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First it was Sen. Jon Kyl, who represents Arizona in the United States Senate. Back in September, during health care reform debates, he said "I don’t need maternity care, and so requiring that to be in my insurance policy is something that I don’t need and will make the policy more expensive." Now it's Colorado state Sen. Ted Harvey (pictured). He said "I can assure you the Harvey household does not need maternity care, the Harvey household does not need contraceptive care. Why should the Harvey household have to pay for your mandate? If you want to pay for that care for other people, you pay for it, but don't make me."

His statements came during discussion over Colorado legislation that would mandate that insurance companies cover maternity care and birth control in individual policies. The bill did pass the Senate on a voice vote, though it still has to be voted on properly, then get through the House. So that's good, and I hope it does become a mandate in Colorado. Because it should be a mandate nationwide. Every single insurance plan should cover childbirth and birth control and abortion. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Someone explain this mindset to me, please. Someone explain how anyone can actually think "My household doesn't need maternity care coverage, so why should I be paying for it?" This isn't how health insurance works. Period. You don't get to pick and choose what's covered. I myself don't need a number of things covered in my health insurance -- namely anything involving the male reproductive system: the prostate, the penis, the testicles, etc. I can't ever get testicular cancer, so why should my health insurance cover it? It would drive up costs and cause me to pay more. See how absurd that sounds? Would any man ever agree this to be true? No.

Why is it any different for maternity care? What makes these two Republicans -- and I'm sure they aren't alone -- and insurance companies themselves, for that matter, think this is okay? Furthermore, how have we let it go on this long? According to the story, "29 states require coverage of contraceptives in state-regulated health insurance while 23 states require coverage of maternity treatment and services." That leaves 21 states not covering birth control and 27 states not covering maternity care! Unacceptable.

I want to take what I said about Kyl's statement, change the name to Harvey, and repost it. More than that, I want an explanation for this selfish, backwards mindset. And can we explore, just for a second, the path some Republican arguments take?

Don't have sex, unless you're married, because you could get pregnant. And if you do get pregnant, married or not, you can't have an abortion, because that's murder. So you have to have the baby, but you have to pay for the required medical care that comes with childbirth out of pocket. Sure, we know birth control is intended to prevent pregnancy, but we aren't going to pay for that either. What. the. fuck. And then they dare claim that Democrats want abortion to be covered by health insurance "just because" having a child costs too much. Yeah, for many people it does, when health insurance doesn't cover it.

By the way, Harvey is married and has two children, including a 7-year-old girl. Who, I'm sure, he's quite ready to tell that she should pay for any children she has with her own money, with no help from her insurance, because that might mean his own insurance would cost more. And he can't have that.

Today is National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. (Good post from last year about this day here.)

Thank you to the doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, other medical staff, escorts, volunteers, clinic workers, abortion providers in-training, counselors, security and everyone else involved in giving women full access to comprehensive reproductive health care. I can't imagine what some (all?) of you go through every single day, and I believe you continue to do it because you believe in what you're doing. Thank you for that.

Thank you for respecting and trusting women.

Thank you to those who have been injured because of their job, and to those who lost their lives because of their job. From Wikipedia:

Murders
In the U.S., violence directed toward abortion providers has killed at least eight people, including four doctors, two clinic employees, a security guard, and a clinic escort.

• March 10, 1993: Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida was fatally shot during a protest. He had been the subject of wanted-style posters distributed by Operation Rescue in the summer of 1992. Michael F. Griffin was found guilty of Dr. Gunn's murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
• August 21, 1993 Dr. George Patterson, was shot and killed in Mobile, Alabama, but it is uncertain whether his death was the direct result of his profession or rather a robbery.
• July 29, 1994: Dr. John Britton and James Barrett, a clinic escort, were both shot to death outside of another facility in Pensacola. Rev. Paul Jennings Hill was charged with the killings. Hill received a death sentence and was executed September 3, 2003.
• December 30, 1994: Two receptionists, Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols, were killed in two clinic attacks in Brookline, Massachusetts. John Salvi, who prior to his arrest was distributing pamphlets from Human Life International, was arrested and confessed to the killings. He died in prison and guards found his body under his bed with a plastic garbage bag tied around his head. Salvi had also confessed to a non-lethal attack in Norfolk, Virginia days before the Brookline killings.
• January 29, 1998: Robert Sanderson, an off-duty police officer who worked as a security guard at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, was killed when his workplace was bombed. Eric Robert Rudolph, who was also responsible for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing, was charged with the crime and received two life sentences as a result.
• October 23, 1998: Dr. Barnett Slepian was shot to death at his home in Amherst, New York. His was the last in a series of similar shootings against providers in Canada and northern New York state which were all likely committed by James Kopp. Kopp was convicted of Dr. Slepian's murder after finally being apprehended in France in 2001.
• May 31, 2009: Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed as he served as an usher at his church in Wichita, Kansas.

