many questions. You may wonder about your own sexual orientation or gender identity, or you may wonder about someone you know. You may have questions about how society views sex and gender — including homophobia, sexism, and transphobia. Remember that staff at your local Planned Parenthood Health Center can talk with you and help you find the information and resources that you need.

The Tragic Loss of a Friend

2009-06-01T11:05:00.004-04:00

The tragic death of Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas-based abortion provider, yesterday has sent waves of shock and sadness throughout the women’s health community.

Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, issued a statement on Sunday addressing the tragedy. “The entire Planned Parenthood family is deeply saddened by the murder of Dr. George Tiller. While he was not a Planned Parenthood provider, he was an integral part of our community and his loss is felt by all of us”, said Richards. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and those close to him who are suffering a personal tragedy.”

For decades Dr.Tiller provided critical reproductive health care services, including abortion services to women facing some of the most difficult medical circumstances. He was continually harassed by abortion opponents for much of his career - his clinic was burned down, he was shot by a health center protestor, and he was recently targeted for investigation only to be acquitted by a jury just a few months ago. None of this stopped George Tiller from his commitment to providing women and their families with compassionate care that others were unwilling to offer.

President Barack Obama released a statement yesterday echoing the thoughts of many in regards to the recent tragedy. “I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning,” proclaimed President Obama. “However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.”

Dr. Tiller was the epitome of high quality medical care underscored by deep compassion for his patients. Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region wants to emphasize the condolences uttered by Cecile Richards. “His death is an enormous loss for the patients who relied on him, his dedicated staff, the medical community and for women and their families across America.”

Give Yourself a Hand!

2009-05-27T13:04:00.009-04:00

Excerpt from the PPRSR monthly queer women's health column, The Vagina Dialogues, published May 2009 in Rochester's The Empty Closet. See the full article here.

May is National Masturbation Month. Yup, there’s a whole month dedicated to getting down with yourself! Like we need an excuse… Unfortunately, many people were taught that masturbation is dirty and bad. Or worse, believe in a “masturbation myth.”

Myth #1: Masturbation is unhealthy. At some point, you probably heard that masturbation makes you blind, makes you infertile, or damages your sex organs. These things aren’t true. But it can be hard to shake the feeling that masturbation is bad for you. Truth is, masturbation is not physically harmful in any way. In fact, it has a number of physical and mental health benefits—here are just a few: Masturbation releases stress and physical tension. Many people masturbate to relax, and it can help some people fall asleep. Masturbation is the most effective kind of safer sex. Solo masturbation puts you at no risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Even mutual masturbation with a partner is close to no-risk if everyone keeps their hands to themselves and doesn’t share sex toys.

Myth #2: Only people who can't "get any" masturbate. I am deeply offended for all you sexy singles out there; I’ve heard this one a lot. Most everyone masturbates, whether single or partnered, hetero or queer, regardless of gender. It’s normal to masturbate and has nothing to do with being lonely, having poor self-esteem, or being unattractive. There’s also the myth that if you are in a committed relationship, you shouldn’t need to masturbate. Here’s the real deal—people who have regular sex partners actually masturbate more often than those who don't. Yup, it’s true. People masturbate when their partners are unavailable, or use masturbation as foreplay, or simply enjoy the act of masturbating. It can actually improve partner sex, because if you are an expert on what turns you on or off, you can communicate that better to a sexual partner.

Myth #3: Women don’t (or aren’t supposed to) masturbate. Some people think that it's normal for men to masturbate, but that women shouldn't. Reality is, our society is more comfortable with men expressing their sexuality than with women, so many girls are taught not to masturbate—or not to admit to doing it—from a very young age. But quite frankly, girls and women do masturbate, and there's no reason they shouldn't. In fact, one study showed that women who masturbate may have better self-esteem than those that don’t.

Myth #4: It's bad to masturbate every day. Some people masturbate every day—or even more than once a day. That's fine. So is there such a thing as "too much" masturbation? According to counselors, it's only when masturbation gets in the way of daily activities — like going to school or work, or meeting friends — that it would be considered "too much." And not many people have that problem. Also, some people worry that masturbating frequently will affect fertility. It doesn't. How often one masturbates is different from person to person. You may masturbate daily, weekly, once a month, once a year, or even less. It’s also normal to not masturbate. Some people do not find it sexually arousing. Others don’t masturbate because they feel guilty about it, not because they don’t find it pleasurable. It can take time and patience to get over guilt or fear about masturbating. Most people find it to be a positive sexual experience once they let go and try it.

If you want more info on masturbating, consult one of these great books: Felice Newman’s, The Whole Lesbian Sex Book, or Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller’s, I Love Female Orgasm. You can get comprehensive masturbation info from Planned Parenthood.

America's Obsession wih Chastity

2009-05-22T13:34:00.003-04:00

Jessica Valenti's (super awesome feminist and founder of Feministing.com) new book, called The Purity Myth, delves into the meaning of and the problems with America's obsession with virginity, and attempts to deconstruct the virgin/whore dichotomy.

In this interview for Salon.com, Valenti answers a lot of the questions one might have about her book or her beliefs - the problematic language surrounding virginity (whether virginity even exists in the first place!), Girls Gone Wild, and purity balls, just to name a few.

It's certainly an interesting topic, to say the least. I bought this book at Bluestockings on Sunday, and heard Valenti read parts of it, followed by a question and answer period. To me, it seemed like the gist is that mainstream media tries to blame women's promiscuity on "Girls Gone Wild," etc., but that the deeper issue lies with women being constantly told that their worth is between their legs. To be honest, this is not something I have given a lot of thought to, and I'm not sure I know how these ideas have impacted me.

When I tried to explain the idea of The Purity Myth to my stepdad, he didn't seem to know what I was referring to. I was having trouble articulating myself, eventually gave up and told him to read the book (after I'm done with it!). To me, the virgin/whore dichotomy is everywhere, and I can see what Valenti is referring to, but to someone like my stepdad, it might not be as clear - the only connection he made was "I mean, maybe Madonna."

I'm trying to say that I can't wait to read this book, and further understand "How American's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women" (to quote the cover). I'm heading to London next week to study abroad, and I plan on devouring this on the plane. Hopefully, I'll be able to better explain the Purity Myth to my stepdad when I get back.

Follow up: Male Birth Control

2009-05-10T22:02:00.004-04:00

(I wrote about male hormonal birth control a few weeks ago - check it out here)

So, it looks like male birth control, or "the male jab" has actually surfaced!

First of all, is there any use of the word "jab" that I'm unfamiliar with? Some English usage? A "jab" isn't usually something good - to me, it means pain and discomfort. Not new choices, new freedom, new advancements like "male birth control" ought to conjure.

When I asked my mom what she thought about male BC, she quickly shook her head and said "It'll never fly." Men don't want that responsibility, she said. Since she was in college, she took issue with the way that women have to deal with BC (much like the way I do now!). She doesn't seem to think men would be willing to take on that burden that BC has become. And I'm not sure calling it a "jab" will change their minds.

Anyway, I tend to think any new advancements in BC options are wonderful! And I'm sure that if this catches on and goes viral (no pun intended, ouch), it'll be a viable option for lots of couples. Why not? I still need to think some more about what I said previously - about physical consequences of pregnancy on females rather than males - but it feels good to see some scales tipping for equality of sexual responsibility.

