what if you couldn't get contraceptives in some states?

[niyad]

What If You Couldn't Get Contraceptives In Some States?


Late Friday night, a last-minute Congressional deal averted a government shut-down, and did not include proposed cuts to Title X funding. This was much to the disappointment of Republicans who were adamantly pushing for an end to federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a women's health organization that does provide abortion services, but by law can't use federal money for these procedures. The Title X funds are used for family-planning services for low-income women, and slashing them out have been devastating for Planned Parenthood's ability to provide these crucial services.

As Robin Marty points out in a piece for RHRealityCheck, however, the battle may be far from over. The Wall Street Journal reported that in discussions, the GOP was pushing to turn TItle X into block grants for states, giving governors discretion in how they use the funds. This, Democrats argued, would be equally detrimental for Planned Parenthood, since it would allow conservative governors to direct funds elsewhere, leading, in effect, to states with family-planning clinics that could, theoretically, not provide contraceptives.

The vision that Robin sets out is bleak:

"There will no longer be a place for a women to get IUD's birth control pills, implants or shots that offer affordable alternatives or sliding scales. 'Pro-life' physicians will be on hand to tell you that the pill is an abortifacient and cannot be allowed in the center. And because the Catholic Bishops are still refusing to allow birth control to be a preventative drug that insurance will cover, most women will find the prices skyrocketing and the cost of preventing pregnancy astronomical."

We're not there yet. But given the states' recent attempts to restrict abortion and contraceptive access, it's clear that giving more power over women's bodies to state governors could be potentially catastrophic for access to family planning services - which Republicans in Congress and in the states are already intent on decimating.

http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/what-if-you-couldnt-get-contraceptives-in-some-states/

[davsand]

1. I don't see women ever allowing that to happen.

The days of women letting fertility be controlled by other people are gone, and I do not expect you will ever see women passively accept the kind of scenario you outline in your OP. I think there is too much knowledge out there for women to stand idly by while it happens, and I think there is enough awareness out there that the women will just take care of it themselves.

You would probably start to see women's collectives where the Pill is brought in from another state and distributed to collective members. Similarly, you'd probably see Emergency Contraceptives made available in the same way. You might see Menstrual Extraction circles or even underground clinics for women...

What you will NOT see, however, is women passively accepting forced pregnancy. We've come too far to ever go back. As Aretha says, "Sisters are doing it for themselves..."




Laura

[niyad]

2. interesting that you mention collectives. I was thinking about the feminist health collectives from

the 70's just the other day.

I would hope it would never get that far, though.

[davsand]

3. The thought of it makes me feel ill as well, but we can't stand down.

I look at myself and I'm turning 51 in a few days. My time of fertility (and the fear of unchosen pregnancy that goes with it...) is coming to an end. My thirteen year old daughter, however, is at the beginning of her fertility. I look at her and all her friends and I wonder if all I fought for is gonna still be there for them. Will they be able to live with any freedom from their biology? Seems to me there are an awful lot of people that want to steal that from them, and it pisses me off all over again. Remarkably, it is every bit as visceral now as it was way back then--maybe even more.

I will continue to stand and fight, but I also have been teaching (and will continue to teach) my daughter how to take control of her fertility, and how her body works. It is the best we can do for all our daughters, I suspect, and it is certainly the one weapon that nobody can ever strip from women. If the worst should ever happen--that the few who hate women should triumph--that knowledge literally might save women's lives.


Laura