With Liberty, Justice and Health Care for All

As the fourth of July fireworks started exploding in the Wednesday night sky, I had a true reason to celebrate; the upholding of The Affordable Health Care Act. This monumental victory for the health of women and families happened earlier last Thursday, June 28th, and set the stage in my heart and mind to have enjoyed a true independence day. Calling the Affordable Care Act "the greatest advance in women's health in a generation," Planned Parenthood said the law will provide access to birth control and cancer screenings without co-pays, guaranteed direct access to OB/GYN providers without referrals, and an end to discriminatory practices against women, such as charging women higher premiums and denying coverage for "pre-existing conditions." Now that’s what being an American means to me.

As a 21 year old female college student, there are two parts of the Affordable Health Care Act that I am especially grateful for: one being that starting in August, birth control will be treated like any other preventive prescription under the Affordable Care Act, and will be available without co-pays or deductibles, and secondly, I can now stay under my parents insurance until the age of 26 if need be.

Women, just like you and me, who come into our Planned Parenthood health centers often struggle to decide whether to pay for birth control or pay for textbooks, groceries, or gas for the car. The money women will save on birth control each year is equal to five weeks of groceries for a family of four, nine tanks of gas in a minivan, or one semester of college textbooks.

College graduation is slowly sneaking up on me, and while I hope it doesn’t take me more than six months to find a job, the reality of the situation is not necessarily on my side. Finding a job takes real work itself these days, and finding one that includes benefits, well, calling that a rare situation is an extreme understatement. I am no longer scared to graduate thanks to The Affordable Health Care Act.

But the upholding of The Affordable Health Care Act isn’t just about me. It is about all women across the nation, and how it will help them in their daily lives. This is so much bigger than ever imagined, and will literally change the face of Health Care as we know it. I encourage all of you to learn more about how The Affordable Health Care Act will positively affect you at: (http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcare-overview), and to share your unique story on how on August 1st, you will have the tools to start leading a healthier life.

-Elise
PPRSR Intern

Elise’s Guide to Summer Sexual Safety

The lazy days of summer are upon us. Finally the time to relax, have fun and travel is in full swing. But for many teens and young adults, summer can also be a time to turn off the thinking skills demanded of them during the school year. This week, I want to share with you how to enjoy some summer lovin’ while keeping those thinking skills on.




Stay Focused and Aware

It’s no secret that alcohol lowers inhibitions, and that includes inhibitions about engaging in sexual activity. Although risk taking doesn’t discriminate, alcohol related risk taking is the greatest threat to people ages 18-24. According to a government survey, in 2010, 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 reported having unprotected sex due to alcohol consumption. Having unprotected sex is an activity that shouldn’t be on anyone’s summer-fun list. Failing to use a condom will increase the risk of contracting an STD, as well as increase the risk of pregnancy. But the risks don’t stop there; alcohol consumption increases the risk for sexual assault and date rape as well. 100,000 of those 400,000 students reported that at they were too intoxicated to remember if they consented to sex at least one time. These numbers are shocking. Take every precaution possible to not be part of the statistics. Be smart, be safe and always be in control of your choices.

Safety Tip: When going out this summer always carry a condom and always stick with friends. If you’re around people that care about you, your chances of going through with a bad decision are lower.

Stay Out of the Water

If you’re going on a tropical vacation or simply sitting poolside in the backyard, summer can make couples have the urge to get “adventurous.” Fantasies about making love under a waterfall or having a steamy session in the hot tub may sound wonderful, but the condom sliding off or breaking isn’t quite so romantic. When using a condom for sexual activity in water, any water-based or even natural lubricant will be washed away, making friction a bigger issue. If there is not enough lubricant, the condom is at a greater risk of breaking; making you or your partner at greater risk of contracting an STD or becoming pregnant. In addition, if at any point water seeps in between the condom and the penis (which can happen if the penis loses erection even for a second), the condom could slide off and you may not even be aware of it. So lip-lock in the ocean all you want, but make sure to take it to shore when it gets hot and heavy.

Safety Tip: Using a condom is better than not using one at all. If you and your honey are stranded at sea from a terrible boat crash this summer, take extra precautions: put the condom on outside of the water and use a silicon based lubricant.

Don’t get Lazy

They don’t call it the “lazy days of summer” for nothing. When the weather is hot, it’s easier to make excuses or cancel appointments to go outside instead. In order to stay on top of your sexual health, get to the gynecologist or your family physician sooner rather than later. Get tested and stock up on condoms or birth control pills before you leave for that three week vacation. If you can’t afford protection, your local Planned Parenthood has got you covered, literally.

Safety Tip: Write a to-do list and make getting tested and having protection number one. Cross it off when you’ve done it and then have a safe, fun, memorable summer!

Elise
PPRSR Marketing Intern

Is your doctor answering your birth control questions?

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.

Happy Anniversary to the Birth Control Pill!

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/.

"The Pregnancy Pact"

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.

Sex Education Is Never Too Late

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!

How Are Condoms Made?

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.

Follow up: Male Birth Control

(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.)

Birth Control for Men?

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.

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

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!

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!

North Dakota House Passes Bill Giving Rights to Fertilized Eggs

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

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!

President Obama Repeals Global Gag Rule

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

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.

Who Decides?

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

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

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?

Anti-Choice Ballot Initiatives Rejected By Voters

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!

Reproductive Rights in Danger in Colorado

I've lately given a lot of time to talking about the abortion ban ballot initiative in South Dakota, but it's not the only dangerous piece of anti-choice legislation that voters will be deciding on next month. In Colorado, Amendment 48 would change the definition of personhood in the state constitution to include fetuses and even fertilized eggs. Though the Amendment would not specifically outlaw abortion, by giving fertilized eggs rights it certainly does put abortion rights in danger. Even further, it threatens the right to access contraception, and even opens up the possibility of criminal investigations against women who have miscarriages!

Check out this video below:



For more on Amendment 48 and to find out how you can help, go to the Protect Families Protect Choices website.