aren't you done fucking up the country yet george?

[urban_faerie_]

URGENT: Please help stop President Bush from selling out women's health care.

We need you to add your comment protesting the Bush administration's consideration of a new HHS rule that would undermine women's access to health care and information. The rule would allow federal funding that is specifically designed to prevent unintended pregnancy and

Comments

[ayelle]

This whole thing is so upsetting. I'm particularly distressed by the threat against birth control pills given that my sister (not the one who lives around here) recently had surgery for several conditions (ovarian cysts, ovarian tumor, noncancerous breast lump) that, I was reminded, actually kind of run in my family... but all of which are significantly reduced risks in those who are on the BCP, especially those who, like me, have been on it for many years.

Though various other female relatives have had these problems, my mother never did -- but then she, like me, was also on the pill for some ten years or so.

Just yet another way in which this SUCKS. The idea that I could have a doctor who would refuse to prescribe this medication to be because they considered it morally akin to abortion boggles the mind and enrages. (I've seen it debated that the BCP wouldn't fall under this new definition of abortion -- but since in addition to preventing most ovulation, it can, in fact, also prevent the rare fertilized egg that got by from implanting in the uterus, sounds to me like it qualifies.)

[kalliejenn2]

also, they don't say that there's only one definition of abortion...

"Because the statutes that would be enforced through this regulation seek, in part, to protect individuals and institutions from suffering discrimination on the basis of conscience, the conscience of the individual or institution should be paramount in determining what constitutes abortion, within the bounds of reason. As discussed above, both definitions of pregnancy are reasonable and used within the scientific and medical community. The Department proposes, then, to allow individuals and institutions to adhere to their own views and adopt a definition of abortion that encompasses both views of abortion."

more here...http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2008/07/15/hhs-moves-define-contraception-abortion

[ayelle]

I replied to this above.

FWIW I did read the actual proposal already.

[kalliejenn2]

it's not you i'm worried about...it's all the people who just read what PP has written, not question it at all, and just go sign the petition without understanding what the proposal is really getting at because they haven't read it.

[kalliejenn2]

and this in no way, shape, or form means that i support the proposal...i don't.

[ayelle]

No worries. I know your politics well enough to know that. :)

[ayelle]

Edit to my own post: I used the phrase "it can, in fact, also prevent..." etc -- I was using emphatic language, but failing to acknowledge that the suggestion that "hormonal contraception can prevent zygotes from implanting" is not, in fact, a fact -- just a theory. :)

[urban_faerie_]

Wow. I guess I'm glad that this one post generated so much
discussion...

I guess I can see your point in your original comment Jenn:
"they're not trying to take away funding from places that offer these services, just make sure that doctors or places that don't believe in providing abortions aren't discriminated against in hiring practices or grant funding."

However many of these places deliberately withold health information or mislead women about their reproductive options and therefor I don't think they *should* recieve government funding.

A lot of these places don't tell women upfront that they have a philosophy of not providing pregnancy termination or certain birth control services. Some bill themselves as "crisis pregnancy centers" and set up shop near a town's Planned Parenthood center, often with a similar logo to PP in order to lead women into thinking they're walking into a place that doesn't have religious motives. Once inside many options are not discussed with the women and they are given a lot of false information about birth control that can influence a woman's decision. Check out the web sites for some of these places and you'lll see how scarrily innacurate some of their inofrmation is.

It is one thing to say, "We don't believe in using most types of birth control or having abortions so we don't offer those services, but if that's what you want then you can go to X place down the road", and treating women as if they are getting comprehensive services at your center. Yes, people should be able to to chose how they want to manage their own reproductive systems, but forcing them to make specific choices because you aren't providing comprehensive, non-judgemental information is wrong. If we allow that to happen then even more of the rights we take for granted will be chipped away at.

Where we live it is hard to believe that things like that could happen, but what if you lived in a remote area and one of these centers was your only option? Then your choice is in essence taken away because you have no other place to turn to.