Category: Abortion

California Plans to be Abortion Sanctuary

With Roe v Wade up in the air again, California has announced that they plan on being a state of sanctuary for women and their reproductive rights and women’s healthcare if it is overturned. More than two dozen states are considering banning abortion as a whole if the United States Supreme Court gives them permission. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m posting about abortions in a gender and sexuality-based violence forum. This is a pure form of violence against women. Not only is it violent to take away a woman’s reproductive choice and rights, but there is a direct link between domestic violence, sexual violence, and having restrictive abortion laws. Men being able to control a woman’s form of birth control is sickening. Who are a bunch of old, white men to tell women what is deemed an emergency situation fit for an abortion? Banning abortion will not stop women from having abortions. It will cease safe abortion. Women’s lives are on the line, and I can’t for the life of me understand why this continues to be a conversation when physicians have said life does not begin at conception. Plus, what a woman chooses to do with her body literally has nothing to do with the millions of strangers that for some reason are against abortion. There’s a woman out there right now having an abortion as I type this, and I couldn’t care less, because that has nothing to do with me. If Roe V Wade is overturned, we will see women do drastic and dangerous things to terminate pregnancies. So my question is, are lawmakers really willing to see the death of thousands of women over the “death” of fetuses…?

California deciding to be a safe haven is a beautiful thing, but it poses a threat to the people that work there, and the women that are going to these clinics are going to be at a disadvantage because there will be targeted violence against them. The overall outcome of banning abortion is not a good one, but we will see where things go in the upcoming months. I feel like this conversation comes up in the courts at least twice a year and they never actually ban it. This seems like a way for men to flaunt the power they have over women…

A Win for Women in Mexico


With all of the fearful, worrisome, and negative news surrounding women’s rights, such as the many proposed laws regarding abortion access that have been popping up across the South this past year, such as The Texas Heartbeat Act, SB8, which prohibits abortions in the state from being performed once a heartbeat can be detected, which can often be much before an individual may know that they are even pregnant (this is one of the most extreme abortion laws passed as of late, and has been challenged by Attorney General Merrick Garland), there are some bright spots for reproductive rights on the worldstage, one such win for women coming from two recent landmark rulings by Mexico’s Supreme Court.


On September 7th, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously by ten votes that it was unconstitutional to place a total and absolute ban on abortion, thus invalidating Article 196 of the Penal Code of Coahuila, which established a prison sentence for whoever voluntarily performs an abortion on a woman with her consent.


This step towards decriminalization provides hope for progress on future issues of reproductive rights.

On September 9th, The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) invalidated Article 4 Bis A, Section I, of the Political Constitution of the State of Sinaloa, that established the protection of the right to life “from the moment an individual is conceived, he enters under the protection of the corresponding Law, until his death.” The reasoning behind the Plenary’s decision was that federal entities did not have the authority to define what the origin of human life is, the concept of a “person” is, and the ownership of human rights. This authority belongs exclusively to the General Constitution, instead.

Furthermore, the Court considered that any measure to grant the status of personhood to a fetus or embryo based on this restricts the rights of reproductive and bodily autonomy of women and other pregnant individuals, and is thus unconstitutional on that account.


These two rulings mark a significant turning point in Mexico’s court system of moving towards putting women’s autonomy at the center of abortion laws and regulations.

More Info here

Pronatalism Strips Autonomy from Women

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By Chelsea Silvia

In Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, shadowy female figures glide silently through the streets and the bedrooms. In the Republic of Gilead, their destinies were defined by their reproductive parts, with the handmaids’ only task being to bear children for the wives of the Commanders. Handmaids endure a violent re-education process for women who are both fertile and reject the laws of mandatory pronatalism. Running this process are infertile Aunts who constantly remind them of the serious threat of exile to the environmental apocalypse known as the Colonies or to employment as forced sex workers known as Jezebels if they don’t conform.

While it is highly unlikely that this fictious society will become a reality, there is always a possibility of some aspects of it lie in our future as the US moves toward restricting women’s autonomy in making reproductive health decisions by valuing pronatalism. I call for feminist researchers to take a stand today by increasing the amount of research and public awareness of the harmful effects of this agenda and ideology.

