Phoebe Dembs

A SYTYCB Entry “Can you get pregnant from giving a blow job?” “My BF and I were dry humping and he came on my shorts. Could I get pregnant?” “I just got my period. Am I pregnant?” Above is a sampling of texts and instant messages that I answer as a health educator for Planned Parenthood’s chat service. I like getting questions like this because often the answer is fairly straightforward and it’s a great learning opportunity for the people who ask them. By now, you may or may not have heard Missouri Representative Todd Akin’s comments that pregnancy as a result of rape is “really rare” (see Chloe’s excellent Feministing post about that HERE), and if it’s “legitimate rape” a woman’s body has ways of shutting down her reproductive system so that a pregnancy does not occur. I missed that one on ConvenientMedicalTheories4U.com! Silly me!

Rep. Akin took to his Facebook page to say that he “misspoke” and goes on to say that he empathizes with women and that he meant “forcible rape” (uh, what was the difference again?). What he did not include in this retraction was that his remarks about the reproductive system and rape are completely and utterly FALSE. This spreading of misinformation has to stop. I have no problem with people giving out opinions, but out-in-out lies? No. No. No! Especially when that lie comes from a white man in power, such as Mr. Akin, who unfortunately American society basically forces the ...