(PS: Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy, who is the best mom in the whole world and whose amazing [feminist] spirit has brought me where I am today. And to all the moms who taught us right from wrong and how not to be sexist, racist or homophobic. Moms are great. Especially mine.)

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

2009-05-06T17:55:00.004-04:00

Today, May 6, is the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy!

Though teen pregnancy is often discussed in the media in a sensationalistic manner, we rarely have a chance to sit down and have a serious discussion about the causes of teen pregnancy and how the rates of teen pregnancy can be lowered. Among comparable countries, the U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate (pdf). That might be shocking to hear, but it's also important to know! Because with rates like that, it's about time to get serious about the issue.

Study after study has shown that comprehensive sex education works, and abstinence-only education fails. Teens who use condoms, of course, are less likely to become pregnant -- and in order to use condoms, teens need to know both how to put them on and how to negotiate condom use with a partner.

Read more at Stand Up South Dakota, and while you're at it, tell Congress to support comprehensive sex education. Because isn't it about time we gave all teens the information they need to keep themselves safe?

(If you're a teen looking for information on how to prevent pregnancy, head on over to Teenwire to find what you need.)

Birth Control for Men?

2009-04-19T11:26:00.004-04:00

When I spoke to my gyno about the HPV vaccine (Gardasil), she told me lots of men have HPV, yet it's a woman's problem, just like birth control. She was subtly mocking fact that our society deems it a woman's job to take care of her sexual and reproductive health options. This was right when my feminism was getting into full swing, and I remember thinking to myself something like "heck yes!"

These days, Merck, the company that makes Gardasil, has asked the FDA to approve the HPV vaccine for boys and young men. Meanwhile, there is talk of a male hormonal birth control pill.

I asked my boyfriend what he thought about this and his answer really got me thinking. I'm on hormonal birth control now (I love it!), and we've talked about couples splitting the cost (even though my mom covers the cost now). I showed him this post from Erica over at NYC Unrated and Unfiltered, which wonders if women enjoy being in control of their own BC regimens. My boyfriend took issue with the way Erica gets nervous about male BC. He pointed out that currently, birth control requires men in heterosexual relationships to trust their girlfriends to take the pill just as much as it would take women to trust men if this came to fruition.

My initial reaction was that there are more consequences for a woman in the case of a pregnancy - after all, she is the one who carries the child if they decide to have it. But after we discussed it further, I realized that he had a valid point - he trusts me a lot to believe that I'm taking my pill every day. Me getting pregnant would greatly affect his life too - not just mine and my body.

My boyfriend is a really remarkable guy, and I'm sure not all men have this same outlook. But by his logic, I can't imagine any decent man stopping taking his BC pill (if this became a reality) - since I can't imagine stopping taking my own pill. The risk would be too great for me to take. I assume that any thoughtful man would see those risks in a similar way - even if it wouldn't directly affect his body, it could potentially affect the rest of his life.

All this thinking leads me to conclude that male birth control could be kind of cool. Of course, condoms are still awesome, and I'm not sure I'd believe a guy who told me he was on birth control right off the bat, but I think it could a really good thing in certain situations for certain couples. There are already a ton of contraceptive options for women, I think it'd be a good thing for men to have some choices too.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

2009-04-08T13:46:00.007-04:00

Chances are you’ve spotted some tiny teal ribbons around lately, maybe around your college campus, at the doctors or pharmacist, online, or in the newspaper. Those support ribbons are part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The entire month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and today is the national day of action for sexual assault awareness. Staggering statistics emphasize the need to raise awareness about these crimes. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. These frightening statistics make activism all the more necessary.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is dedicated to raising awareness about sexual violence – primarily sexual assault and rape—and educating the world on prevention. This year’s campaign created by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center is about preventing sexual violence in our work place. According the NSVRC, between 1993 and 1999, 36,500 U.S. employees experienced sexual assault or rape while working or on duty. Sexual violence in the workplace is unfortunately common, and the consequences of an attack not only affect survivors but businesses as well. This April, we hope to send a message about respectful and responsible behavior. Partner with your employer by advocating for sexual assault communication in your workplace.

Planned Parenthood is committed to supporting Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Rape Crisis Service of Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region offers crisis intervention and support services to women, children, and men who are victims of sexual assault. Our 24-hour hotline is available to anyone dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault. RCS is currently recruiting for Rape Crisis Volunteer Advocates. For more information about becoming a volunteer or upcoming trainings, visit the RCS website.

During the month of April look out for the many opportunities to donate your voice and your stories towards sexual assault awareness.

Get Yourself Tested!!

2009-04-06T02:10:00.006-04:00

MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation have been partnered in a campaign called "It's Your (Sex) Life" since 1997, to encourage young adults to make responsible decisions about sexual health. Now, Planned Parenthood is joining the fight with the creation of a new campaign - Get Yourself Tested - GYT.The Department of Health and Human Services has designated April STD Awareness Month, so GYT will be working all month long to inform millions of young adults about HIV, other STDs, and related sexual health issues.

The idea of the campaign is to educate young people to the prevalence of STDs, and to encourage dialogue about routine testing. GYT can be used as an acronym in text or IM conversations and help eliminate taboos surrounding STDs. By normalizing these conversations and testing, we hope to slow the spread of STDs among youth. You may have heard this shocking statistic: By age 25, one in two people will have an STD. Furthermore, of the approximately 19 million new STDs contracted every year, most will go undiagnosed.

Misinformation, social stigma, and lack of symptoms stop people from getting tested regularly. Others believe STD tests are given as part of general health care and checkups. This isn't the case, but the tests are easier to obtain than ever. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can now be tested with urine-based tests, and the rapid HIV test only requires an oral swap, and can provide results in 20 minutes. As part of GYT, young adults ages 24 and younger qualify for free testing - All 97 Planned Parenthood affiliates are participating in GYT ’09.

As part of GYT, MTV will be showing programs related to STDs all month. On April 1st, they showed the world premiere of Pedro, the story of Pedro Zamora, a cast member of the Real World who died from AIDS-related complications in 1994. You missed the premiere, but you can watch it online for the next 2 weeks here!

A ton of pop-culture personalities will be appearing in a series of promotions and PSAs on MTV and online, wearing "GYT" on their chests, and getting tested for STDs. You can get involved on Facebook, and even Twitter! Also, you can text your zipcode to the GYT mobile companion, #49809 to see your nearest testing location!

Be sure to check out the GYT09 website for further information and some cool videos and programs. And be sure to go out and get tested!

Back Up Your Birth Control

2009-03-26T11:03:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was Back Up Your Birth Control Day!, a national campaign to raise awareness and increase access for emergency contraception (EC). Emergency Contraception has tons of aliases: it's known as the 'morning after pill,' back up birth control, emergency birth control, and also by its prescription name Plan B. So what is it really? Emergency Contraception is a form of birth control that can help prevent pregnancy after sex. EC can be taken up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. It is safe and effective for women, and is not the abortion pill.