Attempted murder, assault, and threats
According to statistics gathered by the National Abortion Federation (NAF), an organization of abortion providers, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, there have been 17 attempted murders, 383 death threats, 153 incidents of assault or battery, and 3 kidnappings committed against abortion providers. Attempted murders in the U.S. included:

• August 19, 1993: Dr. George Tiller was shot outside of an abortion facility in Wichita, Kansas. Shelley Shannon was charged with the crime and received an 11-year prison sentence (20 years were later added for arson and acid attacks on clinics).
• July 29, 1994: June Barret was shot in the same attack which claimed the lives of James Barrett, her husband, and Dr. John Britton.
• December 30, 1994: Five individuals were wounded in the shootings which killed Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols.
• October 28, 1997: Dr. David Gandell of Rochester, New York was injured by flying glass when a shot was fired through the window of his home.
• January 29, 1998: Emily Lyons, a nurse, was severely injured, and lost an eye, in the bombing which also killed Robert Sanderson.

Anthrax threats
The first hoax letters claiming to contain anthrax were mailed to U.S. clinics in October 1998, a few days after the Slepian shooting; since then, there have been 655 such bioterror threats made against abortion providers. None of the "anthrax" in these cases was real.

• November 2001: After the genuine 2001 anthrax attacks, Clayton Waagner mailed hoax letters containing a white powder to 554 clinics. On December 3, 2003, Waagner was convicted of 51 charges relating to the anthrax scare.

Arson, bombing, and property crime
According to NAF, since 1977 in the United States and Canada, property crimes committed against abortion providers have included 41 bombings, 173 arsons, 91 attempted bombings or arsons, 619 bomb threats, 1630 incidents of trespassing, 1264 incidents of vandalism, and 100 attacks with butyric acid ("stink bombs"). The first clinic arson occurred in Oregon in March 1976 and the first bombing occurred in February 1978 in Ohio. More recent incidents have included:

• December 25, 1984: An abortion clinic and two physicians' offices in Pensacola, Florida were bombed in the early morning of Christmas Day by a quartet of young people (Matt Goldsby, Jimmy Simmons, Kathy Simmons, Kaye Wiggins) who later called the bombings "a gift to Jesus on his birthday."
• October 1999: Martin Uphoff set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, causing US $100 worth of damage. He was later sentenced to 60 months in prison.
• May 28, 2000: An arson at a clinic in Concord, New Hampshire on resulted in damage estimated at US $20,000. The case remains unsolved.
• September 30, 2000: A Catholic priest drove his car into the Northern Illinois Health Clinic after learning that the FDA had approved the drug RU-486. He pulled out an ax before being shot at by a security guard.
• June 11, 2001: An unsolved bombing at a clinic in Tacoma, Washington destroyed a wall, resulting in US$6000 in damages.
• July 4, 2005: A clinic Palm Beach, Florida was the target of an arson. The case remains open.
• December 12, 2005: Patricia Hughes and Jeremy Dunahoe threw a Molotov cocktail at a clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana. The device missed the building and no damage was caused. In August 2006, Hughes was sentenced to six years in prison, and Dunahoe to one year. Hughes claimed the bomb was a “memorial lamp” for an abortion she had had there.
• September 13, 2006 David McMenemy of Rochester Hills, Michigan crashed his car into the Edgerton Women's Care Center in Davenport, Iowa. He then doused the lobby in gasoline and then started a fire. McMenemy committed these acts in the belief that the center was performing abortions, however Edgerton is not an abortion clinic.
• April 25, 2007: A package left at a women's health clinic in Austin, Texas contained an explosive device capable of inflicting serious injury or death. A bomb squad detonated the device after evacuating the building. Paul Ross Evans (who had a criminal record for armed robbery and theft) was found guilty of the crime.
• May 9, 2007: An unidentified person deliberately set fire to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• December 6, 2007: Chad Altman and Sergio Baca were arrested for the arson of Dr. Curtis Boyd's clinic in Albuquerque. Altman’s girlfriend had scheduled an appointment for an abortion at the clinic.
• January 22, 2009 Matthew L. Derosia, 32, who was reported to have had a history of mental illness rammed a SUV into the front entrance of a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Try to stay safe out there, everyone. We need you!