Pronatalism is define narrowly as the policy or practice of encouraging the bearing of children, especially government support of a higher birthrate. Rulers and legislators can pass policies that incentivize birth and prohibit attempts to engage in family planning or that limit access to contraceptives and abortions. In other cases, governments may not enact policies, but the society as a whole is swayed by an overall ideology of natalism, defined as a belief that promotes the reproduction of human life. Natalism promotes child-bearing and parenthood as desirable for social reasons and to ensure the continuance of humanity. This set of persuasive cultural norms forces women into reproductive and childbearing roles. These roles are harmful towards both women and their families who do not conform to the expected norms. Motherhood varies from woman to woman, which is why society should not force certain roles on all women.

It is my personal choice to abstain from having children in the future. While the United States is not a particularly dominant society regarding pronatalism, I have still directly felt the effects of natalist ideas directed toward women.  “You’ll change your mind one day,” people tell me. “You’re too young to make that decision.” But in fact, I am not too young. I am a strong independent woman, who doesn’t particularly care for children. I am an advocate and user of assisted reproductive technology services, or ART services, which aid with family planning – including a wide range of services from various birth control methods to in-vitro fertilization, or IVF.

Pronatalist societies, such as the Buddhist community in Ladakh, India, experience extreme religious opposition to contraceptive methods, making family planning seen as a sinful practice. Inthe rural areas, the number of children is the highest, mainly caused by the lack of access to ART services.  This directly increases the intensity of pronatalism in Ladakh. Buddhists often point to the authority of his holiness, the Dalai Lama, who happens to support the increase in population. Because Buddhists equate contraception with abortion, contraception is immediately categorized as a sin by Dalai Lama’s comments and practices. Preventing pregnancy is synonymous with preventing rebirth since from a Buddhist perspective, family planning interrupts Bardo, the internal liminal time between death and rebirth. In order to allow women proper choices when family planning, she must break some harmful social norms.

Ponatalist bias perpetuates harmful social norms while undermining a woman’s reproductive autonomy. While the goal of pronatalism is to increase population in declining societies, the effects of the ideology and policies are often harmful. In order to combat these flaws, both men and women must work together to begin to redefine pronatalism to mean pro-birth for those who choose it, keeping the notion of choice at the center of reproductive freedom.

Chelsea Silvia is a Junior at East Carolina University. She currently studies German language and culture and cultural anthropology. Chelsea has been a part of the largest student organization on campus for her entire college career, where she plays mellophone for the Marching Pirates. Chelsea is also the German Ambassador for the Foreign Language and Literatures Organization. In her free time, she loves to hike.

The Talk and Unplanned Pregnancies: Unsafe Abortion in Latin America

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By Salma Zoe Diaz Diaz

 

We all know what the talk is, that excruciating moment when your parent sits down next to you and says, “we need to talk.” You hold your breath as they stumble over their words “when you decide to have sex, one day…”. You feel yourself going a deep crimson in heated embarrassment as they stammer on “… just remember to be careful.” You both heave a huge sigh of relief that it’s over and you can get on with life again but in truth, we need much more from our parents. We need ‘the talk’ to be far more honest and open than that. It’s the responsibility of each parent to try to give their child the space to talk about anything. That environment needs to be created from the moment a child is born. Whenever a child enters puberty, they feel embarrassed about their sexual feelings, especially admitting to them in front of their parents. However, that’s the parents’ job; they should suck up the embarrassment and do what needs to be done anyway. Ensuring your child is safe is far more important than feeling uncomfortable.

Each year there are thousands of unsafe abortions performed in Latin America, including in my country of Peru. According to the Guttmacher Institute, during 2010–2014, an estimated 6.5 million induced abortions occurred each year in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the proportion of all pregnancies in Latin America and the Caribbean ending in abortion increased between 1990–1994 and 2010–2014, from 23% to 32% Yet, they point out that more than 97% of women of reproductive age in Latin America and the Caribbean live in countries with restrictive abortion laws. Abortion is not permitted for any reason in six countries. Nine others allow it almost exclusively to save the woman’s life, with only some offering limited exceptions for rape (Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Panama) and grave fetal anomaly (Chile, Panama and almost half of the states of Mexico).  Fewer than 3% of the region’s women live in countries where abortion is broadly legal—that is, permitted either without restriction as to reason or on socioeconomic grounds. Therefore, women, especially young women who experience unplanned pregnancies are likely to resort to illegal and often unsafe abortions that will have major health consequences for them.