But far too many women still don't know what EC is or how to obtain EC. And we've all heard the myths and rumors about EC that make accessing it and using it all the more confusing. That's why this week we're speaking out to increase awareness and access for EC to all women. Around the nation, activists are raising awareness about EC by hosting events, generating public awareness, and providing truthful information to women. Many of Planned Parenthood's VOX groups are hosting events on their college campuses to supply their student bodies with accurate information.

The celebration of yesterday's eighth anniversary of BUYBC Day has been heightened with a recent court decision. On March 23, a New York state U.S. District court ordered the Food and Drug Administration to rescind previous legislation that limited access to EC to young women. In 2006 the FDA agreed to make Plan B accessible over the counter without a prescription, but only to women and men 18 years old and older. The FDA must now extend that guarantee for over the counter access to 17 year olds. The court also ordered the FDA to reconsider eliminating all age restrictions.

This victory is a supportive measure to all women. Many women still face challenges accessing EC, young women especially. The cost poses a financial burden to low income women, some pharmacies and pharmacists still deny women access to EC at the counter, and unsupplied health centers leave students on college campuses without access. And young women? Well, most teenagers today are left in the dark about their rights (like NO - you don't need parental permission to obtain a prescription for EC), reducing their access to emergency contraception.

So take some time to share your voice for the cause. Check out Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Regions' EC Commercial, and visit Planned Parenthood online to find a local clinic where EC is available. Talk to a friend and share the information you know about EC so that all women are aware of their options!

National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers

2009-03-13T13:38:00.001-04:00

This month is an active month for appreciation and celebration! After all, we’re vivaciously recognizing Women’s History Month, and recent legislation by the House and Senate for the reestablishment of affordable birth control is cause for cheer. But in the midst of all this celebration and recognition is a day of appreciation often overlooked.

March 10th was National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. With all the great activity that supporters are continually working on we’re constantly recognizing their efforts, but sometimes overlooking the everyday activity of the workers who help carryout the right we so passionately defend.

Abortion providers are facing countless obstacles right now and are in need of some serious appreciation. State laws are tightening access to abortion, clinic violence is increasing, and many health activists are nearing the age of retirement. Around the nation, 85% of counties still do not have abortion providers, and clinic workers are hesitant to take up work in anti-choice areas where social alienation and danger is prominent.

Now is the time to show some appreciation for abortion providers and clinic staff who help carryout our rights everyday. Give thanks to your local providers by stopping by with thank you cards and let them know you appreciate their work. Find out if a local clinic is in need of clinic escorts and volunteer your time! Visit Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region for information about volunteering.

Though this day of recognition has passed, that doesn’t mean we can’t continually offer our thanks! Make donations at organizations assisting women’s health care. Visit Planned Parenthood for donations and up to date information, programs, and support. Stay updated with current policy regarding abortion (hello “conscious clause” that Obama hopes to rescind!) and stay active in defending our right!

Affordable Birth Control On College Campuses (one hurdle to go!)

2009-03-12T17:42:00.002-04:00

After 2 long years of fighting to get affordable birth control back onto college campuses and into providers like Planned Parenthood, we are one short hurdle away from success.

Do you remember birth control pills being as cheap as $5 on your college campus? I don't. I don't remember BC ever being that inexpensive. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to BC prices when Congress inadvertently cut safety net providers (like college health centers) from obtaining birth control at low prices, with the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act in the fall of 2007. A legislative error in this bill caused birth control prices to skyrocket - as much as 900%.

Birth control isn't a privilege, it's a right. In these tough economic times, no woman should have to choose between a week's worth of grocery shopping and a month's worth of birth control. Cecille Richards put it bluntly, "Now more than ever, government needs to remove — not create — unnecessary barriers to health care services."

All that needs to be done to correct this error is a simple technical correction, in the form of an appropriations bill. This FY09 Bill is a no-cost provision, and includes no federal funding. It has passed already in the House, and just passed Tuesday in the Senate.

Believe it or not, there was some opposition in passing this commonsense correction. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) positioned this legislation as an "unnecessary earmark" and tried to halt its progress. In a Facebook update, Kendall from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund said, "I don't know about you, but I've had enough of anti-choice politicians hiding their opposition to family planning behind claims of fiscal responsibility." It rings especially true considering that this bill costs nothing to the US government.

We urged senators not to allow DeMint to strike our provision from the bill, and they listened to us. They voted for the appropriations bill, including the provision known as the "Affordable Birth Control Act," that will help American families make responsible choices in these difficult economic times.

All that's left now is the desk of Barack Obama, who we are confident will sign it. We at Planned Parenthood salute Congress for recognizing the need for affordable birth control and fixing this problem.

PS! Hi! I'm new here at Sex. Justice. Change. - my name is Sammy and I'm a sophomore at Syracuse University, hailing from White Plains, NY. I'm delighted to be a part of this community, and excited for the future - Thanks for reading!

Send Your Comments on the "Consicence" Rule to HHS!

2009-03-11T18:36:00.002-04:00

President Obama has, as promised, thankfully decided to repeal Bush's last minute, anti-choice "conscience rule." The HHS regulation prevents health care providers from “discriminating” against all levels of anti-choice employees who refuse to provide services, and is intended to not only restrict access to abortion, but also birth control and reproductive health care in general.

The 30 day comment period for the public to send in their thoughts on the proposed change opened earlier this week. And just like it was important for you to send in your opposition to the rule when Bush proposed it, it’s important to send in your support for its repeal now! After all, pro-choice causes, women's health and access to reproductive health services need all of the public support that they can get. And the anti-choice opposition will certainly be making their voices heard, so it's time that we do, too.

Click here to send your comments to the Department of Health and Human Services. If you happen to have trouble with the form, you can just email your comments directly to proposedrescission@hhs.gov. And then, make sure to spread the word and ensure that all of your friends send in their comments, too!

Abstinence-Only Education Sends Dangerous Messages to Youth

2009-03-06T13:55:00.004-05:00

As per usual, the Amplify blog, run by the great organization Advocates for Youth, has some chilling information on what is being actually taught in publicly-funding abstinence-only education programs.

We talk about these programs in the abstract an awful lot, and how they're not teaching teens the tools they need to keep themselves safe and make smart choices about their sexual health. But it's also a good idea to take a look at what they actually are teaching teens. And the truth about what they're up to goes far beyond even the dangerous myths that "condoms don't work," and into the realm of reinforcing out-dated and oppressive gender roles with regards to sex.

Just a couple excerpts from what Amplify found:

In South Carolina, Heritage Community Services (currently receives a CBAE grant of $600,000 per year from 2006-2011) teaches girls that conservative attire is necessary, or those poor boys will virtually attack you. Here is an excerpt from their classroom curriculum:

“Males and females are aroused at different levels of intimacy. Males are more sight oriented, whereas females are more touch oriented. This is why girls need to be careful with what they wear, because males are looking! The girl might be thinking fashion, while the boy is thinking sex. For this reason, girls have a responsibility to wear modest clothing that doesn’t invite lustful thoughts.”

Yes indeed, girls. It is your duty to the country. More from HCS’s website:

“a good minimum guideline is to declare everything covered by a bathing suit as off limits. Everyone needs to know his or her boundaries before getting in a risky situation. Once someone is excited physically, it can be difficult to stop.”