Last year, on International Women's Day, I wrote in support of the work of activists addressing Haiti's high incidence of rape. Today, the survival and well-being of women in Haiti remains high on the agenda of activists in the region and allies all over the world, especially in the aftermath of the earthquake. The women I've spoken to there are more focused than ever on rebuilding their country and their lives, and on continuing to work on securing safe, dignified, productive lives and livelihoods for all people. They inspire me not only to join them where they are, but to intensify my own work in Barbados and the Caribbean.

I see a lot of young women in my neighbourhood, on the streets every day, out and about everywhere, engaged in the business of growing up and figuring life out. And every day I'm reminded of how much there is to navigate, as a girl, and how overwhelming it can become if no one is creating the space needed to get through it all. That involves listening and encouraging their creative efforts and all these great things. But it also involves more tangible support, that has to do with their health care, their sexual and reproductive rights, their education, their safety and economic security. I don't have children. And even though I may at some point, and though I love my friends' children, I need not look that far into the future for my motivation to make things better now. I'm looking all around me, out my window right this minute, at the girls and women who depend on all our support to make their lives better today.

Happy International Women's Day.

Guest writer Maggie is a White lesbian who works a 9-5 in NYC. She’s also a music junkie and lapsed activist whose current obsessions include visual journaling, 5Rhythms®, and The Wire. These are her words.

Primer
At some point, small gold lapel pins meant to suggest a baby’s footprints were passed around the room. Whether I said “no” out loud or not, I don’t remember, but I knew I wasn’t going to wear that pin. I was a young girl sitting in the corner of a small Catholic church within a small Southern city. Our CCD teacher was only doing what the church expected of her, but I was beginning to learn about the intersection of my beliefs with those around me. Somehow, I knew that the pin meant that women wouldn’t be able to choose abortion over pregnancy and parenting, and I felt that was wrong. How exactly, or when I became pro-Choice is hard to say, as our beliefs are such a complex alchemy of race, gender, class, nationality, religious affiliation, familial dynamics, and so on. I do know, though, that my understanding of Choice and my activism have changed as I have come to appreciate more of the color, texture, depth, and scale of my own journey. Today, I remain pro-Choice, but I see the pro-Choice movement as one piece in a larger, broader, messier movement for reproductive justice*.

Red
It’s been said before and should be said again: the era of George W. Bush was a frightening time for the world. On his first day in office, Bush instituted what is commonly referred to as the Global Gag Rule . . . what foreshadowing! In the early Bush (Jr.) years, my activism consisted mostly of irregular clinic escorting and writing small checks. I was naive and had not had an abortion, but I felt I could contain my anger and fear in the face of protestors. Escorting challenged me on many levels, especially because the protestors don’t see the women they’re chasing, and this process reveals larger complicated truths about reproductive health care in our country. Standing there, in a woman’s body, on cold, early mornings felt mostly like an extended session of “hurry up and wait,” where you’re looking for women you’ve probably never met and with whom you will only spend a few seconds. These women – patients – became part of my life simply because they were accessing care in an environment that makes access, let alone inclusive, high quality care increasingly rare. I realized that, for some, just arriving at a clinic might have been a victory. And, I felt deeply how fervently some people seek to deny women such access.

