Pro-Choice and Pro-Voice

[provoice]

ProVoice's Post of Important Stuff

As my follower count grows, so do the amount of questions (especially repeats) - that’s my fault, since I don’t have any sort of FAQ. But that’s changing! Hopefully this post will be a good starter to guide for anything you may need.

Resources:

Resource post - Information on pregnancy, abortion, adoption, parenting, etc.

Abortion Resources Around the World (still in the works)

What is a Judicial Bypass?

Do I need a lawyer for a judicial bypass?

What happens during a judicial bypass hearing?

Important Tags: (in the works)

Abortion / Abortion Story

Adoption

Birth control / Contraception

Christianity

Judicial Bypass

Parenting

Pregnancy

FAQ:

You can’t be a Christian if you’re pro-choice! 

Yes I can. Now take your pick.

Meet the Blogger:

Hi friends! I’m Kendra and I run this popsicle stand. I’m 21 and I’m attending Georgia Southern University for Anthropology, Religious Studies, and German. I look like this. I’m a Christian (United Methodist) so you’ll hear me talk about that when it’s relevant. I have not had an abortion, nor have I ever been pregnant, but if you want to speak with someone who has had either experience, I would be happy to point you in the right direction. 

Small fun facts: I love animals, especially dogs and marine life. I enjoy traveling and photography. If I could live off one food for the rest of my life, it would be fruit. I can’t whistle and I can’t snap using my right hand. My favorite TV shows are Criminal Minds, King of the Hill, and The Night Shift. I also like watching things like Ghost Stories and A Haunting. And Jeopardy. Lots of Jeopardy.

I have a personal blog and a Christian blog, so do with that what you will.

Feel free to ask me anything - if I don’t know the answer, I’ll either find it or send you to someone who does. And as always, personal experiences with abortion, adoption, parenting, and pregnancy are always welcome.

[themidwifeisin]

My friend recommended your blog and I'm totally in love :) Anyway, I'm scheduled for an abortion and I'm feeling pretty nervous and scared. I think because with any medical surgery I get nervous but idk. My friend said you used to be a doula and I was just wondering if you could give me any advice or tips to help calm my nerves or help me get through this.

Absolutely!  Here are a few basics:

Preparation:

Wear comfy clothes (things you like to wear when you’re having a bad period)

Pack:

Extra pads

Extra undies

A book

Cellphone charger

Make sure you have a ride to and from the clinic

Rent (or download) some great trashy romantic comedies or whatever your pleasure is

Buy or root out from beneath your bed a heating pack.  (If you don’t have one you can also fill a clean sock with dry rice and tie off the end.  Microwave for 3 minutes and voila!  Heating pad.)

Buy yummy snacks, hot chocolate, comfort foods

Buy Ibuprofen and tylenol (as long as you have no health problems that are contraindicated with those medications)

If you feel comfortable with it, make a plan for beloved friends/family to come over afterward to snuggle with you on your bed to watch the above mentioned trashy movies.

During:

Be mindful of yourself and what you need.  If you are given the option of using pain medication, accept it if you think you’ll need it.  Don’t try to be braver than you need to be.

If you’re feeling extremely nervous, you can ask for the counselor you speak with ahead of time to come into the procedure with you.  It won’t always be possible, but it’s an option.

If you feel like you’re having an anxiety attack or even just getting to be more anxious than you want to be, practice breathing exercises.  A favorite of mine is breathing in through your nose for 4 seconds, holding it for 4 seconds, breathing out through your mouth for 4 seconds, and holding it for 4 seconds.  Repeat.

Feel free at any time to close your eyes and picture your happy place.  Don’t just imagine it - really go there.  If you’re picturing yourself on the beach, feel the sun on your skin, smell the briny ocean, hear the seagulls, the wind, feel the sand beneath you, etc.  

Ask a nurse to hold your hand

Breathe.  Try as hard as you can to remember to breathe.

Be prepared for pain.  Know that it is intense, but it will be short, and the staff will keep you safe.  It is strong, but you are stronger. For lack of any other option, you will make it through.

