Blogs Discuss Future Of Abortion-Rights Movement, History Of Birth Control Pill, Other Topics

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 03 May 2010 - 1:00 PDT


The following summarizes selected women's health-related blog entries.

~ "The Future of the Abortion-Rights Movement," Newsweek: In response to an article published earlier this month, Newsweek invited several abortion-rights advocates to participate in a two-day e-mail discussion about "the idea that older women are promoting the cause while younger women are uninvolved." Participants in the discussion included Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America; Erin Matson, action vice president for the National Organization for Women; Edith Sargon, national field director for Choice USA; Amanda Marcotte, a blogger for Pandagon; Meg Massey, a blogger for Feminism 2.0; and author and advocate Sarah Erdreich. The participants discussed how established advocacy groups can collaborate with newer groups, how young advocates can engage their communities in grassroots efforts, and how the Internet and blogging have helped attract younger advocates to the cause. Other topics included reaching out to male abortion-rights supporters and the significance of other reproductive health issues, such as sex education and access to contraception and insurance (Newsweek, 4/29).

~ "The Pill 50 Years Later -- and the Fight for Coverage Continues," Catherine Epstein, Huffington Post blogs: Epstein, a writer and radio producer, discusses the ideological battles over oral contraceptives as the 50th anniversary of FDA's approval of the birth control pill approaches. She writes that the birth control pill "has been under ideological fire since the first tiny tablet hit a woman's palm" 50 years ago, adding, "And the impact it's had on women's autonomy and freedom has been -- as decades have passed -- nearly equal to the fear (and subsequent restriction) it's instilled in those who believe in curtailing reproductive rights." According to Epstein, "Planned Parenthood and other organizations had been trying for years to get greater insurance coverage for the pill." However, "it wasn't until Viagra came on the scene and was almost immediately covered by insurance companies, that [advocates] were able to harness the controversy and generate a real media discussion," she adds. She includes a comment written by Gloria Steinem in 1962, "The real danger of the contraceptive revolution may be the acceleration of woman's role change without any corresponding change of man's attitude toward her role." Epstein writes that the "pill is small, safe, and effective," and it prevents pregnancy. She concludes, "The only issue seems to be that, with great help from those like Steinem, the pill revolutionized the independence of women. It's hard coming to terms with the idea that this particular consequence of the pill should have made it a battleground for half a century, but yeah, Steinem called it" (Epstein, Huffington Post blogs, 4/27).

~ "Black Women Three Times More Likely To Die in Childbirth," Whitney Teal, Change.org's "Women's Rights": Teal discusses a recent Hartford Courant editorial, which cited a recent Lancet study finding that "[b]lack women are three times as likely to die in childbirth as Hispanic women" and that when "African-American stats are put up against white mothers, the disparity grows." Teal writes that the editorial "blamed the differences on access to health care," and it said "that around 13 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 have no health insurance, and just over half of those women are racial minorities." According to Teal, "This is partially true, but I think it's also generally true that people of color receive worse medical treatment, even when they do have access to health care, as several studies have suggested" (Teal, "Women's Rights," Change.org, 4/27).

~ "Oklahoma's Draconian Anti-Choice Law and the Radicalization of America Under Obama," Peter Daou, Huffington Post blogs: "A little over a year ago , millions of Americans held the (now quaint) belief that President Obama's election would marginalize the radical right and usher in an era of moderation and reason," according to Daou, a political consultant and former adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton. "But here we are, ... with a calcification of right wing rage and a plethora of proposals, rules , measures and laws enshrining some of the most radical ideas on the right," Daou continues. He writes that one example that particularly stood out to him was the recent enactment of two new antiabortion laws (HB 2780, HB 2656). Daou says the two measures are "more about women than babies" because "the underlying assumption is that women want to do something uninformed and frivolous and the state has to 'educate' them and shame them out of it." According to Daou, the "pervasive abuse of girls and women across the globe and the entrenched sexism in our society supports the argument that this is more about suppressing women's rights than protecting new life." He also asks, "If men were the ones carrying babies, do you really think Oklahoma would enact such laws? Do you think doctors would be gunned down for providing a legal service? Do you think rape and incest victims would be further humiliated?" He adds, "For some reason, I doubt it" (Daou, Huffington Post blogs, 4/28).

