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January 04, 2005

Birth control use decreasing

I have to say, I’m pretty shocked. The Washington Post reports today that adult women are increasingly forgoing birth control:

Buried in the government's latest in-depth analysis of contraceptive use was the finding that the number of women who had sex in the previous three months but did not use birth control rose from 5.2 percent in 1995 to 7.4 percent in 2002. That means that as many as 11 percent of all women are at risk of unintended pregnancy at some point during their childbearing years (ages 15 to 44).

Researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics took pains to point out that the "increase is statistically significant" and that the "apparent change merits further study." Other analysts called the spike a troubling development that translates into at least 4.6 million sexually active women at risk of conceiving a child they had not planned on.

Even more interesting is that birth control use among teenagers is on the rise. So what’s going on with older women?

The article reports that a number of experts believe that one possible reason is the high cost of birth control--most notably the birth control pill, which is the most popular form of BC.

Jeffrey Jensen, director of the Women's Health Research Unit at Oregon Health and Science University, says “It is absolutely unconscionable that women have a co-pay of $20 or $25 [a month] for contraceptives and men are getting off scot-free.”

Many docs are also putting blame on abstinence-only education programs.

John S. Santelli, a professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, says that “women in their twenties have probably gotten less effective information about contraception,” because of the significant drop in comprehensive sex education from 1988 to 2000. Great.

I know my ass has been on the pill for forever and a day, and I’m not planning on getting off of it for quite a while. But it costs me about $35 a month to get it, which definitely puts a dent in my paltry nonprofit salary. So I guess when you think about it, these stats aren’t entirely surprising.

Any thoughts?

Posted by Jessica at 03:01 PM | in Health , News , Reproductive Rights | Comments (6)

Remembering Shirley Chisholm


As most of you probably know, Shirley Chisholm--the first black woman elected to Congress--died this past weekend. During her seven terms in the House, she was an outspoken champion of women's rights.

Check out this piece in the NY Times which shows that while Chisholm didn't always get the recognition she deserved, back home in Brooklyn she's being remembered by her allies and opponents alike.

Also take a look at The Online Beat at The Nation, which has not only a great mini-history of Chisholm's activism, but also includes this amazing quote from her 1972 run for Democratic presidential candidate:

I stand before you today as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency of the United States. I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women's movement of this country, although I am equally proud of that. I am not the candidate of any political bosses or special interests. I am the candidate of the people.

Posted by Jessica at 11:23 AM | in News , Politics | Comments (0)

Smart women don't get married

According to a recent British study, the higher a woman's IQ the less likely she is to get married. The opposite is true for men.

The study found the likelihood of marriage increased by 35 percent for boys for each 16-point increase in IQ.

But for girls, there is a 40-percent drop for each 16-point rise, according to the survey by the universities of Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Whoa. That sounds kind of drastic.

What's really interesting to me, however are particular assumptions that came from these stats:

"Women in their late 30s who have gone for careers after the first flush of university and who are among the brightest of their generation are finding that men are just not interesting enough," said psychologist and professor at Nottingham University Paul Brown in The Sunday Times.

Claire Rayner, writer and broadcaster, said in the article that intelligent men often prefered a less brainy partner.

"A chap with a high IQ is going to get a demanding job that is going to take up a lot of his energy and time. In many ways he wants a woman who is an old-fashioned wife and looks after the home, a copy of his mum in a way."

Eww. Firstly, I think mums across the globe should tell Claire that being a mother doesn't mean you're "old-fashioned" or "less brainy." Secondly, certain women not getting married could be because they just don't want to--not because of a lack of quality men.

UPDATE: Also check out Bonnie Erbe's take on this study, writing for Scripps Howard. Me likey (mostly).

Posted by Jessica at 10:05 AM | in News | Comments (2)

January 03, 2005

Looking Back On The Year O' Sex

Check out the Village Voice's article, "The Best and Worst of Sex in 2004," which includes a variety of events, movies, books, etc. that were introduced over the past year involving our favorite hobby and topic of conversation.

Categories including "Best Sex Movie," "Best Legal Victory" and "Best Porn Title." Cream Pie for the Straight Guy took the gold for that one.

