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HBO's Girls Tackles Abortion

Tara Block — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:55:42 PDT

Last night was the second episode of Lena Dunham's new HBO show Girls, and the entire plot of the episode - fittingly titled "Vagina Panic" - centered around Jessa's impending abortion. Jessa dropped the bomb at the end of the Girls premiere that she was back in New York because she was pregnant, so it was a bold move to start off the second episode with Hannah announcing matter-of-factly that her day's activities included taking Jessa to the abortion clinic. When Hannah tells her "boyfriend" that she doesn't know if abortions should be a big deal, he accuses her of being too blasé regarding them (which is ironic, since he doesn't take things like condoms and STDs seriously). And later Jessa tries to blow off the procedure when talking to Hannah, but when she brings up how she wants kids in the future and how she'll be a great mom some day, it's clear that she's more nervous about it than she wants her friends to know she is. She even avoids the procedure altogether by having a drink at the bar (and hooking up with a guy) while all her friends are waiting for her in the clinic. When Marnie is upset that Jessa is late to her own abortion, Hannah quips with "How could she ruin the beautiful abortion you threw?" But Marnie chides Hannah for taking it too lightly, saying, "it's about the most traumatic thing that could ever happen to a woman."

I thought the episode did a good job of showing how the different characters processed the implications of both having an abortion and becoming a mom, while struggling with just how big of a deal it really is for women. They voiced some of the concerns many young women today have when it comes to our choices about having kids. Like when Jessa said, "I don't like women telling other women what to do or how to do it or when to do it. Every time I have sex, it's my choice." While it's important for women to honestly open up about abortion, there is a fine line between getting the dialogue going and joking about serious issues, like when Sarah Silverman apologized last week for her abortion joke. Did you think Girls handled the abortion issue well?

Photo courtesy of HBO

11 Quotes From Rick Santorum That Are Worrisome For Women

Annie Scudder — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:26:41 PST

Last week's Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood debacle was a high-profile example of how women's health can fall prey to politics. Considering this is an election year, we can expect reproductive rights rhetoric to heat up on both sides. President Obama recently hit a sensitive spot when his administration announced that all employers, including Catholic universities and institutions, will have to provide insurance plans that cover contraception for their employees.

Republican social conservatives have already jumped on Obama's policy as a campaign issue. And for Rick Santorum, controversial sexual politics have always been at the heart of his platform. The Republican candidate, who opposes abortion in all cases and says rape victims should "make the best out of a bad situation," won three contests last night, caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota, and the primary in Missouri. Since his chances of winning the nomination, or at least having a greater influence in national politics, is rising, let's look at some of his more worrisome quotes and positions on women's issues.

30 Celebs Including Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Banks, and Jane Fonda Sign Letter in Support of Planned Parenthood

Annie Scudder — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:50:36 PST

Thirty famous women added their voices to the Susan G. Komen/Planned Parenthood controversy today, writing a letter of support of Planned Parenthood to Komen. Taking a noncontroversial tone, actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Banks, Scarlett Johansson, and Aisha Tyler, as well as writers including Nora Ephron and Judy Blume, thank Komen for restoring funding to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings.

The letter reads:

We are writing to thank you for reconsidering your funding criteria and resuming funding for the breast cancer prevention, screenings, and education services provided at Planned Parenthood health centers.

We are delighted that the thousands of women who receive care through Komen's partnership with Planned Parenthood - many of whom are poor and live in underserved communities - will continue to be able to receive this lifesaving care.

Early detection saves lives, and education and screening can help fight breast cancer. We share the same mission as the Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood - to protect and advance women's health.

Do you think Susan G. Komen for the Cure's decision today will make a difference? Weigh in on our poll.

Why Did Susan G. Komen For the Cure Cut Off Funding to Planned Parenthood?