Orange
In my late 20’s, I spent less time escorting and took part in more one time actions, like petition gathering/phonebanking/e-mailing, and attending lectures. I was becoming frustrated with the straight, White, middle class tone of what I saw as the mainstream pro-Choice movement. I was also frustrated by the straight White radical feminists I was meeting. Most of my time was consumed by navigating my own process of coming out (Bisexual, then Lesbian, and sometimes Queer), and entering the classroom as a new teacher. When I was assigned a biology course at the high school level, I found myself walking a fine line with both teachers and students. I met students who were afraid of HIV, but didn’t know you could contract it through oral sex. I worked alongside teachers who made, or openly allowed homophobic comments. I taught young women who were pregnant, throwing baby showers for peers, or returning to school determined to beat the odds. One of my students tried to hide her pregnancy through the second trimester, and when I asked her how she and her mother were feeling about the pregnancy, I found out that the mother basically refused to talk about it. The irony, for me, is that in spite of the requisite health courses, the internet, and research we now have on sexual activity among teens, we assume that they know so much more than they do. How can a pro-Choice movement survive in an environment where students in the largest and most diverse school system in the country lack critical information about their reproductive health? Clearly, I was bumping up against larger issues of race, gender, class, immigration status, disability, etc.

Yellow
A wise woman told me that activism what you bring to where you are, and how you use your privileges to make space for other voices. These days, I try to speak my truth and act as an ally where I can. I see my activism as less formal or obvious in that it mostly takes the shape of conversations. Here are some ways I have tried to make conversations about Choice real for me: Once, when modeling a lesson for fellow teachers, I created a lesson that would teach students how to schedule an appointment at a health clinic. Another time, when my partner and I were watching coverage of Nadya Suleman, I considered how coverage of Suleman differed from that of Jon and Kate Gosselin and talked about why it might be important to support a mother’s choice whether or not we agree with it. And, when abortion came up in a recent conversation with a woman I’d just met, I spoke my truth and paraphrased research from the Guttmacher Institute. I believe that activism needs to come from our own truth, and can therefore vary across years and lives.

Rainbow
As a White, able-bodied, middle class lesbian, I feel I have a responsibility to speak my truth, but also to act as an ally to those with fewer privileges. And, I see a need to both push those in power who make decisions about reproductive health care, but also to seek and support alternatives to mainstream services. There are now three components of my activism, so to speak. First, an important starting point for me has been to educate myself. I seek out stories from older women. I have spent countless hours researching pieces of herstory, and have learned more about how women from all over the world have exercised control over their reproductive cycle throughout time. Of course, many of those stories cannot be found in mainstream culture.

In addition, I try to support grassroots organizing done by and for people who are disproportionately denied access to the reproductive health care they need. If I write small checks or attend events these days, it’s usually to support groups like Astraea, FIERCE, or the Audre Lorde Project.

And finally, I take self-care and alternative healing modalities seriously. I contact my representatives, but also seek out healers. Having explored a range of modalities like flower essences, herbs, massage, karate, and journaling, I know that these methods cannot replace reproductive healthcare, but rather complement it, and can be especially important for those who are engaged in full-time activist work.

I would say that I now support the movement for reproductive justice because I recognize that not only are issues of identity complex, but there are numerous factors that comprise one’s health, such as whether or not you are employed or have insurance, whether the land you live on is toxic, whether or not you have been explicitly taught about your reproductive cycle, and so on. I would say I support a movement for reproductive justice because I am most concerned with projects, spaces, and ultimately, a society that recognizes that reproductive health is a critical component of our overall well being, and is a reflection of the intersection of many experiences and beliefs. In other words, I want to stand alongside those who believe that everyone should have the space and resources to determine for themselves if and when they want to have sex (and how), and if (and when and how) they want to create, birth, and/or raise children, and how to transition out of menstrual cycles and into menopause, etc.