Posted by Vanessa at 02:44 PM | in Sex | Comments (0)

Jessica Simpson's virginity vow...to her Dad


I know that I've written about Jessica Simpson's creepy dad before (with apologies for posting on celeb gossip), but this was sooo freaky I just had to point it out:

Jessica Simpson's father Joe made the singer promise to stay a virgin until she married, during a ceremony when she was twelve.

Simpson, who doubles as Jessica's manager, handed the 24-year-old a promise ring and vowed to be the only man in her life until she married.

He explains, "I'm going to tell you how beautiful you are every day. Even when you make a mistake, you are someone special. And I am going to be that person until the day you find a man to do that in my place."

Um...what the fuck?

Posted by Jessica at 01:00 PM | in News | Comments (5)

Women's eNews announces 21 Leaders for 2005


Check out Women's eNews' 21 Leaders for the 21st Century 2005.

The list includes Nobel prize winner Wangari Maathai, an 18 year-old woman from Boston who started a radio station that plays only woman-positive music, and women working on international and local levels to improve women's lives.

No bloggers though...sigh. Maybe next year!

Posted by Jessica at 11:52 AM | in News | Comments (0)

Administration tries to keep emergency contraception from rape victims

You’re not going to believe this. From The Philadelphia Inquirer (free registration is required to read the whole piece):

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued its first-ever medical guidelines for treating sexual-assault victims - without any mention of emergency contraception, the standard precaution against pregnancy after rape.

WHAT?! Developing a national model for post-sexual assault care means putting forward guidelines that state and local agencies can look to as the standard. Keeping emergency contraception out of the picture is just reprehensible--rape victims need to know ALL of their options.

Thanks to Diane for the link.

Posted by Jessica at 10:18 AM | in News , Reproductive Rights , Sexism , Sexual Assault | Comments (1)

January 02, 2005

Happy New Year--Or Maybe Not...

In the wake of the ongoing massive human tragedy in Asia, it is often very difficult to differentiate among victims. When we hear these massive mortality numbers, it is difficult to critically analyze what is going on.

Yet, as in any tragedy, suffering is not distributed evenly. Indeed, it is the most vulnerable populations--i.e. women and children that often suffer the most. The AP reports today that the Sri Lankan government is currently investigating several cases of sexual assault and child abuse in the disaster zone.

Unfortunately, this problem is in no way unique to Sri Lanka or the current disaster. Refugees and people traumatized by conflict suffer disproportionately from gender violence. One study by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 80% of all refugee women experience rape and sexual abuse. According to a UN report on Violence Against Women,

"Women may be particularly vulnerable to sexual assault and sexual violence because of the conditions of dependency that are often created in refugee camps. Refugees, particularly women, are likely to be dependent on others for food or assistance. This dependency renders them vulnerable to demands for sexual access in exchange for such assistance. When "there is no opportunity for work in the camp, or where camp administrative systems do not ensure that women receive their rations, the difficulty of meeting basic subsistence needs often leads women or girls to prostitute themselves in exchange for food, shelter and protection."

What is truly disturbing about this story is that in many cases this abuse is perpetrated by peacekeepers & aid workers. (sigh).

For an **excellent** resource on this topic check out the Stop Violence Against Women site.

--Contributed by Brendan Sweeney

Posted by Lauryn at 10:29 AM | in International | Comments (0)

December 31, 2004

Holiday!

Feministing won't be posting due to the holiday. Y'all have a safe and happy new year!

Posted by Vanessa at 11:18 AM | in Feministing | Comments (0)

December 30, 2004

The Double S Stands For Shitty-Ass State

Check out Newsday’s article on the last standing abortion clinic in Mississippi, and the lead that the state has taken in the war on reproductive rights.

There used to be seven clinics available to get an abortion. Yet over the recent years, Mississippi has become widely known as a state that is intent on abolishing the procedure from its territory. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is now the last clinic remaining.

Mississippi reached a peak of abortions in 1991, when 8,814 were reported. The number dropped more than half in 2002, and last year the figures were less than one-third of the national rate. The state recently passed the new “conscience clause” in effect (allowing any health care provider to refuse an abortion or emergency contraception). It’s one of the only two states requiring consent of both parents for a minor to get an abortion (the other state is North Dakota). Along with Texas, it also requires that women seeking abortions be told -- despite the National Cancer Institute’s findings -- that abortion may increase their risk of breast cancer.