Far from teaching girls the useful skills of how to assert themselves in sexual situations and clearly say what they do and do not want to do, this kind of curriculum doesn't even acknowledge that girls and women have their own sexual thoughts and desires. Indeed, another example found over at Amplify's blog post shows curriculum that asserts male sexual desire as erratic based on physical attraction, with female sexual desire as harder to come by and based in emotion.

And worst of all, these kinds of attitudes are the exact same ones that promote victim-blaming with regards to rape and sexual assault. These attitudes being taught to students put the onus on girls and women to not "provoke" the sexual attraction and attention of men, rather than the onus on boys and men to control themselves and act respectfully. Amplify has even yet another example, where this attitude gets particularly explicit -- in an abstinence-only story which asserts that a girl who claimed to be raped is not credible, due to her promiscuous reputation.

Read the full Amplify post here, and remember that not only are our teens being given dangerous, harmful and sexist messages -- they're also being funded by our tax dollars! You can ask President Obama to zero-out funding for abstinence-only education here.

Keeping Abortion Private

2009-02-26T15:39:00.003-05:00

Check out this really great Newsweek article by Anna Quindlen, celebrating the benefits of the availability of RU-486, also known as "the abortion pill":

RU-486 flies in the face of anti-abortion orthodoxies, and not simply because some physicians who have never dreamed of performing a surgical abortion have no qualms about making the medication available. It counters the irresponsibility myth, which suggests that women who end pregnancies are thoughtless, feckless, and have not bothered with birth control or matrimony, despite the fact that many women who have abortions are married and were using contraception that failed. RU-486, which now accounts for 14 percent of all abortions nationwide, demands a high degree of responsibility. A woman has to ascertain early that she is pregnant and then take charge of the process herself, choosing to deal at home with the results. With every new political power shift the abortion issue arises again, with talk of a search for common ground and the future of Roe v. Wade. But change in party or philosophy cannot change this undeniable fact: women who do not want to be pregnant will try to end their pregnancies. They will do it because they don't have enough money, or enough support, or they think they are too young or too overwhelmed by circumstance. They always have, and they always will. Rat poison, Lysol, ergot, bleach—oh, the historical list of desperate measures is long. Over the years some have died, leaving motherless children behind.

Medication abortion is not the best option for every woman seeking an abortion. Many women prefer the faster process of a surgical abortion, and though quite small, medication abortion does carry its own risks. But for those women who have early abortions, who prefer to have their abortions in the privacy of their own homes, and who may otherwise not have access to abortion services, medication abortion is indeed an option definitely worth having. And just like every woman should have a right to access abortion when she needs one, every woman should also have the right to choose the abortion method that is safest and most comfortable for her own circumstances.

Read the full Newsweek article here.

North Dakota House Passes Bill Giving Rights to Fertilized Eggs

2009-02-19T17:46:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, a bill in North Dakota that would give the rights of personhood to fertilized eggs passed the legislative House.

A measure approved by the North Dakota House gives a fertilized human egg the legal rights of a human being, a step that would essentially ban abortion in the state.
The bill is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that extended abortion rights nationwide, supporters of the legislation said.
Representatives voted 51-41 to approve the measure Tuesday. It now moves to the North Dakota Senate for its review.
The bill declares that "any organism with the genome of homo sapiens" is a person protected by rights granted by the North Dakota Constitution and state laws.

As the bill's sponsor Dan Ruby notes in this article, the bill is indeed a direct challenge to Roe vs. Wade. The goal is to outlaw abortion not only in North Dakota, but also to overturn a Supreme Court decision and render the procedure illegal in many states across the nation.

The bill would also quite arguably outlaw many types of birth control as well as abortion. This is because some types of birth control are believed to potentially prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. Implantation in the uterus is the first moment from when we can know that a pregnancy has been established -- indeed, it is how "pregnancy" itself is defined. And so, there actually is no way of knowing when a fertilized egg has been created without implanting; and therefore no way of proving that birth control does not have this kind of effect. This presents a whole host of logistical problems, potential court battles and almost certain rollbacks in women's rights and bodily autonomy. The practice of IVF would also be at serious risk, as it requires creating embryos while knowing that there is a high risk of them not implanting, or even not being used in an attempt to establish a pregnancy.

For more on all of these issues, see this previous post on the very similar Human Life Amendment. In the meantime, we will have to wait to see how this issue plays out in the North Dakota Senate, and hope that in a time when so many more important issues are on the table and the government is already strapped for cash, they will do the right thing by their citizens -- especially the female ones.

National Condom Week

2009-02-12T13:28:00.005-05:00

This Saturday February 14 is Valentine's Day, the national day of love. And what better way to show love for your significant other -- and for yourself -- than playing it safe? That means using condoms every time you engage in sexual activity.

That's why February 14 also kicks off National Condom week.

National Condom Week is a national effort, sponsored by over 100 health and youth-focus agencies and organizations. It's primary purpose is to educate sexually active Americans about the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, the risks they pose if they are not detected and treated, and the best methods for prevention including proper use of condoms.

Other than total abstinence from all sexual activity besides masturbation, condoms are still the most effective way way to prevent STIs, including HIV/AIDS. They can be used for vaginal, anal and oral intercourse for people of all genders, can be easily turned into dental dams for oral sex performed on women, and should even be used with sex toys that are shared between partners. If you don't know how to properly use one, or just need a refresher course, learn now!

With a new Facebook application created by the City of New York, you can remind your friends to protect themselves, too. And don't forget that you can get free condoms by stopping in at any local Planned Parenthood clinic!

Rates of Teen Sex Are Lower Than Most Think

2009-02-04T13:04:00.006-05:00

Parents everywhere will likely be relieved to hear this news. The idea of today's teenagers engaging in rampant, promiscuous and unprotected sex is just what many of us have been claiming all along . . . a myth.

The news is troubling, but it’s also misleading. While some young people are clearly engaging in risky sexual behavior, a vast majority are not. The reality is that in many ways, today’s teenagers are more conservative about sex than previous generations.

Today, fewer than half of all high school students have had sex: 47.8 percent as of 2007, according to the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, down from 54.1 percent in 1991.

A less recent report suggests that teenagers are also waiting longer to have sex than they did in the past. A 2002 report from the Department of Health and Human Services found that 30 percent of 15- to 17-year-old girls had experienced sex, down from 38 percent in 1995. During the same period, the percentage of sexually experienced boys in that age group dropped to 31 percent from 43 percent.

The rates also went down among younger teenagers. In 1995, about 20 percent said they had had sex before age 15, but by 2002 those numbers had dropped to 13 percent of girls and 15 percent of boys.

[. . .]

As for that supposed epidemic of oral sex, especially among younger teenagers: national statistics on the behavior have only recently been collected, and they are not as alarming as some reports would have you believe. About 16 percent of teenagers say they have had oral sex but haven’t yet had intercourse. Researchers say children’s more relaxed attitude about oral sex probably reflects a similar change among adults since the 1950s. In addition, some teenagers may view oral sex as “safer,” since unplanned pregnancy is not an issue.