~ "Florida Democrats Shut Down the House Over Anti-Choice Amendment," Alex DiBranco, Change.org's "Women's Rights": Florida House Democrats -- who hold 44 seats, compared with Republicans' 76 -- have "decided to shut down business altogether to block an 11th hour attempt to restrict women's reproductive rights," DiBranco writes. The Democrats are using a procedural rule that allows the minority to block bills originating in the state Senate if the bills did not pass through a committee or receive a public debate. On Wednesday, Senate Republicans "slipped a couple of anti-choice amendments into a health care bill" (HB 1143), according to DiBranco. One amendment bans "the use of state or federal funds from being used on abortion, except for rape/incest and health exceptions," while the other amendment "insists women pay for mandatory ultrasounds," which can cost up to $1,000, prior to having an abortion, DiBranco writes. "House Democrats have decided that this is just the last straw, and are planning to stop movement on any legislation through tomorrow, which happens to be the last day of the legislative session," DiBranco adds. "[I]t's nice to see Democrats somewhere showing a bit of spunk," she concludes (DiBranco, "Women's Rights," Change.org, 4/29).

~ "Yes, Put a Mom on the Court," KJ Dell'Antonia, Slate's "XX Factor": "Just the fact that we're talking about which potential nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is also a 'mom' is an indication that motherhood still affects the way a woman is perceived in her professional life," Dell'Antonia writes, noting that Daily Beast's Peter Beinart recently devoted a column to the subject. Dell'Antonia notes that women with children often face a "motherhood penalty" of lower salaries and a perception that they are less competent than people who do not have children. Research has shown that the wage gap between "working mothers and non-mothers is larger than the gap between women and men," Dell'Antonia states. In addition, women who are "presented with two unambiguously qualified female candidates for the same position, one a mother, one not," often consider the "exceptionally successful mothers as less likable and as having more negative interpersonal qualities," Dell'Antonia writes. She adds, "In other words, it looks like women would rather have a drink with" Solicitor General Elena Kagan -- a top candidate for the court vacancy who is not a mother -- than with Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Diane Wood -- another top candidate who is a mother (Dell'Antonia, "Double X," Slate, 4/29).

~ "Mississippi To Strip Abortion Coverage From Health Insurance Exchange; Florida Not Far Behind," Igor Volsky, Think Progress' "The Wonk Room": Volsky discusses efforts in Mississippi to "finalize legislation (SB 3214) prohibiting insurers from offering abortion coverage" in the state-administered health exchanges that will be established under the new health reform law (PL 111-148). The measure is similar to an Arizona Senate bill (SB 1305) that Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed last week, he notes. According to Volsky, the Mississippi bill -- which the state Legislature sent to Gov. Haley Barbour (R) on Wednesday -- "may be even more draconian than Arizona's law." He continues, "While women in Arizona would still be able to purchase an abortion waiver with private dollars in an exchange, women who want to buy abortion coverage in Mississippi that goes beyond [just covering abortion care if] the life of the woman [is in danger] or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest would be forced out of the exchange." According to Volsky, the new reform law "has opened a Pandora's box of state efforts to restrict abortion coverage by removing coverage from the exchange and placing other restrictions on abortion access" (Volsky, "The Wonk Room," Think Progress, 4/29).

~ "Ding! You've Got Chlamydia," Leslie Goldman, Huffington Post blogs: Noting that April is Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month, Goldman writes about STDtestExpress.com, "a new online provider of testing for" sexually transmitted infections. She says the site is a "brilliant marriage of the easily accessible and fairly anonymous Internet with an anxiety-producing, often-ignored fact of life: Sex isn't always safe. Condoms break, partners cheat, drunken mistakes happen." She reports that the site "invites men and women to log in" and select from "a panel of tests or an individual screen (including chlamydia, syphilis and HIV)." It also offers "testing for the uninsured" and the option of selecting a local testing center. Consumers provide a urine or blood sample, depending on the test, and two days later, they receive an e-mail informing them of the results. If the test is positive, they will be contracted by a physician to discuss treatment options, Goldman writes. She also interviews the site's co-founder, Michelle Sobel, "about the ever-rising rates of sexually transmitted infections in our country, and the fact that, despite popular perception, it's not just teenagers and college kids being diagnosed with gonorrhea and genital warts" (Goldman, Huffington Post blogs, 4/28).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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