Annie Scudder — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:20:58 PST

For years Susan G. Komen for the Cure has provided Planned Parenthood grants for breast cancer screenings. It recently decided to cut off the women's health provider, causing outrage among many supporters of both groups. Petitions to Komen to change its mind have been circulating on Facebook and across the Internet.

After Komen's decision became public, Planned Parenthood told supporters that "after facing pressure from anti-women's health political organizations, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has announced that it is ending future funding for lifesaving breast cancer screenings and breast health education at Planned Parenthood health centers." Supporters know Planned Parenthood provides crucial services besides abortion, and critics of Komen's choice to stop funding assert the irony of cutting off life-saving cancer screenings to show you're pro-life.

As evidence that the decision was politically motivated, women's health activists could point to a recent backlash against Komen from the Evangelical Christian group LifeWay. LifeWay was selling pink Bibles to benefit Komen, when it discovered the breast cancer group gave money to Planned Parenthood. LifeWay immediately pulled the Bibles, getting the attention of pro-life activists. In addition, Komen's founder and CEO, Nancy G. Brinker, is a longtime Republican with ties to the Bush family, and the foundation's newly hired vice president is a former politician with known pro-life positions. Also, Komen cited a controversial investigation of Planned Parenthood in Congress started by a staunchly pro-life member.

Even so, Susan G. Komen's founder and CEO maintained its decision to not fund organizations under investigation is part of a broad effort to reorganize donations and make them more efficient. See Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Nancy G. Brinker explain the foundation's decision below.

Celebrities on Both Sides Get Real About Abortion

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:45:00 PST

Today marks the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision by the Supreme Court to legalize abortion. Even though it has been decades since the ruling, abortion continues to be a heated, emotional subject that celebrities often comment about. These 10 celeb men and women discuss their personal views and experience with abortion. Their comments support the reality that despite anyone's pro-choice or pro-life stance, the decision to have or not have an abortion is an incredibly difficult one.

Planned Parenthood Offers Tips For Talking Abortion and Birth Control on Thanksgiving

Annie Scudder — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:30:19 PST

Considering the abortion debate covers both politics and religion, two topics most people avoid discussing with family, I imagine most people would avoid it at all costs over Thanksgiving dinner. Still, Planned Parenthood has published eight easy steps for discussing reproductive health at your holiday table. The tips reflect common sense ideas like, "learn to diffuse" or "be open and accepting of other people's personal views," and also includes scripts to practice. One example:

Question: "I don’t want my tax dollars going toward abortions."
Response: "Actually, because of the Hyde Amendment, tax dollars can’t go toward supporting abortion. But I do believe that everyone deserves access to basic, preventive reproductive care, and that it’s important we support those services. No one should ever have to choose between paying rent and buying birth control."

If you're pro-choice and feel strongly about reproductive rights, this cheat sheet might help you get out of an uncomfortable situation if you find yourself suddenly challenged. But would you actively bring up this topic, instead of focusing on turkey and football?

Mississippi Votes to Keep Birth Control, IVF, & Abortion Legal

Annie Scudder — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:25:22 PST

Earlier this week feminist icon Gloria Steinem told us that reproductive rights were the single biggest accomplishment for women she's witnessed. Yesterday Mississippi voters had a chance to roll back the clock by passing a ballot measure that would have defined a fertilized egg as a person. They voted against it.

Initiative 26 would have added this language to the state's constitution: "The term ‘person' or ‘persons' shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof." By giving personhood rights to a fertilized egg, the amendment would have banned abortion, even in the case of rape or incest, and would have also outlawed in vitro fertilization and IUDs.

Birth control like the pill or Plan B would have likely been banned too, since many forms of hormonal birth control prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, should the hormones fail at preventing fertilization in the first place. Critics also warned that any miscarriage could initiate a criminal investigation if the measure passed.

The initiative sponsored by Personhood USA was put up for a vote in Mississippi because it is one of the more conservative, pro-life states. They were hoping a legal challenge would eventually make the US Supreme Court revisit Roe v. Wade and ultimately overturn it. Colorado voters have twice rejected similar measures before. Despite losing in a very conservative state yesterday, the life-at-fertilization camp says they'll continue their efforts.