Afterward:

Give yourself the time you need to recover.  For some people that’s a couple of hours, for others it’s a week or so.

Check in with yourself regularly.  Do you need more sleep?  Do you need more water?  Do you need more pain meds?

Feel free to take pain meds as often as written on the label.  For someone with strong cramps (and no contraindicating health problems) a good regimen is 600mg of Motrin at 12pm, 650mg of Tylenol at 3pm, 600mg of Motrin at 4-6pm, 650mg of Tylenol at 7pm, etc.

Call the clinic with any questions you have, even if they seem silly.

Make an agreement with a friend you trust to check in once a day just to chat.  If you want to talk about the abortion you can, but it’s good to have someone who you know will make sure you’re okay every day.

Call backline or exhale if you need to decompress with someone.

If your bleeding has been getting less and less and then suddenly gets heavier again, cut back on activity.  It’s your body telling you that you’re going too fast and you still need to be healing.  

Good luck!  Sending you love and light.

[rewiredotnews]

Threats Against Abortion Providers Have Doubled Since 2010, Report Finds

Abortion clinics nationwide face significant threats of harassment, intimidation, and violence, according to a new report showing that threats of violence against abortion providers have doubled since 2010.

The survey of 242 abortion providers in the United States found that there has been significantly higher levels of threats and targeted intimidation of doctors and staff in recent years. The report comes as widespread intimidation tactics were deployed against clinics during the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision affirming a woman’s right to choose an abortion.

More than 500 plastic handcuffs placed inside “care packages” were reportedly delivered to abortion clinics throughout the country last week, according to The Christian Post. The packages were sent by the anti-choice organization Pro-Life Action League.

continue reading

[bebinn]

"I have sat with women from Ohio and across the nation and heard them talk about their varying experiences: abusive relationships, financial hardship, health scares, rape and incest...These women gave me a better understanding of how complex and difficult certain situations can become. And while there are people of good conscience on both sides of this argument, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: the heavy hand of government must not make this decision for women and families."

Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), in an op-ed describing why he changed his lifelong anti-abortion stance and became pro-choice. A little human empathy can go a long way.

(Compare Ryan's revelation to another anti-abortion Ohio state representative, Jim Buchy, who admitted he'd never considered why someone would want an abortion.)

[fuckyeahsexeducation]

Abortion bill dropped amid concerns of female GOP lawmakers

Concerns are raised that the legislation’s restrictive language will spoil the party’s chances of broadening its appeal to women and younger voters.

Of course we can’t celebrate too much because they did end up passing a bill that prohibits federal funding of abortions.

[misandry-mermaid]

Wasn’t that already a law though? Like hasn’t it not be legal for federal money to go toward abortion services for decades? Are Republicans seriously STILL wasting time and money passing the same laws over and over again?

[afunnyfeminist]

The Hyde Amendment has to be approved every year. It’s not codified, in which case they wouldn’t have to renew it. It would be law forever. Maybe one year our Congress will get their heads out of every vagina in America and strike it down.

[bebinn]

Trust Women is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing abortion access by opening clinics in underserved areas. They recently opened a clinic in the building where Dr. George Tiller, a doctor murdered by an anti-choice fanatic, worked.

These pictures were taken by Julie Burkhart from her front window.

[bebinn]

Large Study Thoroughly Debunks One Of The Sneakiest Abortion Restrictions

Fifteen years ago (read: an eternity in the medical and science world), the FDA laid down rules about how to prescribe the abortion pill, a less-invasive alternative to early surgical abortion. Since then, real doctors with real years of experience in their field have discovered a more efficient, less expensive way for their patients to take the pill.

But that's not good enough for anti-abortion politicians - who, let's remind ourselves, have no medical experience. Sixteen states have passed completely unnecessary restrictions, one being a requirement to follow the outdated protocol, to make it difficult or impossible for patients to access this safe, legal method of abortion.

A new study in Contraception looked at over 13,000 women who received the abortion pill, whose doctors followed the current protocol rather than the FDA's outdated standards. The abortion pill was 97.7% effective, and only one or two women suffered an infection that required hospitalization.