Reproductive justice means, in my mind, that I believe in Queer rights, but also religious tolerance. It means that I need to take a stand against rape and sexual assault, as well as racism in its many forms, and war. I consider reproductive justice a term for what is actually a series of struggles that are multi-faceted and cannot be won on legal battles or pledges alone. I think reproductive justice provides us with a framework and an opportunity to work in coalition to understand our health in a holistic sense. Ultimately, there is room for all of us and our many types of activism, whether they are widely recognized or funded, or not. When I think about the words “feminist”, “pro-Choice,” and “activism”, I realize that I see more nuanced picture of reproductive health, in part, because I have a different understanding of myself than that young Catholic girl who refused the fetal pin. So, as someone concerned about reproductive justice, I suppose I am about as pro-Choice as I’ve ever been.

*Reproductive justice is a term widely attributed to women who attended the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. One resource for more information can be found online at Reproductive Justice.

I will most likely not be watching the Super Bowl today, but I will definitely be watching the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet, complete with the Kitty Half-Time Show and the hamster-run blimps! Cutest thing on TV all year. I think it starts at 3:30 EST. Until then, some Sunday reading:

Susan Hill, an abortion rights advocate and founder and CEO of the National Women's Health Organization, died Jan. 30 of breast cancer. After a moment to thank her for all the work she's done over the years, check out this interview with her in On The Issues. Also check out the post on RH Reality Check. And the movement lost another great advocate just days before that, Ruth Proskauer Smith (pictured), who died at age 102. She helped found what is now NARAL Pro-Choice America, along with her many other accomplishments. RIP.

This is absolutely a must-read speech by Sen. Al Franken, given as the keynote address at NARAL Pro-Choice America's Roe v. Wade anniversary luncheon. He makes so many excellent points, but this stands out: "So this is my pledge to you: I will be unwavering in my support for women’s choice and women’s rights." Thank you.

And speaking of Franken, good news on an issue he has worked to correct: "Pentagon Acts to Ensure Military Women’s Access to Emergency Contraception," from NARAL.

Another must-read story comes from the Gender & Sexuality Law Blog (at Columbia Law School): "Running Like A Girl: Sex-Stereotyping in the Olympics." The recommendations being made for how the Olympics should deal with gender are unbelievable. Just read it.

From the Kansas City Star: "Obama budget targets women amid complaints."

News out of Rhode Island: "RI sued for details on handling pregnant inmates." It's always suspicious when you won't release the information requested.

The Sexist asks "Why Do So Many Men Die As A Result of Domestic Violence?" The answer will no doubt surprise a couple people.

I'd be remiss not to mention this atrocious story, though I know many people have already read it, from Care2: "Bikinis Blamed for Rise in Rape in Goa, India." If anyone doesn't know this fact, let me share: Bikinis don't cause rape. Rapists do.

A great post on Her Authority: "Living In A Rape Culture." This really got me: "You know you live in a rape culture when, if you're a survivor, you can't live through one god damn day without someone ripping open your wounds."

Interesting post on The Abortioneers: "Against abortion? You know what to do ..." (I love this, because I've long said men need to be held accountable for pregnancy, too.)

From AP, via Raw Story: "Conviction angers anti-abortion militants." That'd be the Scott Roeder conviction. Shocking, I know.

Ms. Magazine reports "Lawsuit filed to Force 'Personhood' Vote in MS." I vote that if ever a state falls for this and votes for "personhood," that state instantly becomes the "former 50th state of the United States." Who's with me?

From the Boston Globe: "Women, start your campaigns." Seconded!

We knew this day was coming, but according to the New York Times, "Women Now a Majority in American Workplaces." Not really good news, considering it's only come about because so many men have lost their jobs.

The HPV vaccine is now available for men and boys. Read about it at Black Voices.

A story out of Seoul from the Yonhap News Agency: "Women's groups blast abortion crackdown."

From the New York Times: "Gay Marriage Puts Mexico City at Center of Debate."

A Canadian band with the name Sexual Assault is causing a bit of controversy.

Have you checked out Gender Across Border's "Hip Hop, Resistance, and Feminism" series? You should!

And finally, it's not often I read a book review that instantly grabs my attention and makes me really want to read the book, but this NYT's review of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot did just that.