In other words, the fact that teenagers are seemingly somewhat more comfortable discussing sex than their parents were doesn't necessarily mean that they're engaging in risky behaviors. Of course, proponents of comprehensive sex education have been arguing the same thing -- that being open and honest about sex isn't the same as having more of it -- for many years!

It is, however, important to note that while promiscuity among teens is not a major problem, there are other sexual issues involving teens that need addressing. The fact that the teen birth rates have risen for the first time in 15 years, as well as the high rates of STD transmission, both need our immediate attention. And as the NY Times notes, if these trends are not due to increased rates of sexual activity, they're almost certainly due to a decrease in the use of condoms and other contraception. That's something important to chew on -- and to remember when abstinence-only supporters try to take credit for this study's findings.

President Obama Repeals Global Gag Rule

2009-01-28T14:58:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, on his third full day in office, our new president Barack Obama lifted the Global Gag Rule via executive order.

The Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, was first instated by President Ronald Reagan (then repealed by President Bill Clinton, and reinstated by President George W. Bush), and restricts U.S. funding to international reproductive health organizations that discuss the option of abortion with patients. U.S. funds were already not allowed to go towards actually providing abortions, but the Global Gag Rule put many additional restrictions in place. For the first time, organizations that provided abortions with other funding sources could not receive U.S. funds. Even worse, those organizations that did not provide abortions but discussed them as an option for their patients or promoted pro-choice policies in their home countries were also not eligible for funds.

In other words, under the Gobal Gag Rule, health providers were forced to chose between lying to their patients or having their funding cut off. Many of those providers who refused to lie to patients about their options subsequently closed down, making birth control and other reproductive health services inaccessible to many very poor women. Those who continued to accept funding were not allowed to tell patients how to receive an abortion even when they asked, or even if their lives were in danger from continuing the pregnancy. As a result, the Global Gag Rule resulted in more unintended pregnancies, more unsafe, do-it-yourself abortions, and the deaths of innumerable women -- all for the sake of anti-choice ideology.

Planned Parenthood proudly supports the decision to overturn the Global Gag Rule, knowing that it will protect women's heath, save lives, and prevent more unintended pregnancies among the world's most underprivileged women. We can hope that it's a sign that President Obama understands that access to honest, safe reproductive health care should not be a privilege for the world's wealthy few, but a right for all.

An Evening With Bill Baird

2009-01-23T15:31:00.005-05:00

Last night, being the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Rochester NOW sponsored an event with reproductive rights activist Bill Baird.

Bill Baird is the founder of the Pro-Choice League and was the defendant in the landmark Baird v. Eisenstadt case that established the right to birth control for unmarried people. Previously, birth control had only been ruled a right for married couples in Griswold v. Connecticut. The majority opinion in the case contains the famous and highly significant line: "If the right of privacy means anything, it is the right of the individual, married or single, to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear or beget a child." The right to privacy cited in the decision was also referenced in Roe v. Wade itself, as well as the more recent case Lawrence v. Texas, which ruled laws prohibiting same-sex sexual activity unconstitutional.

At the event, Baird spoke extensively of his history in the reproductive rights movement, his relatively unknown status, and the controversy surrounding his name and actions. And he certainly is a compelling speaker, if one who enjoys going off on tangents.

Baird discussed the fact that he has been jailed 8 times in 5 different states for showing contraception to poor women, and how during his landmark Supreme Court case he was refused the help of other progressive and reproductive rights organizations at the time. It's an issue that still clearly upsets him. He reminded us that there was a time when sexual intercourse outside of marriage was illegal, and gave a vivid description of the moment when he decided to begin the work that would get him repeatedly arrested: when he saw a woman work into the hospital where he worked with a coat hanger hanging out of her uterus, and died in front of him -- all because, he said, she didn't have access to birth control to prevent that pregnancy. And he railed against men who believe that they have a right to tell women what to do with their own bodies, and the lives that such "arrogance" costs.

During one particularly compelling moment, he held up an old newspaper with the headline "Mother Begs for Birth Control" and asks the question "why should any woman have to beg for medical care?" The question particularly sticks in one's mind because with high costs and laws restricting access, it's hardly one that's irrelevant today. Baird's talk focused greatly on history, but contained a strong link to the present. The struggles we face now may not be as extreme as they once were, but they are ultimately the same struggles.

Blog for Choice: A New Day for Women's Health

2009-01-22T15:02:00.008-05:00

Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that secured the right to safe, legal abortion. Bloggers across the globe are celebrating this day by participating in Blog for Choice Day. The anniversary of Roe comes just two days after the historic inauguration of President Obama. Fittingly, the Blog for Choice Day question is, What is your top pro-choice hope for President Obama and/or the new Congress?

Well, Planned Parenthood is first and foremost a health care provider. We are unique because we are a provider and advocate, speaking out for the women, men, and teens we serve to promote reproductive justice and protect women's health.

With a new President leading the way, we have an opportunity to engage the country in a conversation about the importance of women’s health, and ensuring that women’s health is an integral part of the efforts to fix our health care system. There will be efforts in states across the country to undermine a women’s right to make personal health decisions, but we believe the American people have clearly spoken that they are ready for a new day.

We look forward to working with President Obama and the new Congress on three critical health priorities:

First, we need to make sure that everyone has access to affordable, quality health care, especially women.
Second, we need common sense policies that reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and teen pregnancies.
Third, we must expand access to affordable family planning and prevention care, both domestically and internationally.

Go to our website to learn more about our health care priorities and top issues and to find our how you can get involved.

Kicking the Year off Right in Albany!

2009-01-16T15:09:00.010-05:00

On Monday, January 12, the first day of the new legislative session, over 300 advocates gathered in Albany to proclaim "Women's Health Matters!" to our legislators and state officials. Of course, Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region was there with a bus full of Rochester and Syracuse advocates to join in the celebration and the fight. We gathered in the Well, a central location in the Legislative Office Building where we knew we'd get lots of attention.

The new President and CEO of Family Planning Advocates, Tracey Brooks, kicked off the morning rally. There was an awards presentation honoring our courageous advocates in the NYS legislature. The Margaret Sanger Award was presented to Senator Eric Schneiderman and Assemblymember Naomi Rivera and the Champion of Choice Award was given to Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

There were many exciting speakers, including Assembly Speaker, Assemblymember Sheldon Silver; NYS Commissioner of Health, Dr. Richard Daines; NYS Comptroller, Thomas
DiNapoli; Senate Majority Leader, Senator Malcolm Smith; and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice, Mylan Denerstein. The excitement in the air was palpable and it was clear that 2009 would be a year of great hope and progress in Albany!

I had the honor of introducing the keynote speaker, a woman I have immense admiration for, 23-year-old sexual education activist, feminist, and youth empowerment organizer, Shelby Knox. Shelby spoke eloquently about her seven year fight for comprehensive sex ed, literally coming to tears when she predicted that in 2009, the Healthy Teens Act will finally become law in New York.

After the rally in the Well, advocates scattered throughout the Legislative Office Building and Capitol to meet with legislators. Our group met with twenty-one elected officials from the Rochester/Syracuse region, advocating for the Healthy Teens Act, Reproductive Health Act, and investing funding in family planning services. When the bus rolled into Rochester for the last drop-off at 7:00 PM, we were tired, but we knew our actions made a difference.