Here's an idea: If you can't hack it at med school, you don't get to play doctor with millions of people's lives. Deal?

[bebinn]

I'm Back!

Hello, everyone! Thank you for sticking with me during my absence. I completed an amazing six-month music therapy internship, working in hospitals, military bases, senior living facilities, schools for folks with disabilities, a substance abuse treatment program, the YWCA, and so, so much more. Next up is a two-month vacation, during which I'll be studying for the board exam and looking for jobs.

I wish I could say that I'm reenergized and passionate, but I'm not. Up until the last few months, my life has been extremely privileged in every way. I have a wonderful, loving family. My financial situation was relatively stable. Everyone was doing okay.

If mentions of death or suicide are harmful to you, I've put the rest behind the link.

I lost three family members. My great-aunt, who I sincerely believe was an angel on earth, passed away. It was difficult, but expected. She went peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, and at her memorial, the stack of recent birthday letters from friends and family was over a foot high.

My dad committed suicide in August. He had struggled with mental illness in the past - panic attacks, anxiety, depression, anger - but he was managing it. We thought he was managing it. He had an amazing job he loved, in a city he loved. He traveled all over the world and his latest passion was bringing students of color into science through the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. He was over-the-moon in love with his wife and his daughters. We were going to play music together (he and my sister on the fiddle, me on guitar - Scottish tunes) at my great-aunt's funeral. She was his favorite, and he might have been hers.

My youngest cousin on my mom's side killed herself in November. She had no history of problems with her mental health, and we can't find even the smallest reason. She was a lovely, sweet, smart girl with lots of friends and a bright future. Over a hundred people came to her memorial.

Our health insurance and sole source of income left along with my dad. Members of my family were diagnosed with (and are now recovered from) cancer, and another with a slipped disc broken back that went undiagnosed for months. In the haze that comes with complicated grief and stress from intense work, I damaged my car and had to borrow one for a week while it was in the shop. I was still working over 40 hours a week when I wasn't sleeping all day. When it rains, it pours.

This is a long story to say that I am weary and I need help to continue blogging, which I badly want to do. I'm not sure where to begin again. If anyone has any requests or questions, it would certainly help jump-start my my mind.

Thank you again to everyone who stuck with me, and with the few dozen new followers that arrived while I was gone! Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you, and hug them when you can. Take every moment for what it is - a blessing. And take care of yourselves. I want to always be here to help.

<3

[bebinn]

Bébinn Is On Hiatus!

From July through December, I'll be working at a demanding music therapy internship, with no time to blog about reproductive justice. I fully intend to return in January, but until then, this how you can use what's already here:

The Navigation page will take you to virtually any pro-choice, reproductive health, or reproductive justice topic, and the Resources page has lots of information on all your options.

The Science! page and #science tags are great for debunking anti-abortion myths and learning more about reproductive health research

If you have questions about or need support in seeking an abortion, everything I know (funds, hotlines, procedures, clinics, and more) is in the links at the top of the page. Considering Abortion? may be the most useful.

My side blog, Expose CPCs, will also be quiet during this time. But that doesn't mean you can't continue to spread the word about deceptive anti-abortion centers!

While I have terrible willpower, I don't intend to check my Tumblr while I'm working. If you have a question that needs an immediate answer, someone in People I Follow may be able to help you.

Please read and consider reblogging the following posts! Stay informed and look out for each other.

Resources for Decision-Making and Low-Income Parenting

Supportive, Nonjudgmental Pregnancy Counseling Hotlines

Abortion Procedures

Methods of Illegal Abortion

Abortion Funds

Judicial Bypass for Minors

$10 off Plan B/Emergency Contraception

How to Identify Crisis Pregnancy Centers

The Seven Most Common Lies About Abortion

A huge thank you to all my followers who stick with me until the winter, and thanks to everyone else who reads and shares. See you next year!

[oh-snap-pro-choice]

What are CPC pages?

