Posts Tagged: healthcare
Reproductive Justice and the Right to Die
One of the greatest achievements of the reproductive justice movement is the considerable work that has been done to weave the injustices faced by poor women seeking an abortion and the police violence that black folks face together into a coherent critique of structural violence. Recognizing that marginalized communities must stand together when calling for the right to live a life free of violence and full of love is powerful. Despite this far-reaching agenda, considerable silence still surrounds our final phase of life. If the goal of the reproductive justice movement is life on our own terms, then we need to embrace the uncomfortable truth that death will always lurk on the other side. This means that the reproductive justice community must engage with the grim reality that just as… Read more »
The Importance of Planned Parenthood in a College Community
As a college student, living paycheck-to-paycheck, I understand the importance of affordable healthcare. I am lucky enough to still be on my parent’s health insurance which covers my current method of birth control. I am privileged beyond compare by this alone, but not everyone is so lucky. College is a time specifically known for growth and struggle. I mean, we hear people constantly referring to life in college revolving around being able to afford nothing but ramen noodles and cereal for dinner every night. It’s no surprise that if college aged students can barely afford their meals, that they probably struggle with paying for their medical needs as well. This is what Planned Parenthood is here for. Planned Parenthood works towards offering healthcare to those without insurance, to those who… Read more »
A Review of S.E.X.
When I attended the URGE National Conference in Washington, D.C. this June, one of the things in the goodie bag was the book S.E.X. by Heather Corinna. Naturally, I thought it was appropriate to review it for a blog post. On the cover, the book is described as “the all-you-need-to-know progressive sexuality guide to get you through high school and college.” This couldn’t be more accurate. The book is comprehensive, informative, and incredibly thorough, as well as an easy and quick read—I was able to breeze through it in a couple hours before I went through again and read it slowly to take notes. As with just about any get-to-know-your-body book, S.E.X. has a chapter about the body and how it changes during puberty. Corinna does an excellent job at… Read more »
What the New Rules on Birth Control Mean for You
You may have seen the buzz this week about the new guidance for birth control under the Affordable Care Act. This is exciting news! Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency that creates the rules to make sure the Affordable Care Act is implemented correctly, just published a set of FAQs that clarify for insurance provider’s that yes – they must cover birth control without a co-payment. A recent study by the National Women’s Law Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation found that many folks were having a hard time getting the birth control that their doctor prescribed without a co-pay. Frequently, insurance would not cover the NuvaRing or the patch because they already covered hormonal birth control in the form of the pill. The new rules released by HHS… Read more »
Pregnancy and Incarceration: Intersectional Justice
Reproductive justice within prison communities does not get discussed nearly enough. People who are pregnant and incarcerated are subject to many injustices. These injustices are particularly felt by low income communities and people of color. This week there was a workshop held at my school to talk about these issues hosted by Students United for Reproductive Freedom (SURF), our URGE branch. They write, “The mainstream pro-choice movement focuses on protecting the right to choose abortion, but the right to carry your pregnancy to term safely and with full agency is often overlooked. However, in the United States today, the personhood of pregnant people is systemically under attack. Fetal personhood legislation, the “War on Drugs,” and the medical industrial complex all chip away at the humanity of pregnant persons, and these… Read more »
Student Activists Lobby in Texas for Trust, Respect and Access
Young Texas students learned how to call upon their government representatives when they took to the state Capitol to lobby for a package of reproductive healthcare bills. Activists from all over Texas gathered at the Capitol February 26 to speak out against a set of proposed bills that would severely limit a person’s access to sex education, abortion and other healthcare needs. Armed with a new campaign aimed at putting trust, respect, and access back into the hands of Texans, students met individually with state senators and representatives to inform them of the policies regarding reproductive rights. The tiered campaign has three elements, the first one being trust; trusting Texans to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions, including the time and spacing of their children. Under the trust tier also… Read more »
Sending Love to our Abortion Providers
This week we commemorate the ruling of Roe v. Wade that made abortion legal in our country. In doing so, the doctors who provide abortion services need to be appreciated for their tremendously important work to keep equal healthcare rights alive in the United States. Since Roe was enacted, there have been many attempts to undermine accessibility to abortion and overturn the ruling to keep it legal. Over the past forty-two years, there have been many federal attacks to dismantle equal rights for women. From the Hyde Amendment to Planned Parenthood v. Casey to the rise of state restrictions on reproductive health providers, the doctors who choose to continue to provide abortion services are extremely valuable to anyone who supports equal rights. With all of this documented federal pushback it… Read more »
The Upsides and Downsides of an IUD
Perhaps I am late to the party, but IUDs or intrauterine devices are becoming an increasingly used as a reversible contraceptive method. According to Planned Parenthood, IUDS are a “T-shaped” device inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy” that is placed in the woman’s uterus by a healthcare professional. According to Michelle Andrews in Kaiser Health News, people who used methods of contraception between the years 2011 and 2013 used birth control pills at a rate of 26 percent, condoms at a rate of 15 percent, and IUDS at a rate of 12 percent. The ParaGard (used for up to 12 years) and hormonal IUD ( the Mirena brand can be used for five years and the Skyla brand can be used for three years) are used in the United… Read more »
RJ Tech Talk: Male Contraceptive Pill
Hooray! Male birth control will be available by 2017. What is male birth control? The Parsemus Foundation, a company that works on making healthcare affordable, is working on developing Valgasel: a pill made for men that will prevent contraception from happening. Luckily for you, guys, this is not a hormonal method! It targets a physical mechanism that targets the sperms little tiny tails and stops them from swimming. Also, the process if reversible and sperm will completely viable once again. As with any form of contraceptive pill, a barrier method will also be required to prevent transferring STIs between partners. What happens inside of bodies that take Valgasel? When sperm are created and stored in the testis (aka balls), and when they make there way from their storage center to exit… Read more »
RJ Tech Talk: Artificial Wombs
What are artificial wombs? Artificial wombs are devices that are able to allow embryos to grow outside of a person’s body. They do not exist yet, but many predict they will be a reality within the next two decades. As a form of ectogenesis, they allow for the growth of an organism externally from a bodily womb in an artificial environment. The artificial uterus will be able to provide oxygen, nutrients, and dispose of wastes to ensure fetal growth. This highly controlled and self-sustaining environment would be able to safeguard the baby from disease and external pollutants (eg. alcohol, drugs or other environmental pollutants). The possibilities and applications of these things are endless! Benefits: Artificial wombs have the potential to assist couples that don’t have the capabilities of producing children,… Read more »