Who Decides?

2009-01-16T12:57:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, NARAL Pro-Choice released their 2008 "Who Decides?" annual report, which tracks pro-choice and anti-choice trends throughout the country and gives a pro-choice grade to each state based on policy and legislative make up. (Note: Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region is non-partisan and takes stances only on policy, not candidates for office.)

NARAL ranks New York State as an A-, which makes it one of the most pro-choice states in the nation but means there's still room for improvement. You can read the full state profile here.

Other key findings include the fact that while more anti-choice legislation was considered than pro-choice legislation (502 measures vs 459 measures), significantly more pro-choice legislation was successfully adopted. Surely, with 16 states enacting 24 anti-choice measures in 2008, there's still a lot of work to be done -- but 23 states enacting 39 pro-choice measures is definitely nothing to sneeze at!

For more, check out the federal profile, state profiles, pro-choice policy key findings, and anti-choice policy key findings. And here's to a pro-choice 2009!

FDA Advisers Recommend New Female Condom

2009-01-07T14:42:00.003-05:00

An FDA committee has recommended that a new female condom be approved for the general market:

Like the other version of the female condom -- the "FC" approved by the FDA in 1994 -- the second-generation "FC2" is made by the Chicago-based Female Health Company. Just as effective as its predecessor at preventing unwanted pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the new version is made of nitrile, a cheaper material than the older version's polyurethane, and is 30 percent less expensive.

Cost estimates range from $1.40 to $2.10 for consumers and about half that for health care organizations that distribute it. The new condom has won support from women's advocates for its reduced price and because women can insert it without a sexual partner's help.

"Our interest in seeing a second-generation female condom comes from the changing face of the AIDS epidemic," says Kirsten Moore, president of the Washington-based Reproductive Health Technologies Project. "With the growing number of women becoming infected with HIV, we clearly need more and better female-controlled prevention options."

The women's health organizations that spoke before the FDA's Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Advisory Committee included representatives of the Atlanta-based SisterLove; the Washington-based National Women's Health Network; and the Washington-based National Research Center for Women and Families. They will convene in Gaithersburg, Md., near the FDA's headquarters in Rockville, Md.

Eighty-seven U.S. advocacy groups and 50 international groups submitted petitions in favor of FC2. Other health authorities, such as the New York-based Guttmacher Institute, are submitting separate letters of support.

Health advocates say that if the government moves quickly in recommending FC2 approval, the new condom could be on U.S. pharmacy shelves -- and in the hands of aid organizations that distribute it worldwide -- some time in 2009.

Of course, the new female condom still has its downsides. It's prohibitively expensive compared to male condoms, and much more difficult to find. Further, the new female condom has not undergone an extensive redesign to make it more comfortable and easy to use -- that is still underway.

But the fact remains that it's still an important development. Making the female condom less expensive is a step forward, even if its still more expensive than we'd ultimately like to see. And the female condom is still the only method of female-controlled STD prevention, meaning it's an important part of women's sexual health and empowerment.

One of the major obstacles that women face to using the female condom is an unfamiliarity with how to use it. That much, at least, can be cleared up immediately -- Planned Parenthood has all the information you need on how to use the female condom properly and safely.

England Pilots Program for Non-Prescription Birth Control

2009-01-02T13:37:00.003-05:00

In England, two pilot programs are being launched that allow women to obtain birth control without a prescription, over-the-counter from a pharmacist:

England plans to launch two pilot programs in the London area that will provide women with nonprescription access to birth control pills, the PA/Google.com reports. The pilot programs will begin next year in the Lambeth and Southwark primary care regions of England's National Health Service, and the results will be used to determine whether the program should be expanded across England. Under the program, women seeking nonprescription oral contraception will undergo an interview with a qualified pharmacist. Strategic health authorities -- which manage local health services under NHS -- will be required to provide pharmacists with sets of instructions known as patient group directions, including special directions for girls younger than age 16, the PA/Google.com reports. According to the PA/Google.com, patient group directions are required by law to dispense medications without a doctor's prescription and currently are used for administration of emergency contraception. The directions for dispensing EC to girls younger than 16 include a mental health assessment.

The women would receive patient counseling from a nurse or pharmacist prior to receiving the pills, very similar to that which a doctor would provide. Further, this is common practice in England and other countries for many other drugs -- including emergency contraception -- meaning that pharmacists and nurses are trained and capable of providing this type of counseling. The goal is to increase access, particularly for teens, by lowering the amount of time and effort it takes to get such routine care.

Of course, like with any other medication, birth control pills do have risks associated with taking them. This is why the counseling is so important, and we'll just have to wait and see how the trial goes. You can read more about the concerns that the pilot raises, and whether they're really that worrisome, here. What are your thoughts?

Your Beautiful Cervix

2008-12-18T14:32:00.006-05:00

Warning: The images contained at the links below are graphic, Not Safe For Work and not for the faint of heart. Click with caution!

A doula and student midwife decided to take photographs of her cervix for a full menstrual cycle and posted them all on her blog My Beautiful Cervix. The results document the changes in cervical blood/fluids and cervix appearance. Quite simply, it's fascinating and empowering to women everywhere who are wondering what exactly is going on down there.

Men have the anatomical benefit of being able to just look down if they want to examine their genitals. Women, on the other hand, need mirrors and even medical instruments to get a really full view. Further, women are also more likely to be taught to be ashamed by their bodies and to not touch their genitals, often leaving them in the dark about what's happening with their own bodies. Sure, our vaginal fluids may seem a little gross, but when you realize all the things they're telling us (for women not on hormonal contraception), they're also pretty cool! Even more importantly, understanding the normal appearance of our genitals is vital to good sexual health and being able to recognize when there's a problem -- and since "normal" appearance is different for everyone, that's why you ought to be familiar with your own body.

Lastly, always remember to get regular pap smears. You can ask the doctor performing the exam to explain exactly what is going on, step-by-step. If you ask, they'll also often provide hand mirror (or bring your own!) so that you can see for yourself what your cervix and the rest of your vagina looks like. The results will be more private than posting photos on a blog, and even more informative!

The School to Prison Pipeline and What It Means for Repro Justice

2008-12-09T11:06:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, we co-sponsored Human Rights Day in Rochester to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The evening event included a potluck dinner, reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a panel discussion on the "School to Prison Pipeline." The topic was coincidentally timely given the local buzz about a school safety issue at East High in Rochester and Superintendent Brizard's in-school suspension policy. The local chapter of the NYCLU (New York Civil Liberties Union) was one of the lead organizations planning Human Rights Day; they invited a NYCLU attorney that works on the School to Prison Pipeline to speak on the panel. This morning, I had an opportunity to have breakfast with her and learn more about the School to Prison Pipeline. According to the NYCLU website:

The School to Prison Pipeline is a nationwide system of local, state and federal education and public safety policies that pushes students out of school and into the criminal justice system. This system disproportionately targets youth of color and youth with disabilities. Inequities in areas such as school discipline, policing practices, high-stakes testing and the prison industry contribute to the pipeline.
So you may be scratching your head trying to figure out how this relates to the work of Planned Parenthood. The work of the NYCLU addresses many civil liberties issues, including access to reproductive health care, comprehensive sex education, and privacy rights. It's easy to connect those issues with the advocacy work of Planned Parenthood. However, the NYCLU also addresses advocacy issues like immigrants' rights, LGBT rights, police accountability and criminal justice reform, protecting protest, and national security. From a reproductive justice framework, all civil liberties issues intersect in some way with sexual and reproductive health and rights.