 

In my case, I got pregnant in the summer of 2019. I felt alone and embarrassed with myself. I considered getting an abortion but before I could even make that decision, I had a miscarriage. I was heartbroken and still lonely, as the father of my baby decided to ignore me and block me without even knowing that I was expecting a baby from him. I tried and tried to find a way to tell him, but when I finally found a way, it was too late. I decided then, that I didn’t want to tell him anymore. I kept it away from everyone and it made me feel lonelier and sadder. I wanted to forget about what happened. Neglecting a problem is never the answer as it keeps consuming you from the inside. When you’re the only one that knows, you tend to feel hopeless.

Recently, one week ago, I decided to tell my mother what had happened. I saw the pain in her eyes as she realized that she had failed at gaining my complete trust. I couldn’t tell her because I felt like she was going to be disappointed but when we are parents, that’s what we need to be. Parents. No matter how bad the situation is. I now know that and I wouldn’t be able to keep that big of a secret to my mother or my father ever again. This might be different for a lot of people as their parents may not know how to be a good parent. However, this is not only for our present parents but for our future parents.

When young adults don’t have the proper information given to them sometimes, this can lead to unplanned pregnancies. This, in turn, can cause someone to go through a difficult decision such as picking whether to have an abortion or keep the baby. This is where parents should take the initiative to make their child feel safe about this issue they are facing. If the parents are not supportive of their child, this can lead to unsafe abortion. Unsafe abortions have a very high risk of health issues later on in life, such as infertility. This can also cause mental trauma in patients that go through unsafe and safe abortions.

The governments in Latin America need to provide safe places for women who conceive and would like to have abortions as well as therapy places that can provide counseling for their trauma. Abortion is the taking of human life in a horrific fashion – the baby is ripped apart. We also have to realize that a lot of countries don’t have the privilege of providing safe abortion methods. Especially in Latin America, where I’m from, as it is viewed as an inhuman thing to do. This is why it was very hard for me to come to my parents when I found out I was pregnant. In Latin culture, abortion is a very delicate topic and a lot of my family members are against it.

As a country and world, we should all be more open to these delicate topics such as “the talk,”  and unplanned pregnancies. Abortion rates run high in the world, and unsafe abortion is a common factor. In order to steer clear of unsafe abortion, parents should face the embarrassments that they may feel and put it to the side when it comes to their children. This will help with keeping young adults safe if they choose to have an abortion with an unplanned pregnancy. Young adults are just looking for support when it comes to these types of issues. Having support from their parents and loved ones in times like these are very important to one’s mental health, and physical health. This is why parents should know better and not just make decisions that are not going to make the situation any better, like kick them out of the house or yell at them for being stupid. First, they need to take care of the current “problem” and after they come up with a solution, they can talk about it. At the end of the day, we all make mistakes and as a parent, you have to be supportive and help your kids learn from these mistakes.

However, the burden to solve the issue of unplanned pregnancies should not just be on the parents. Governments that refuse to liberalize laws restricting abortion should have to provide better sex education in the schools along with free access to contraception. Governments could also institute classes for parents about how to talk frankly with their children about sex and birth control. Without that, young people will continue to get pregnant and then choose the more horrifying option of unsafe abortion, risking their physical and mental health in the process. We owe them better than this.

 

Salma Zoe Diaz Diaz is a junior at East Carolina University. She is set to graduate in December 2021 with a degree in Anthropology and a minor in Ethnic Studies. After graduating, she plans to continue her education and complete a Master’s Degree.