Wow. If the last clinic is closed, I say we just move all the anti-choicers there to live in their merry utopia state o' "morals".

Posted by Vanessa at 02:32 PM | in Law , News , Reproductive Rights | Comments (7)

Renowned Feminist and Author Dies


Susan Sontag, a renowned feminist, author and playwright, died on Tuesday in a New York cancer hospital at the age of 71. She was one of the most esteemed writers of her generation, as well as a passionate human rights activist.

She was born on January 16, 1933 in New York, and was raised in Tuscon, Arizona and Los Angeles. She attended the University of Chicago at the early age of 16 and later went to Harvard and Oxford to study. She returned to New York when she was 26 and was an anti-war activist and cultural critic in the 60s. From then on she wrote various plays and novels, including In America, which won the U.S. National Book Award in 2000.

She continued to write essays this year, much on the war in Iraq and the failings of the Bush administration.

Posted by Vanessa at 12:27 PM | in News | Comments (0)

December 29, 2004

Extra, Extra!

This week a new independent women’s magazine will hit the stands. The publication is not particularly about women, but written by women about various global issues, concentrating on solution-based commentary rather than the typical focus on crises and war.

World Pulse features women journalists from around the world, and includes articles on a range of issues, such as human trafficking, the drug war, and perspectives on the recent U.S. elections. The magazine was created by Executive Editor Jensine Larsen, whose inspiration stemmed from working as a freelance journalist on ethnic cleansing in Burma and indigenous movements in South America. The experience made her realize that there was a substantial lack of solutions-focused news as well as women’s voices in media coverage on global issues, and decided to do something about it.

It looks like this is going to be a great project. Look out for newsstands!

Posted by Vanessa at 04:49 PM | in International , News , Politics | Comments (2)

Scarlet letter for strippers?


The City Council in San Antonio, Texas recently approved a measure that will require strippers to wear permits while they are on stage.

According to the Associated Press, the reasoning behind this deliberate public shaming of women (called a “human display ordinance,” puh-leeze) is to make it easier for police to identify dancers.

Um, isn’t stripping legal? And I’m guessing if you’re in a strip club, it would be pretty easy to identify who the dancers are. If the local cops can’t figure that shit out on their own, I’d say the City Council has a lot more to worry about than strippers.

A lawyer for clubs in the area is arguing against the measure, pointing out that it is pretty fucking dangerous for a woman to wear a piece of paper that displays her name and address.

But hey, what’s wrong with accommodating potential stalkers, right?

Via Nerve.

Posted by Jessica at 11:44 AM | in News , Politics , Sex , Sexism , Work | Comments (5)

Looking For A Safe Place

Check out Women’s eNews’ article from Sunday on the discrimination and abuses that transgendered people and lesbians endure in homeless shelters. It looks into the reasons behind these occurrences and the failure of the shelter system to provide gender-appropriate services.

Although the Department of Homeless Services insists that they work hard to ensure that people are respectful, it looks like individual shelters don’t play by the rules, says Jay Toole. Toole is a shelter inspector with the Coalition for the Homeless in New York and a community organizer for the Queers for Economic Justice network.

In the past, Toole lived in shelters herself. In her shelters, beatings and rape of lesbians by guards and other workers were common and continue to occur. Lesbian couples also face the discrimination of various forms of proof of interdependency that are required in order to stay in the same shelter (forms of proof that are easily acquired by a married couple).

Transgendered women in particular are in shit because they're usually sent to men’s shelters, where they're raped and beaten as well. Toole says the men just see them as “girly men” that need toughening up. Much of the time they also have to comply with standards of the men’s shelters by dressing as men, and are not given access to gender-appropriate health services as well.

The total number of people who enter the NYC shelter system on any night is about 36,000, which is a 75% increase from 1998. On top of that, the number of women in the shelter system has nearly doubled from 5,200 to 10,000 over the last 6 years.

And this is in New York. I can only imagine what goes on in other cities.

Posted by Vanessa at 01:57 AM | in Class , Sexism , Sexual Assault , Violence Against Women | Comments (0)

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