In the example of the School to Prison Pipeline, Planned Parenthood does have a vested interest in helping youth succeed in school and become empowered citizens. The solutions that the School to Prison Pipeline suggests to decrease drop-out rates and address violence in schools are similar to the initiatives that help teens prevent unintended pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI's).

Some things that the School to Prison Pipeline suggests as possible solutions are peer mediation, conflict resolution, after school programs, truancy intervention, guidance counseling, mentoring, character education, teacher training on classroom management, and parental and community involvement initiatives. These programs would not only keep teens off the street, but would help them succeed in school and, if combined with comprehensive sexuality education, will also help teens prevent unintended pregnancy and STI's.

In fact, Planned Parenthood's teen programs in Syracuse and Rochester focus on engaging teens in peer education, community outreach, leadership development, and operating after school programs that provide a safe and supportive environment for teens. The School to Prison Pipeline also disproportionately affects teens of color and urban populations, demographic groups that we also know are disproportionately affected by unintended teen pregnancy and lack of access to reproductive health care. By working together with organizations like the NYCLU, we can achieve the PPRSR mission of helping people "lead a healthy and fulfilling life."

An Extemely Overdue Recap...Sex, Activism, and Shelby Knox!

2008-12-05T16:24:00.015-05:00

So this recap is long overdue, as the event I'm about to share with you happened on September 27th. Yes, I know, it is clear that I am just trying to fill space and time, as Cara, our usual blogger goddess, is taking a break for a bit. But stay with me here! I did mean to post about this way back then. The event I'm referring to is the Stronger. Together. Conference, a regional conference we hosted to bring advocates from across Western, Central, and South Central NYS together to learn and share organizing skills and gear up for a really exciting fall! It was actually the same weekend that Cara went out in the field in South Dakota. So she was "boots on the ground" there and we were back home rallying our own troops for reproductive justice. The conference was co-sponsored with PP, PP-Southern Finger Lakes, PP-Mohawk Hudson, PP-Western NY, and Family Planning Advocates of NYS. Talk about community organizing!

Eighty people showed up for a jam-packed schedule including workshops with titles like “Lobbying your Legislators 101,” “The Personal is Political,” and “Religion, Morality & Reproductive Choice.” Guest presenters included the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Empire State Pride Agenda, Genesee Valley Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, Family Planning Advocates of NYS, and speakers from all co-sponsoring Planned Parenthood affiliates.

One of the favorites from the first breakout session was “Talk Back,” an interactive messaging training that taught how to respond to tough questions in conversation with family, friends, colleagues, and peers. “Rallies, Protests, Rights, and Responsibilities” in the second breakout gave useful advice when attending or organizing a public visibility event about legalities and rights of advocates in public space. The third breakout was my favorite--the "Reproductive Justice for All" workshops. The three sessions offered adddressed the histroy of religion and choice, the connection between LGBT rights and reproductive rights, and the social implications of advanced reprogenetic technologies.

The highlight of the day for me, anyway, was our keynote speaker, Shelby Knox. You probably know Shelby from the documentary about her advocacy work in high school for comprehensive sex ed and LGBT rights, The Education of Shelby Knox. Shelby is older now and just as outspoken, smart, and cool. She travels the country as a nationally-known youth organizer and educatory, feminist activist, and blogger. Shelby spoke enthusiastically about the reproductive justice movement, her personal journey in becoming a feminist and an activist, and the vital role young adults have in building the reproductive justice movement.

As we now know, the Stronger. Together. Conference kicked off a very busy and extremely emotional fall for community organizers and advocates of reproductive justice. Many of the us took the skills we learned and used them to organize on college campuses and in our communities. Plans are already on the table to hold a similar event next year. If you weren't there this year, I really hope you'll join us in 2009.

Bush Poised to Implement Dangerous DHHS Rule

2008-11-20T15:46:00.004-05:00

I've written before about the proposed DHHS rule that would undermine women's health by preventing government-funded providers from "discriminating" against employees who oppose abortion and/or contraception. The rule would limit women's access to information on all of their available options and make some options inaccessible -- potentially without women even knowing what they're being denied.

[T]he rule--issued as a draft proposal by the Health and Human Services Department in August and under public review through late September--could complicate legal and financial life for any federally funded institution, said Adam Donfield, senior public policy associate at the New York-based Guttmacher Institute.

About 580,000 federally funded institutions--including 89 percent of all hospitals--would be affected, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Under the rule, any worker involved in the delivery of health care--including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, volunteers and interns--would be able to refuse to provide any medical procedure or medication based on moral, ethical or religious beliefs if they work at an institution that receives federal aid.

Given the widespread moral and religious opposition to abortion, the rule is widely seen as a gambit to restrict access to abortion or to enable medical professionals to avoid referring patients to abortion services. However, the conscience rule also would allow health care providers to refuse to provide a range of reproductive health services, including abortions but also birth control, including emergency contraception, without exception.

"It appears that one penalty under this regulation will be to lose the federal funds under a specific program," said Donfield, adding that that could extend to all Medicare and Medicaid funds upon which hospitals critically depend. "Effectively, it means medical institutions will have to disobey their own state laws to keep their access to funding."

For these reasons and more, many prominent organizations and individuals oppose the proposed rule, despite the fact that President Bush seems determined to go ahead with it.

But three officials from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including its legal counsel, whom President Bush appointed, said the proposal would overturn 40 years of civil rights law prohibiting job discrimination based on religion.

The counsel, Reed L. Russell, and two Democratic members of the commission, Stuart J. Ishimaru and Christine M. Griffin, also said that the rule was unnecessary for the protection of employees and potentially confusing to employers.

[. . .]

[T]he National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, 28 senators, more than 110 representatives and the attorneys general of 13 states have urged the Bush administration to withdraw the proposed rule.

The good news is that President-Elect Barack Obama opposes the rule and says he would attempt to overturn it if enacted. Further, Senators Hillary Clinton and Patty Murray have introduced legislation that would prevent the rule from going into effect. Unfortunately, though, the process of overturning the rule could take three to six months, and legislation could take even longer to pass, if it does at all. In the meantime, great damage might be done.

There's still time to take action and strongly voice your opposition to this rule being implemented. It only takes a minute, and could make a big difference.

Uruguay Moves to Legalize Abortion

2008-11-14T15:21:00.003-05:00

Uruguay's congress has passed a bill that would legalize abortion in the country during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Unfortunately, the president has threatened to veto the bill.

Uruguay's Senate voted on Tuesday to decriminalize abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, a rare move for a Latin American country, but the president is expected to kill the measure.

The Senate voted 17 to 13 in favor of the bill after the lower house of Congress approved it last week in a session that was interrupted by a bomb threat.

Abortion is largely banned in Latin America, home to about half the world's Roman Catholics. Uruguay's center-left president, Tabare Vazquez, has vowed to veto any law easing restrictions on the procedure.