Domestic Gag Rule

https://womensenews.org/2018/05/trumps-new-domestic-gag-order-escalates-war-on-women/

Trump is at it again. Another “empty promise” from his campaign is being fulfilled, which should terrify all of us. His newest order is essentially stripping healthcare providers of all of their funding that assists in cancer prevention, contraception and STI/STD prevention/treatment. Providers like Planned Parenthood (the most well known) and many others that receive their federal funding under Title X will no longer receive any federal aide if they continue to assist women in any way that are seeking information on abortion. Trump is now truly trying to force an end to abortion as a whole. Even if the provider does not perform the abortion, the simple act of giving a patient any information on the subject at all will repeal the provider’s funding.

 

My question for the reader is this, at what point will it be enough? Are we as a country honestly going to function under this regime? Does this make you feel as though America is becoming great again?

Trump’s New Domestic Gag Order

Trump’s New Domestic Gag Order Escalates War On Women

The article discusses Trump’s plan to bring an end to planned parenthood, and eventually making abortions illegal. I don’t think anyone has a right to tell any women what she should do with her body. Her body, her choice. I understand some people may be against abortions, but women have their reasons for having abortions. No one has the right to tell someone what to do with their bodies, especially not men when it comes to abortions. what are your thoughts on this? Is it fair to make abortion illegal? Should men have any time of say when it comes to abortion?

Southern Africa’s Contraceptive Control

Abigail Detwiller

Puberty is a crucial step as girls prepare for the decisions and responsibilities of sexuality and reproduction.

Faridah Nalubega, a 26 year-old woman intended to have just two or three children, the most she felt she could afford by selling fried fish in Kampala, Uganda, according to PAI, a U.S.-based family-planning advocacy group. But she ended up with six children—in large part, she told PAI, because her husband forbade her to use contraceptive pills and her local family-planning clinic offered no suitable alternative. In this area of Uganda, men often become violent with their partners who show an interest in using contraception.

Two barriers that limit the access to and use of contraceptives is southern Africa are the myths and misconceptions of young people, and the attitudes of adults in these communities. If these can change then the use of contraceptives will increase and the number of unwanted pregnancies will decrease. The first step would be to expand the learning and accessibility of information on the many different methods of contraceptives. The young people need to understand that the myths and misconceptions that they are taught by their peers and adults are incorrect and hold no scientific grounds. If they could meet others who use contraception and ask questions it could be a very good experience for the youth, and for the adults who have the misconceptions. It is one thing to be able to reach the youth, but if you do not change the view ofthe adults have then all the work you did can be easily reversed because of the place they hold in their society over the younger generations. After being able to teach and give more factual based information on contraception they would need to focus more of their time focused on the older generation. If the older generation views contraceptives as bad and refuse to provide the youth with them then all the work teaching the youths would be of no use. The youth would not be able to get the contraceptives so their knowledge would be no help because without contraception’s no matter what they try it will be unsuccessful. Young people are seen by societies around the world as needing to be guided by the older generations to make sure they are not making immature decisions. Though sometimes the problem stems from the older generations decisions that are being forced upon the youth.

In South Africa the traditional view against contraceptive use is held by the men, so if a man does not want his wife on contraceptives then she cannot unless she hides it. Engelman writes that “unfortunately, helping women plan their families stealthily—by using contraceptive injections, for example—is a leading strategy because many male partners believe childbearing decisions are theirs alone to make. Men also tend to want one to three more children than women do, not surprising given who gets pregnant, gives birth and handles most of the child care.” Traditional values are taught to the next generation through multiple ways, but some traditional values are oppressive towards others and should not be implemented. If these traditions are stopped it does not mean that it is lost the tradition will be a part of the people’s history, and generations will be taught why they changed, and how it has helped the people grow. Just because people no longer apply that tradition does not mean they have lost who they are it just means there might have been a healthier way for them to celebrate.