Crisis Pregnancy Centres are pro life centres that trick and manipulate people looking for abortions. They often give things like abortion causes cancer, and depression, as facts, and have been known to lure people in with ultrasounds then steal their clothes and refuse to give them back until they promise never to get an abortion. CPC pages are just Facebook pages of these various centres-Ash

[witchtitz666]

They also help out protesters by sending their own, providing refuge for supplies, and raising money.

[bebinn]

Exposing Fake Clinics (a page by NARAL Pro-Choice) and Expose CPCs (mine) have more information and examples.

[bebinn]

The narrative around any act of anti-abortion violence quickly turns to talk of lone wolves, sick individuals acting outside the parameters and without any support or encouragement from “mainstream” or “nonviolent” organizations. Again and again, however, perpetrators of violence and extreme acts of harassment are shown to be directly connected to the same network of people and organizations.

Adding Cubs to the Pack of Lone Wolves

Anti-abortion terrorism is not an anomaly. Fill people with talk of “baby killers,” “whores,” and “enemies of God” from the time they are born, teach them to mercilessly terrorize patients and staff, and murder is nothing more than the inevitable endgame.

(via bebinn)

To make this absolutely clear: Operation Rescue has been connected with multiple acts of anti-abortion violence and terrorism. A member of the group was the plaintiff in the recent Supreme Court buffer zone case (McCullen v. Coakley). And they won.

[nickdouglas]

Defending a position by citing free speech is sort of the ultimate concession; you’re saying that the most compelling thing you can say for your position is that it’s not literally illegal to express.

xkcd: Free Speech (alt text)

[reproductivejusticeandliberty]

I kind of want to have a group Skype call sometime with other prochoicers. Like, everyone just get a glass of wine (if you’re legal) or whatever and just gab. That would make me so happy.

[protego-et-servio-deactivated20]

I won’t videochat…

[oh-snap-pro-choice]

I would be up for this! -Ash

[howprolifeofyou]

me too, even if it’s just text chat!

[reproductivejusticeandliberty]

If y'all could send me your Skype handles via ask/fanmail, I'll amass a list and then send it out once it's compiled!  We can arrange a date and time from there.  How does that sound?

[bebinn]

I'm about to go inactive until January, but if the timing works out I'd love to meet everyone!

[moriah-explains-it-all-blog]

Cultureshift said that the difference between prochoice and prolife are stark. And he’s right.  They have an entire page documenting how much they value life.. and we… don’t. ;) 

[bebinn]

And here I was finding all the mugshots of the doctor-killers and clinic-bombers…

[antiprolife]

I love the way Cultureshift thinks one image of angry pro-choice protesters and one image of smiling pro-life protesters shows oh how very different the two movements are.

Like, really? As if there aren’t pictures of angry pro-lifers or smiling pro-choicers? (And as if pro-choicers don’t have valid reason to be angry…)

[bebinn]

I think it's funny how conservatives get so excited about how much prettier (and in cultureshift's posts, more benign-looking) "their" women are.

Something about valuing women who prioritize and adhere to their assigned gender roles over those who don't...

[moriah-explains-it-all-blog]

Cultureshift said that the difference between prochoice and prolife are stark. And he’s right.  They have an entire page documenting how much they value life.. and we… don’t. ;) 

[bebinn]

And here I was finding all the mugshots of the doctor-killers and clinic-bombers...

[culture-of-choice]

My mother views pregnancy as beautiful since she loved her own experience. She also worked as a pre-natal nurse and witnessed all the uglyness of pregnancy. She still thinks it's a beautiful thing, but she knows it can get ugly on a whim. She never knew about pro-life and pro-choice before I told her. She's horrified at the thought of banning abortion. My mother, who saved babies for over 25 years, is pro-choice.

It’s amazing how many people in the medical profession are pro-choice.

I love the little lists these pro-lifers make, compiling pro-life doctors. There’s like…what, four or five hundred on there? Not sure. Out of how many doctors in the country? Hah.