Last week, I sat down with two of my favourite male people, over some Guinness(es?) and some wicked, fried pot fish, to catch up on the happenings. The conversation soon got around to feminism, because these two male people are actually interested, and don't just pretend to be in the hopes that when they ask me "how's work?" I'll just say "You know, it is what it is. Pass the pepper sauce."

So they had some issues, among them my confession that in my work, when I talk about my theories of economics to people who are presumably non-sympathetic - or who at least start out that way - I avoid the term 'feminist'. I do not call my work 'feminist economics' outside my group of colleagues or friends because:

1) It is irrelevant, almost so irrelevant as to be counter-productive. I'm suggesting that in the traditional conceptualization of the economy, there are missing markets, and missing actors. Some of women's work, and some of the consequences of economic policy and activity on women, are rendered invisible, and if we are to obtain a true picture of the economy, maximize its productivity and advance development goals, we need to start thinking about that economy in different ways. This argument hinges on the idea that mainstream economics is lacking, whereas 'my' economics is more complete. To then present my views as 'feminist', to qualify them in this way, only marginalizes them, which is the opposite of what I'm trying to do.

2) It is inflammatory. 'Feminist' is a bad word. This is a surprise to no one. Many people I encounter are eager to distance themselves from what they see as feminist ideology, and are in fact relieved to have that basis on which to reject your ideas. If advancing that ideology without using the F word is going to improve women's access to economic goods, then I'm prepared to use other words.

3) It is not true. Based on the first point, if I believe that an economic model that values women's work and counts it as an economic input is a truer model, then what I do is just Economics, only properly done. (One could argue that insofar as feminism is a belief in the right of women to have political, social, and economic equality with men, all economics should be feminist economics, which is also true. And so we could argue each of those points, and probably both be right.)

This is an age-old argument, and while I call myself a feminist, language is an important part of the political strategy that gets things done. So using language like 'women's rights' and 'equity', and employing methods like first establishing the existence of a problem and then revealing that the majority of those experiencing this problem are women or men or children is often more expedient.

But they thought that I was wrong to do this, and that if feminism was not at all problematic, as I was suggesting, then I should use my work to make it visible as a movement. Because, they said, the feminism that everyone knows, and that men in the Caribbean are so turned off by, has been imported from the US and UK, with all their bra-burning and armpit-hair growing. They suggested that the women's movement in the Caribbean has failed to adequately represent its cause, to refocus the business of feminism within the Caribbean context, and to disabuse people of the notion of feminism as a foreign, outdated ideology. They believed that rather than treat as separate issues like violence against women and sexual and reproductive rights, we should frame them within the larger context of women's human rights, showing the linkages, and in that way, it would all become clear to the masses and we, the feminists, would win. I explained that we had done this, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. They were not convinced. I suggested that they were considering the issue as already-feminist men, assuming a reasonable, blank-slate audience that does not always exist. Again, they were not convinced.

I had, and have, several responses to this, including the idea that 'feminist', both as a qualifier and a noun, is not strictly tied to 'feminism' as a movement. There's some merit in what they say, as well as some confusion, I think, about what the advancement of women's rights in the Caribbean has looked like, and what it looks like these days. But I wanted to ask you first, readers and lurkers and bears, what you think, before I address these ideas in a subsequent post.

Are Caribbean people really thirsting for feminist knowledge, and have we simply been doing it wrong all along?

This week’s safer sex question:

I’m 17 and very worried that I may be pregnant. I’ve been taking Loestrin 24fe for about 3 months now, and I have a steady boyfriend. I’ve never fully had unprotected sex, but sometimes we use a form of the withdrawal method (but only for about a minute or so). Otherwise, we always use condoms also. Today, I got really bad cramps and pretty heavy spotting (I’m not supposed to get my period until next week). I looked it up online, and I found many sites that talked about implantation and how spotting is normal during early pregnancy. I don’t usually miss pills, but I have missed one or two in the past. Should I be worried that I may be pregnant?

Thank you for sending your question, I can hear your anxiety and worry. Even though your concern is a very common experience for many women, it doesn’t make experiencing it any less stressful. Let me begin with a little bit of a disclaimer, I am not a doctor or medical professional and anything I offer here as a response is educational rather than diagnostic.