When introducing new ideas and concepts some people can create myths and misconceptions about the information and make it so that the general population is against something without learning all the facts. Most youth are uneducated in the correct procedures, heavily influenced and trusting of their peer members, and so believe false information easily because of misplaced trust. In a study, Ochaco et al. found that “Many fears were based on myths and misconceptions. Young women learn about both true side effects and myths from their social networks” Most myths and misconceptions that were taught to the young girls is that if the use any contraception they will not be able to have children later. By creating these myths and misconceptions many girls are then later pressured to get rid of pregnancies that come from not being able to use contraception’s. To combat the myths and misconception education for both males and females is important. By continuing to go to school both genders will be able to learn the importance of contraception and how big of a role they all play. Though, at the moment, since South Africa is a patriarchal society, females are not seen as important enough to continue their education most of the time passed elementary level.

It is important to teach the younger generations because without access to contraceptives, unwanted pregnancies increase.. Hoopes et al. report that “Approximately one-quarter of women aged 15–19 years in South Africa report having been pregnant. Although teen fertility has mirrored a decline in fertility among all women in South Africa, South African teens experience a birth rate of 54 per 1,000 women aged 15–19 years, twice that of teens in the United States.”

Though Africa has been more progressive in their abortion laws such as, “…nurses and midwives are trained and permitted to perform abortions, paving the road for accessible abortions at conveniently located facilities” (“Common Reproductive Health Concerns in Anglophone Africa.”), many girls have resort to extreme measures to get rid of unwanted pregnancies aborted because of the limited number of professionals.

If men and women are not taught the true information pertaining to contraceptives they will continue to have problems. Traditional values can still be part of who the people are but will just not be implemented. Women deserve the same education opportunities as men. By having these options available the knowledge about birth control will be more widely available and not seen as something bad, instead a positive.

Abigail Detwiller has an associate’s in Science and attends East Carolina University pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. After graduation she plans to enroll into a Dental Hygienist program to obtain her license and work in the dental field helping others.

It’s A Girl – Gendercide in India and China

The film, It’s A Girl (available now on Netflix watch instantly), casts a light on the way girls in India and China are discriminated against because of their sex. According to the film’s website, the UN estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing because of female infanticide. The film also explores dowry and domestic violence, sex trafficking, issues of reproductive health and control, female suicide, and forced abortions. The film presents some interesting statistics about men and women, including the estimate that there are 37 million more men than women in China today.

Before posting, I wanted to look up some of the statistics. I found an interesting and thought provoking article that looks at the funding and perspective of the film (you can read the Slate article here). The writer found that the film was actually funded and produced by pro-life ministries, yet is being shown and recommended by many pro-choice groups. The article also accuses the film of looking at the people of China and India as being savages, the girls as being victims, and Americans as the saviors.

This critical perspective is a useful lens for viewing the film. The director interviewed social worker, activists, and mothers to get a picture of the cultural issues that allow such discrimination against women to continue. The stories are powerful and the issues compelling. The film ends by stressing the importance of the changes that must be made both within the minds of the individuals and the culture as a whole in order to end the violence. Still, the film fails to give a tangible solution for how this should happen.

Have you seen the film? What do you think? Pro-choice or pro-life? Does it matter? Is it another product of the “white-savior complex?” What could be done to change cultural ideas that devalue girls, causing violence and discrimination?

– Lindsay Cortright

Roe At Risk: Fighting for Reproductive Justice Review

When I began to think of topics that would interest our entire class, I immediately thought of this video. Compiled by the Alliance 4 Justice, this video address the issue of Reproductive Justice. Many think of FGM or other extremes when you hear anything referring to injustices against women and control over their reproduction on a global perspective. But this is the tip of the iceberg and seems to paint a scene outside of the United States. But today, right here in our backyard, women are being stripped of the rights, their mothers and grandmothers fought for in the 20’s and 60’s. Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, this video should impact your understanding of  the rights you are entitled to as a human being. Take a look at the video and feel free to comment. Thanks in advance. Pay close attention to the elected officials and decide for yourself. Do they attempt to refute the reproductive rights of women?     Ellen Branch

http://youtu.be/7KcaDtjwOuY

Kansas bill heats debate over rights of Mothers to be

What happens if the ultrasound technician see something wrong and decides NOT to tell you:  http://www.aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/kansas-pregnant-women-little-lie-your-doctor-wont-hurt-you 

As someone who has felt that nervous glide of the ultrasound many times–wondering if all was OK, I understand the ramifications of this bill.