Congress could override the veto in theory, but support for the bill is not seen as strong enough for that.

"Whether the president vetoes it or not, it's important that Congress has established this right," said ruling party senator Margarita Percovich, who told Reuters she hopes Vazquez will change his position.

Under the current law, which dates from 1938, women who abort and the people who assist them face jail terms. Abortion is only permitted in cases of rape or when the life of the woman or the fetus is endangered.

A recent survey by private pollster Interconsult showed 57 percent of Uruguayans supported fewer restrictions on abortion, and 63 percent were against a presidential veto on the bill.

Clearly, Uruguay's abortion laws are extremely draconian, and to those anti-choicers who lie and say that outlawing abortion doesn't make the women who have them criminals, this is a sad example of how it can in fact happen.

The country is also yet another example of the toll that illegal abortion takes on women physically -- 29% of all maternal deaths in Uruguay are caused by (illegal) abortion, which is more than twice the worldwide average. It's frightening, and the women of Uruguay clearly deserve better.

With women's lives at stake, and the will of the people behind women's health, it would be a huge shame for the president to veto this important measure. Even if he does, however, the passage of the bill in congress shows great steps forward for reproductive health care and points to a day when women in Uruguay will have access to safe and legal medical care. It can't come a moment too soon.

Anti-Choice Ballot Initiatives Rejected By Voters

2008-11-06T13:06:00.003-05:00

On Election Day, which was this past Tuesday November 4, the citizens of California, Colorado and South Dakota all shot down the anti-choice measures that appeared on their ballots.

In Colorado, voters rejected Amendment 48, which would have given rights to fertilized eggs. If passed, Amendment 48 would have jeopardized the right to abortion, put women at risk for being prosecuted due to miscarriages, and even threatened access to contraception. An amazing 73% of the electorate voted to protect women's health from this dangerous initiative.

In California, voters narrowly decided to shoot down Proposition 4, which would have instated parental notification requirements for minors seeking abortions, and put their health and safety at risk. Californians voted to protect the rights and lives of its teenage girls, and sent a strong message for the third time that the health of pregnant teens is more important than ideology.

And lastly, in South Dakota, voters opposed Measure 11 by a strong 10 point margin. Measure 11 would have banned virtually all abortions in the state, and included so-called exceptions for health of the woman and rape and incest which were actually nothing but smoke and mirrors. Not only would Measure 11 have put South Dakota women at risk for seeking illegal and unsafe abortion procedures, it also would have been a direct challenge to Roe vs. Wade and attempted to undermine abortion rights all across the country. This is the second time South Dakota has voted against a sweeping abortion ban, and they did so by wide margins both times.

The message is clear: voters respect and want to protect women's health, and demand that the government stay out of private medical decisions. A big congratulations to all who worked so tirelessly to defeat these frightening anti-choice initiatives -- the effort paid off big time!

What Would Prop 4 Mean?

2008-10-30T13:12:00.003-04:00

I know that it seems I'm posing nothing but information on anti-choice ballot initiatives, lately, but 'tis the season! Today, I've got more for you on Prop 4, the California ballot initiative which would instate parental notification requirements for all minors seeking an abortion. Prop 4 would put pregnant teens in danger due to abusive parents or a fear of other nonviolent consequences. Some teens would be put in the position of having an abortion blocked by their parents (though illegal, it's easy to see how a parent could accomplish this), or as No on Prop 4's new ad points out, seeking an unsafe illegal abortion:

No on Prop 4 has also put together a flow chart showing the steps that a teen would have to undergo to obtain an abortion if Prop 4 became law (pdf; jpg version here). Clearly, it's a ridiculously complex and terrifying process -- on with which many adults would find difficulty, let along a scared, pregnant teen girl. If it wasn't clear before, this chart shows us how important it is to put young women's health over ideology!

Remembering Dr. Slepian

2008-10-23T14:23:00.004-04:00

Ten years ago today, Amherst, NY abortion provider Dr. Barnett Slepian was murdered. He was killed in his home by James Kopp, who shot Dr. Slepian through his kitchen window in front of his wife and children.

Dr. Slepian's murder was thankfully the last murder of an abortion provider to date, ending a long string of high-profile, violent terrorism against abortion clinics. A total of seven abortion clinic staff and abortion providers have been murdered in the United States, and many more have been been the victims of murder attempts. Dr. Slepian's murder of course hits close to home, since it happened so near to our own service region. It also serves as a reminder of the nonfatal 1997 shooting of a Rochester, NY abortion provider in his home (James Kopp is a suspect).

It bears emphasis that abortion clinics are very safe and secure, and the vast majority of anti-choice demonstrations are peaceful. However, the fact remains that violence is a not-so-distant memory, and harassment outside abortion clinics continues to this day. It's important to remember the lives of Dr. Slepian and others who dedicated their lives to women health and were horrendously killed because of their commitment -- the days of their murders are days we can never let happen again.

For more, see Planned Parenthood Federation of America's blog I Am Emily X.

Anti-Choice Oklahoma Law Challenged

2008-10-17T14:40:00.004-04:00

The Center for Reproductive Rights has sued Oklahoma over a law which would require doctors to perform ultrasounds on women, turn the screen towards them and verbally describe the fetus prior to performing an abortion. The law is set to go into effect on November 1.

In the lawsuit filed Thursday in Oklahoma County District Court, the Center for Reproductive Rights says that the requirement intrudes on privacy, endangers health and assaults dignity.

The law, set to go into effect on Nov. 1, would make Oklahoma the fourth state to require that ultrasounds be performed before a woman can have an abortion and that the ultrasounds be made available to the patient for viewing, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a health research organization based in Washington. The other states are Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Backers of the lawsuit say Oklahoma is the only state to require that the ultrasound screen be turned toward the woman during the procedure and that the doctor describe what is on the screen, including various dimensions of the fetus.

Elizabeth Nash, public policy associate with the Guttmacher Institute, said the Oklahoma law appeared unique in that its intent was that the woman seeking an abortion view the ultrasound images.

Lawmakers overrode Gov. Brad Henry’s veto to pass the anti-abortion legislation in April. Mr. Henry, a Democrat, said he vetoed the bill because it did not exempt victims of rape or incest from the ultrasound requirement.

State Senator Todd Lamb, a Republican, said supporters of the law hoped that it would curtail abortions in the state.

“I introduced the bill because I wanted to encourage life in society,” Mr. Lamb said. “In Oklahoma, society is on the side of life.”

The problem with this legislation is that, like most anti-choice legislation, it places political considerations above considerations for the woman's health and emotional state. Supporters of this law seem to be openly indicate that their sole purpose here is to lower the number of abortions, not to make women safer. In other words, there is no health reasoning whatsoever behind this rule, and yet the state government wishes to impose it anyway. When doctors have their medical practices controlled by government in ways that have nothing to do with protecting the health of patients, everyone loses. Patients are treated with disrespect, privacy is violated, and it's frankly just far too much government in our lives.

If the backers of this law really want to prevent abortions, why aren't they putting their efforts towards preventing unplanned pregnancy by promoting contraception? It's a proven, far more effective solution -- and one that supports women's health rather than ideology.