Don't Watch Your Birth Control Options Disappear
Published October 13, 2008 @ 01:20PM PST
Hopefully everyone is already aware that in addition to thwarting funds for reproductive health aid abroad, the Bush administration has also been working vigorously to make access to birth control in the United States illegal.
In case this is news to you, however, make sure to visit Birth Control Watch. BCW is one of the best places I have seen online that is actively educating individuals on what is at stake this election when it comes to reproductive health. It has a great resources page called the "Facts of Life" about STDs, pregnancy and contraception.
In addition to serving as an education tool, BCW also highlights the major issues we all need to be aware of before going to the polls on November 4th:
The Proposed New Health and Human Services Regulations:
The Bush Administration's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) wants to threaten patient's access to health services and information by greatly expanding existing laws intended to govern the right to deny women access to most forms of birth control.
A constitutional amendment proposed for the 2008 Ballot in Colorado seeks to establish legal personhood from the moment of fertilization. Changing Colorado's constitution to grant fertilized eggs (a biological stage that, according to medicine, doesn't even constitute a pregnancy) could prohibit the use of the most effective forms of birth control, restrict in-vitro fertilization, end embryonic stem cell research and more.
Disinformation Campaigns: The Pill Kills
One of the most creative attacks on birth control is the claim contraception can cause abortion. "The Pill Kills" is a campaign led by anti-contraceptive groups to try to confuse the public, using scientific-sounding arguments, that hormonal contraception can terminate a pregnancy. Contraception does not terminate a pregnancy, only prevents one. The "pro-life" movement's own most-respected medical experts have implored the movement's leaders to stop making these inaccurate claims.
Author
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Jen N.
- Washington, DC
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Jen is a recovering journalist and new media consultant who has written for the Washingtonpost.com and Stateline.org. She participates with various women and technology groups and also sits on the D.C. Advisory Board for the New Leaders Council.
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Posted by Jen Nedeau
Oct 04 @ 11:59PM PST
This is frightening.
Don't people see the irony here? Allowing unwanted pregnancies only contributes to unemployment, welfare dependents, poverty, etc. etc. etc.. And we're not just talking about teens being denied access to birth control suffering from these repercussions: married women, married COUPLES who don't want any more children won't be able to privately plan their families, either.
Posted by Lisa Smolen-Jenk... on 10/18/2008 @ 08:57AM PST
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Lisa - you are totally right - it's such a strange paradox; one party votes for choice, the other for control. Sigh. Thanks for your comments :)
Posted by Jen N. on 10/18/2008 @ 11:06AM PST
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My name is Paula and I’m an intern for Ms. magazine. I just came across your blog post about the Colorado Ballot Referendum and wanted to let you know about a new video that has just been released from the Feminist Majority Foundation, the publisher of Ms.
This November, South Dakotans will vote on a draconian abortion ban – Initiated Measure 11. I’m sure you are very aware how dangerous Measure 11 is to women’s reproductive health and rights, as it aims to make it nearly impossible for a woman to obtain an abortion in South Dakota. With help from some celebrities like Camryn Manheim, Amy Brenneman and Sara Ramirez, this video urges people to vote NO on 11 this November on the South Dakota ballot.
Check it out and spread it around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkRYqZnU0Zc
http://www.feministcampus.org/vote/StateInitiativeSD.asp
And of course, please check out our Vote No on 4 video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUVi1l-6M84
Please consider posting these videos onto your website so they are made available to your visitors. We must do all that we can to preserve women’s reproductive rights and let women know what’s at risk this election.
Thanks for your consideration,
Paula Silinger
Ms. magazine
psilinger@msmagazine.com
Posted by Paula Silinger on 10/20/2008 @ 03:37PM PST
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I mentioned it on another post that hormonal contraceptives are not just used for birth control, but people like me, who have medical issues that require hormone treatment, won't have access to these drugs any more, either. That's a scary thought, because hormones are currently the only thing preventing me from having a hysterectomy at age 34.
Posted by Lisa Smolen-Jenk... on 10/20/2008 @ 11:46PM PST
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Lets see, any state that forbids birth control cannot sell/dispense the blue pill for men (sorry cannot think of its proper name) you know the one I mean,
Posted by peg smith on 10/21/2008 @ 09:24PM PST
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Peg - that will scare the bejeezus out of them!!
Posted by Lisa Smolen-Jenk... on 10/22/2008 @ 09:18PM PST
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Whether they like it or not, anti-choices are going the way of the dinosaur. They can huff and puff and continue to TRY to take away civil rights from women, but their plans won't work. Sure, they can (in the dumb-ass) states attempt to enslave women's bodies, but it is just a temporary situation. Those who attempt to take away the civil rights of gay people to marry face the same fate. Three states just attempted ballot initiatives (which passed) to stop gay marriage; in the end, these morons will discover that you simply can't, in this day and age, take away equal rights. It's just that simple.
Posted by Madeline Knapp on 11/15/2008 @ 02:25PM PST
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