Topic: reproductive rights

Medically Necessary Abortion Could Send El Salvadorian Woman To Jail

Medically Necessary Abortion Could Send El Salvadorian Woman To Jail

A 22-year-old El Salvadorian woman only known as Beatriz may go to jail if she chooses to save her own life. According to Amnesty International, Beatriz is 4.5 months pregnant, but doctors discovered that her fetus has anencephaly, meaning it is developing without a brain nor portions of the skull and will not be capable of being carried to term. She needs an abortion, but nobody will perform it nor grant doctors permission to do so. More »

The Term ‘Birth Rape’ Hurts Both Moms And Sexual Assault Survivors

The Term 'Birth Rape' Hurts Both Moms And Sexual Assault Survivors

Birth rape. It’s the relatively new term used by some to describe awful labor and delivery care where a woman’s personal choices are disregarded. It often involves doctors or midwives shoving fingers or other medical instruments into a woman’s vagina during childbirth without any warning, and sometimes even continuing after the woman screams out in pain or loudly objects. The term has continued to morph and has lately been used to describe cases like Lisa Epsteen’s, whose doctor threatened to call the police and force her to have an emergency c-section because he was worried about the health of her child.  The problem is that this new bit of progressive vocabulary hurts both birthing rights activists and sexual assault survivors. More »

It’s Baaaack: Personhood Mississippi Proposes New Ballot Initiative, Says Voters Were ‘Confused’ Last Time

It's Baaaack: Personhood Mississippi Proposes New Ballot Initiative, Says Voters Were 'Confused' Last Time

Apparently, Personhood is just like the villain in a horror movie franchise. You might think it’s dead, but it’ll keep coming back! The controversial anti-abortion initiative that seeks to legislate life beginning at conception was voted down in Mississippi, one of the most conservative states in the country, in 2011. In fact, the ballot measure wasn’t even close to passing with only 42% of voters in favor. But that hasn’t stopped Personhood Mississippi from bringing the measure back. More »

Worst Quotes About Women’s Health in 2012

Worst Quotes About Womenâs Health in 2012

For me, a good chunk of this year was spent simultaneously marveling at and feeling incredibly terrified by the rampant ignorance about women’s health and women’s bodies that continues to permeate our country. From the sheer number of ignorant Republican rape comments to the slut-shaming of Kristen Stewart, 2012 was a terrible year for women’s health in the United States. Let’s all read these quotes, get angry, and plot ways we can change the world with our hairy-legged, menstrual-cup wearing, vagina-having, feminist rage. More »

Death Of Savita Sparks Debate, Protest Of Irish Catholic Abortion Law

Death Of Savita Sparks Debate, Protest Of Irish Catholic Abortion Law

The tragic death of a 31 year old dentist, Savita Halappanavar, earlier this week is looking to be a watershed event for Irish abortion law, sparking protests of Ireland’s policy on medical abortion causing fiery debates over Catholic abortion tenets. Overnight, Savita has become a popular twitter hashtag, and many are referring to the current abortion conversations simply as the “Savita debate.” More »

6 Health-Related Issues To Watch This Election Night

6 Health-Related Issues To Watch This Election Night

With all the hoopla surrounding the presidential election this year, it’s easy to forget there are a lot of important state ballot issues that will get decided today, as well. The following health-related state measures could affect residents’ reproductive rights, access to marijuana, right to assisted suicide and awareness of GMOs (as well as influence future policy in other states). More »

‘A Is For’…Awesome New Video Standing Up For Reproductive Rights

'A Is For'...Awesome New Video Standing Up For Reproductive Rights

“A Is For”, has to be one of the most awesome, amazing, awe-inspiring, admirable (do you catch my drift?) organizations out there. Don’t believe me? Just watch their newest video that is fighting back against all those ridiculous Republicans who have been trying to take away our repro rights (and no, this isn’t just an election-worthy video, although it’s pretty timely). More »

Why Is No One Talking About Women’s Reproductive Health At The Republican National Convention?

Why Is No One Talking About Women's Reproductive Health At The Republican National Convention?

Last night at the Republican National Convention, we heard Rep. Paul Ryan bash President Obama and his economic failures, and we listened as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice debated foreign policy. The night before, Ann Romney delivered her “power to the women’s purse strings” speech and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pretty much talked about how great he was. But what no one has talked about yet is women’s health and our reproductive rights. For something that’s been such a big deal lately with seemingly every male politician having something to say about our bodies, why is no one addressing this at the RNC? More »

Hey Girl, Paul Ryan Wants To Quash Your Reproductive Rights

Hey Girl, Paul Ryan Wants To Quash Your Reproductive Rights

Newly-anointed Mitt Romney running-mate Paul Ryan has made his name as a fiscal conservative with a strong vision for Medicare and Social Security. But he’s no slouch in hardcore conservative social ideology, either–as folks have been quick to point out. That his social agenda is highly at odds with his Hayek-and-Rand-tinted small government outlook for money matters seems to surprise some people, but .. eh. That’s just the rhetoric of the Republican party in the 21st century: Hands out of my health care and onto your uterus. What was anyone expecting? Of course, as a women’s health blog, it seems only right that we cover some of the potential vice president of America’s views regarding matters of women’s health. I was all set to right a straight-forward sort of post when a friend directed me to this attempt to apply the Feminist Ryan Gosling meme to Paul Ryan. So hey (girl): What better way to discuss Ryan’s views on women’s health than to badly co-opt this badly co-opted meme? More »

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