So, onto your concern, is it possible that you are pregnant? Yes, but it is also possible that you are not. The spotting that you have experienced could be brought on by missing pills which may have messed up your usual cycle. The spotting could also be part of the early stages in pregnancy (and you are right, spotting is common for a lot of women during pregnancy). This is a really common concern/question and I always give the same advice: take a pregnancy test. You can do this by either buying a test kit at a drug store or visiting a doctor, clinic, or health center. Even if there is little possibility of a pregnancy, a test will give you a more definitive answer (and as they always said at the end of 80’s G.I. Joe cartoons “Knowing is half the battle.”)

Seriously though, you’ve already done a good job of being thoughtful about protection and aware of what’s going on in your body, now take the next step and get a pregnancy test. The test can help to ease your mind and quiet the voices of doubt, or it can allow you to make the choice that is best for you as early in the pregnancy as possible. This will also give you more time to learn more about your options if you aren’t sure what choice you would like to make might be.

I do want to commend the use of birth control, both a hormonal method and a barrier method–if one is sexually active using both types of birth control consistently can provide the best protection against unplanned pregnancies and the spread of STIs. We do know however, that neither of these methods is 100% effective; there is always a possibility of failure and this possibility increases when pills are missed or a condom isn’t used from start to finish every time.

You can read on a birth control package or see on a commerical that most hormonal methods can be up to 99% effective and condoms 97% effective at preventing pregnancies–that’s if they are used correctly every time. Typical use for both methods has a lower effectiveness which varies for each method used.

With that in mind, I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about reasons why condoms frequently fail and for simplicity sake, I’m going to focus on the “male,” externally worn condom. You can read more about the female or insertive condom here.

Condoms frequently fail because of human misuse. Whenever I say this to a group a few are always surprised—“how many ways can you screw up putting on a condom?” I’ve come up with ten common mistakes, and I’m sure I’ve missed something. (Feel free to add in the comments!).

Really common condom mistakes:

1. Using expired condoms
2. Using the wrong lube—use water-based lubes, not oil-based lubes such as Vaseline, lotion, vegetable oils, baby oils, etc. which can break down latex
3. Opening with teeth, nails, other sharp objects (which can create a hole or tear)
4. Using condoms that have been improperly stored—extreme heat or cold (think glove compartment) or pressure (think wallet or tight pockets) can disintegrate the material
5. Starting to have sex with the intention to put one on—let’s be honest, sometimes the intention isn’t followed through for some couples.
6. In the same vein as above, not using a condom every single time

Several items fall under the heading “application failures”

7. Rolling the condom on backwards
8. Not rolling the condom to the base of the penis
9. Rolling the condom on without pinching the tip to create a reservoir for ejaculate
10. Using a condom for more than one ejaculation

Of course, condoms do fail on their own as well. AVERT’s got a good information regarding these rates (as well as some cool condom history).

So, in the name of encouraging folks to always use condoms correctly I present you with O.P.R.A.H!

Open—the condom wrapper carefully, avoid using your nails or teeth
Pinch—the tip of the condom creating a reservoir
Roll—while holding the pinched tip roll the condom to the base of the penis
Action—enjoy yourselves
Hold—the condom at the base of the penis while pulling out

I’ll leave you with that and the encouragement to get a pregnancy test and talk to your partner and/or other supportive people in your lives.

Take care,

Lyndsey

Did I leave something out? I’d love to hear your questions and comments! Please send your questions to lyndsey@feministsforchoice.com.

I have been hearing more and more stories about people who are protesting Planned Parenthood and how there are still people out there who would like the place closed down. So, I have decided to share a story for everyone to know why Planned Parenthood is needed.

There is a girl, a year older than me. She is my best friend, the one who I would go to any lengths to help (and she would do the same for me). I will call her Marcia in this article (not her actual name). She has a boyfriend who she will be getting married to someday- they are in love with each other. They are sexually active, and I don’t mind, but I am always afraid because even though they practice VERY SAFE sex (at least one form of birth control, usually two) they have faced an extremely scary situation before.