Is a Softer Lil Wayne Effective at Taking On Hard Subjects in His "How to Love" Video?

Annie Scudder — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:40:39 PDT

Lil Wayne's new video for "How to Love" dropped today, and it doesn't waste any time getting heavy, opening in an abortion clinic. A woman about to exercise her right to choose suddenly changes her mind, and the video follows what happens next in her life, mixing in shirtless shots of Weezy throughout. We find out the pregnant woman has an abusive partner, and another child, at home. We next see her a few years later, visiting her partner in prison with the little girl she decided to have. The video follows the girl as she gets older, and deals with abuse herself, eventually spiraling downward toward stripping, then prostitution, and finally a positive HIV-test result - reminiscent of TLC's powerful 1995 video for "Waterfalls."

In the end, Lil Wayne's video takes a turn for the uplifting and finishes on a hopeful note. It tackles what seems like every controversial topic in the span of five dramatic minutes. It's sometimes hard to watch, but check it out above and then weigh in: do you think it's an effective message?

Pope Offers Wider Abortion Forgiveness For a Limited Time Only

Annie Scudder — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:20:58 PDT

Here's the catch. You have to get to Madrid by the end of the week. The pope will arrive in Madrid tomorrow for World Youth Day, and as part of his visit, any woman who confesses her abortion during the event will be forgiven and welcomed back to the Church.

"Special powers" have been given to all priests in Madrid, which they can use to absolve women who confess abortions. A Vatican spokesman explains, "Normally, only certain priests have the power to lift such an excommunication, but the local diocese has decided to give all the priests taking confession at the event this power." To accommodate all sinners, portable confession booths, pictured above, have been set up in the city's Buen Retiro Park.

The Church denies that it's trying attract new members with its more lenient approach to abortion, but the plan does seem a little bit like a gimmicky and arbitrary "get-out-of-hell-free" card. And any Catholic woman who can't make it to Madrid to confess an abortion won't receive the benefit. Even so, do you think it's a sign the Catholic Church is more welcoming of its female members? Or is it just another example of a male-dominated institution trying to control a woman's body and choices?

Three Men End NH Planned Parenthood's Ability to Provide Birth Control

Annie Scudder — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:45:12 PDT

Failing to accept that Planned Parenthood provides nontaxpayer-funded abortion, a legal service in America, New Hampshire's all-Republican and all-male Executive Council voted three to two to defund the state's Planned Parenthood a couple of weeks ago, saying that the money should go to organizations that don't provide abortion. Now, Planned Parenthood centers in the state have stopped dispensing free or affordable contraception because its pharmacy license is contingent on having a state contract. So officials who opposed abortion have just made it more difficult for low-income women to prevent unwanted pregnancy, and thus abortion. It's enough to make you crazy.

The $1.8 million Planned Parenthood was set to get from the state before the vote would have been used for sex ed, contraception, and STD testing and treatment. Abortion services are paid for by private donations. Previously, low-income women could purchase birth control for about $5, but now Planned Parenthood can't even offer it, nor antibiotics for urinary tract infections or STDs, because it lost its ability to dispense prescriptions. And while multiple attempts to defund Planned Parenthood in the New Hampshire legislature failed, the Executive Council, a panel of just five elected officials that can veto state contracts, decided by a vote of three to two to end state support of the family planning organization.

Why do these three officials, who happen to all be men, have such a hard time realizing that if you want to reduce the number of abortions, education and affordable contraception are a great way to do it? It seems like at least one person on the council doesn't just hold negative opinions about abortion, but toward sex in general. Councilor Raymond Wieczorek explained why he actually supports totally defunding birth control and condoms, saying, "If they want to have a good time, why not let them pay for it?" I guess, according to Wieczorek, safe sex is a privilege reserved for women who can afford it.