Sleeping Around: Multi-track mind

By Catherine Townsend

I know that everyone probably realises that "Sleeping Around" is meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but just to avoid confusion: of course there are other things in my life besides sex... I spent a lot of the past week with work, charity commitments and outings with family and friends. But the column isn't called "Volunteering Around" or "Girl Sitting Alone with a Takeaway".

Having said that, regular readers of the column will know that there are many things I get worked up about other than blow-jobs: for example, the current debate over lowering the abortion limit to twenty weeks.

I live in fear of the UK going down the same road as the US, where for years the anti-choice minority has used foetal rights legislation to chip away at a woman's right to choose and access to safe, healthy abortions are becoming a thing of the past for women in many states.

Louise France recently asked in The Guardian if it could happen here, and a pro-choice campaigner told her complacency was his greatest fear.

In Oklahoma, for example, a new law requires that doctors perform ultrasounds, with or without the woman's consent, prior to performing an abortion, and according to Salon, the choice of whether the ultrasound is vaginal or abdominal depends on which has a clearer picture - NOT whether or not the woman wants another piece of medical equipment inserted into her.

Scary stuff.

Comments

[Ken Hughes]

Catherine, my sweet charity worker.

Did not your mother teach you about birth control?

Women are supposed to make the choice before, not after.

[Macander]

Ken: When women make the choice about what goes on with their bodies is none of your damn business.

[Sophie]

Ken - birth control can fail. The pill does not suit everyone and if you have never had a condom break you probably have not had enough action in your lifetime.

[Chris F]

Ken - GET REAL!
As a male, originally born in England, now re-located to the U.S. - I am in a deep state of shock with regards women's rights and the wretched 'pro-life' movement here...I mean what on earth does 'pro-life' mean...the opposite being 'anti-life'!? Who's life?
Once again, the religiosity that governs/influences the U.S. have exerted their moral crusade onto a woman's basic 'human rights' - pretty much EVERYWHERE here.
Just last week I saw a bumper sticker read 'equal rights for unborn women' - a new (and rather degrading) angle on feminist discourse...
Catherine, as a male and feminist, I salute you and your articleS. Sorry that many of my er 'male' er 'counterparts' fail to grasp your irony, wit and femininity.

[Angel]

Do women own the fetus' inside them? This life is growing inside them, it didn't have a choice of coming into this world. The sad fact is, people don't want to take responsibility for their actions. Sex = possible pregnancy, that's it. If you didn't want to take the chance of a possible pregnancy, then why sleep around? People want freedoms, the freedom to sleep around with whoever they want, and so on and so forth, then why don't you give the life that your brought inside this world the same freedom you expect. The right to live.

[Macander]

Angel: "Do women own the fetus' inside them?"

Own the fetus' what?

Seriously, though, if a woman doesn't 'own' her own foetus, who does? The state, a church, 'society' as a whole, or just people who think like you. Are you suggesting a woman becomes a slave to her foetus as soon as she becomes pregnant? Yikes!

[AT]

Something that the so called pro life lobby tend to forget, not every pregnancy goes perfectly and not every woman has the luxury of choosing partners. In light of those poor woman and children held by that Austrian monster, victims of rape and sexual abuse, also pregnancies that threaten the health and well being of the woman, how on earth anyone can reject these scenarios out of hand is beyond me.

I don't believe that this issue is about reproductive rights. I think it is more a way of re-establishing the subserviance of women and turning back the clock on any progress that women have made towards equality.

I'm a bloke. There is probably quite a lot that I don't understand about women's issues and equality. But I firmly believe that equality is not something that any group must fight for alone. Equality and the right to live without discrimination is such a basic and fundamental Right. That includes respect for women's reproductive rights.

[BritSwedeGuy]

"Women are supposed to make the choice before, not after."
'Supposed'?
Just who is making these rules up, you? Your grandmother? Some imaginary rule-maker that lives in the sky?
Wouldn't you be happier reading the Daily Mail?

[Ian Kemmish]

Maybe we should just shoot anyone who introduces the word "rights" into ANY political debate? The very word is itself steeped in moral absolutism, with the clear implication that others must yield to the person using it. There mere fact that politicians try to bribe people with illusory "rights" ought to be enough to put reasonable people off using it.

[Matt]

Hey Catherine Townsend Talks About Grown Up Issues.

Let's see how long she can keep this up.

[Jamie]

but just to avoid confusion: of course there are other things in my life besides sex... I spent a lot of the past week with work, charity commitments and outings with family and friends

So says Ms Catherine Townsend above.

In that case, why do you still manage to sound so superficial most, if not all of the time? Are you REALLY sure you didn't make that lot up, just to pad out your column?

Methinks Ms Townsend doth protest too much.