Tag Archive for "healthcare"

Posts Tagged healthcare

New TRAP laws force Virginia abortion clinic to close after 40 years of service

Earlier this month, the Virginia Board of Health voted 11 to 2 for new, irrational regulations on abortion clinics in the state, which many reproductive health and justice advocates correctly noted were intended not to make clinics safer for patients but to effectively erode access to abortion care in the state.

This weekend, the effects of such laws were felt loud and clear, as Hillcrest Clinic, the first South Hampton Roads medical facility ever to provide legal abortions, decided to close its doors for good after 40 years in business, noting that it would cost nearly $500,000 to meet the requirements set by the new law, including changing ventilation and temperature controls.

Since it opened in 1973 on 1600 E. ...

By Katie Halper • 11 years ago

Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet

Arizona introduces bill to prosecute transgender people for using the “wrong” bathroom.

Esquire editor says women are “ornamental” and like “cool cars.” But it’s cool, because they feature old women like Cameron Diaz.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus explains that his party lost the women’s vote because they didn’t reach out to “emotional” voters. Thanks. I think I’m going to cry now.

More stories from survivors of sexual assault in the military.

Why support for marriage equality has risen so quickly.

A 13-year-old girl was raped by two football players. Now she’s being bullied online.

Meet 29 amazing women in STEM.

Hey! Maybe Pope Francis only hates gay people half as much as we thought!

Did ...

Arizona introduces bill to prosecute transgender people for using the “wrong” bathroom.

Esquire editor says women are “ornamental” and like “cool cars.” But it’s cool, because they feature old women like Cameron Diaz.

Republican National Committee Chairman ...

By Lori Adelman • 11 years ago

Quick hit: Moving forward from past reproductive injustices against black women

Dr. Vanessa Cullins (Vice President for External Medical Affairs at PPFA) and Eleanor Hinton Hoytt (Black Women’s Health Imperative President and CEO, featured in the video above) have co-authored an important piece on The Grio framing recent progress in civil and women’s rights in proper historical context which includes reproductive injustice against women of color. This topic is especially timely because of recent revelations by the Israeli government that Ethiopian women were coerced into accepting long-acting birth control shots, likely Depo-Provera. Cullins and Hoytt write (all emphasis mine):

“As we reflect on how this progress was born from injustice, we are reminded of the many black women whose lives or deeds led the way and changed history. Fannie Lou ...

By Alexandra Brodsky • 11 years ago

Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet

If you haven’t yet, go read @ClinicEscort‘s account of explaining the importance of abortion rights to an Amtrak-full of students heading home from Saturday’s “March for Uterine Conscription” (scroll down to January 26).

The NYT on the BS lawsuits challenging religious groups’ responsibility to provide insurance that covers birth control under the new health care law.

The Boy Scouts are close to ending their ban on gay members and leaders.

In case you haven’t heard, Hillary Clinton might be the next U.S. president.

And her supposed disinterest in running has become a bit less convincing over time.

Family Inequality ranks workplace gender discrimination bills.

Spoiler Alert: What we should learn from Downton Abbey about maternal health.

On queer rights, ...

The NYT on ...

By Chloe Angyal • 11 years ago

Must-read long read: Arizona’s pro-life paradox

At The American Prospect, Judith Lewis Mernit has a long and very important article about the contradiction of restricting access to abortion while cutting funding for special needs children in Arizona. Arizona recently banned abortion after 18 weeks, which means there will be more babies born with chromosomal abnormalities – special needs kids. At the same time, Arizona is cutting funding for healthcare for special needs kids.

It would be logical to expect, then, that these new restrictions on abortion would be accompanied by increased public services for women and children—especially for children with developmental disabilities. The laws should also lead to stronger support for physically, intellectually, and developmentally disabled teenagers and adults—which is, after all, what the ...

By Lori Adelman • 13 years ago

Indiana lawmaker: Women will fake their own rape or incest to get an abortion

Hey ladies! Are you “desirous of an abortion” but unsure of how to get one (since extreme anti-choice provisions might make access illegal) or pay for it (since of course it’s not covered under your health insurance plan)? Well then BOY do I have the LOOPHOLE for you!!

It’s “simple” according to Rep. Eric Turner, a [male] Republican from Indiana who introduced an anti-abortion bill in the Indiana House that “would put some of the tightest abortion restrictions in the nation into Indiana law.” All you have to do is lie about being raped.

According to Think Progress, Turner took to the podium to defend against an amendment by state Rep. Gail Riecken (D) that would have created a ...

By Courtney • 13 years ago

Infertility or an impotent study?

Here’s a guest post from Jessica Keenan Smith, who blogs about living with epilepsy and related topics here As she explains, “I was diagnosed more than 25 years ago and I am passionate about finding innovative ways to communicate on the topic. I like everyone else living under the big E, struggle everyday with my share of ups and downs as a result.”

A recent study published in the journal, Neurology, addresses the fact that women taking multiple medications to treat epilepsy are at high risk for infertility. This may well be true, but considering anticonvulsants or medicine to control epilepsy often reduces the efficacy of the Pill, there are plenty of mommies with epilepsy out there that ...

By Courtney • 13 years ago

Not Oprah’s Book Club: Are You My Guru?

One in nine women in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease each year, which means there are a whole lot of women who can directly relate with the treacherous and healing journey Wendy Shanker writes so eloquently about in her new memoir, poignantly titled Are You My Guru?. She was diagnosed with Wegener’s granulomatosis at 33, and has spent years navigating both the hubris of western and the quirks of eastern medicine armed with an amazing sense of humor, a Madonna soundtrack, and a lot of good friends.

The thing is, you don’t need to have experienced an autoimmune disease to deeply connect this memoir. So much of it is about the universal wanderings and wonderings that ...