They did it for the first time. And then, a few weeks later, things got weird. She got bad stomach-aches and went to the doctor. Then after doing some tests on her, our doctor told us Marcia had an STD: chlamydia. Fortunately, there is a Planned Parenthood in our town, and she and her boyfriend got treated quickly. And I am so thankful for that.

But what if there WASN’T a Planned Parenthood anywhere nearby? Her family is not rich by any means; having to go on a long drive would have put a large strain on them financially. (They already rack up a lot of medical costs as it is) Or what if the Planned Parenthood we went to had been attacked by anti-choice extremists? Or what if she faced threats from people who thought she was getting an abortion, instead of necessary medical treatment?

Planned Parenthood saved my best friend’s life, and yet few people seem to realize that Planned Parenthood does non-abortion services, and thus many people are trying to get it closed and there are people who bomb clinics that provide abortions or even clinics that they THINK provide abortions. (There was an infamous case where a man bombed a woman’s health clinic because he thought it provided abortions. It didn’t.)

I am, of course, in favor of abortion. But even if I wasn’t, I would still support Planned Parenthood. It is about abortion, but so much more, too. Marcia could have become infertile, she might have even died, if it wasn’t for this clinic.. but some people protest to try and get it shut down?! Really!?

This is one of the many reasons we still need feminism; women have to fight to keep clinics open that save lives every day, just because not everyone agrees with ONE out of dozens of services it supplies.

We still need feminism because people are protesting the clinic that saved the life of my best friend in the world. We need feminism because every day, women have to fight for our right to live-and live freely.

I picked up this wonderful book the other day at the library called Choices. I fell in love with it right away as it is emblazoned with a pregnancy test on the cover. It is a collection of true stories about the kinds of choices women make, or should be able to make, concerning reproduction and being a parent. I want to try and cover a few stories from this book if not all of them as the weeks progress. This week I chose a story by Harriette E. Wimms called Harrison: Battling for the Chance to Make a Choice.

 
Harriette was dead set on becoming a mother from an early age while those around her dreamed of ivy league schools and rich husbands. She was encouraged as an African American woman to forgo having children right off and pursue college and a career and be successful first, but being a mother was all she knew she really wanted, and why isn’t that ok?
She went to college and got her degree in English and worked in marketing and married another so called “not good for me” man. They tried for a year to get pregnant and when nothing happened she sought help. She was diagnosed with PCOS which was making it next to impossible for her to get pregnant. Not to worry, as a married heterosexual woman there were a variety of procedures available to her at 90% coverage from her insurance company. She was encouraged to try them all as it was her right as a heterosexual married woman to have a family. Harriette was ready to try but her husband was not. Their marriage ended as Harriette had also fallen in love with a woman.
Harriette moved on with her life and eventually met, fell in love, and married her partner Pat. They decided together to revisit the idea of Harriette having a baby but all the doors that had swung wide open for Her when she was married to her husband had now slammed in her face. Doctors refused to treat her, her employer and her insurance company argued back and forth over who was refusing her coverage as a lesbian and technically single woman. When they finally found someone who would even consider talking to them and they chose to use a non anonymous donor (as choosing anonymously would mean a six month waiting period) the sperm bank refused to let them use their donor as he was a gay man and they had policies on gay donors as they feared the spread of AIDS. Harriette and Pat gave up.
Harriet relayed her choice to a close friend to not have children and spend her days with Pat as a childless couple, but it was all thrown back at in her face. Her friend knew its not what she wanted because all the time she had known her she was Harriette the woman who wanted nothing more than to be a mother and Harriette knew she was right. She and her partner once again decided to revisit the options of becoming parents and were now accepted into the clinics that once turned them away as times has changed and non traditional couples and lifestyles had become more acceptable to the outside world, of course at their own cost. They managed to finally conceive their son Harrison and Harriette gave birth to him in 2004.
This story seriously made me cry. We talk a lot about a woman’s right to choose and quite often mean to have an abortion or not. I don’t think we often consider a woman’s right to strictly be able to have a child if she wants to. I do not have any children but my clock is ticking something fierce, and I hope that when the time comes and I am ready to consider having a child, I will be able to without jumping through too many hoops just because I may or may not be in a “traditional” relationship.