I have spoken to a family friend who happens to be a doctor. He told me that he believes many medical professionals to be pro-choice because they have seen what can go wrong, and believe the choice is up to the person dealing with the situation. He obviously cannot speak for everyone. But I still thought it was a valid opinion.

I see a lot of pro-lifers talking about how you should never go to an OB/GYN who is not pro-life. Which is just nuts to me. Like somehow a pro-choice doctor will value a patient less than a pro-life one. I actually believe the reverse - I think the pro-life doctor will care more about the fetus, no matter what state its in, than the patient. 

Pregnancy is what YOU make it. If it’s beautiful to you, fantastic. If it’s scary, that’s just as valid. No telling people how to feel just because you feel that way.

Your mom sounds awesome.

[right-of-life]

I hope to eventually become a doctor, and I am leaning towards OBGYN or neonatologist. If I am an OBGYN, I am well within my rights to refuse to perform an abortion. (Abortion and miscarriage are NOT the same thing). However, it is not my place as a professional to act with my personal beliefs in mind. If a patient wants an abortion, they will have to go somewhere else to get one but I will not go by the term “pro-life doctor”. I am pro-life, but as a doctor, my beliefs are not an aspect of patient care.

But hopefully by that time, abortion will be much more rare than it is now:)

[culture-of-choice]

Here’s the thing.

If an OB/GYN does not wish to perform an abortion, I am not about to try and force them. I think it is terrible decision making to go into a field knowing full-well that you’ll be put in that situation, but that is, of course, your call.

The problem I have is not necessarily that an OB/GYN would refuse to perform an abortion; the problem I have is the methods by which a pro-life OB/GYN may convince a woman to carry out a dangerous pregnancy because they do not approve of an abortion.

[right-of-life]

I think as a professional, it is the OBGYN’s job to offer the woman all of her legal options and let her take it from there.

[culture-of-choice]

It is terribly refreshing to see a pro-lifer acknowledge the importance of unbiased medical counseling. However, please understand that you are representing the VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

There are many, many pro-life individuals who would do anything to prevent a woman from terminating her pregnancy. This gets particularly dangerous in the medical field, as many pregnant people do not have the medical expertise to know whether their pro-life doctor is being fully honest with their possibly dangerous pregnancy. There have been situations like this, and people have died as a result.

If every pro-life OB/GYN were open to unbiased medical counseling, and able to provide a referral should the pregnant person in question want an abortion, I’d be just dandy. Unfortunately, I do not think this is a reality; nor do I think it ever will be.

[right-of-life]

Could you direct me to the sources of when women died or almost died from biased medical care? Thank you!

[culture-of-choice]

The most obvious one was the case of Savita Halappanavar. She died due to the pro-life views of both the country and her medical professionals.

I would also like to highlight another reblog that I’m confident you saw already:

Bear in mind that Oklahoma, (and possibly other states) has passed laws that make it legal for a doctor or other health professional to LIE to a woman if they fear she will have an abortion.  For example, a doctor can say the fetus is perfectly normal when he knows it will be born with defects, or lie and say the defect is easily treatable when they know it is profoundly life-changing or lethal.  They can lie to a woman about the effects to her body and her life if the pregnancy is continued. This law was REQUESTED by pro-life doctor, who wanted to avoid the professional and legal consequences of putting their own ideology above the health, life, and interests of their patient.

I should have brought this  up myself but it slipped my mind. This is very true and very scary - medical professionals are now legally permitted to lie to their patients if they so choose. This is a scary advantage for pro-life OB/GYNs.

[bebinn]

Angela Carder, Kathleen Prieskorn, "Janet," Tumblr user kerbiemarie, Beatriz in El Salvador, Mikki Kendall, Tamesha Means, this Catholic hospital's employee...which means there are countless others whose stories have never been publicized.

[prochoiceamerica]

The Supreme Court justices will issue a decision on a 35-foot clinic buffer zone in Massachusetts soon, from safely behind their own buffer zone. 

[mediamattersforamerica]

Today the Supreme Court decided to strike down buffer zones around women’s health clinics in Massachusetts, which have protected women and clinic workers from threats and violence from anti-choice protesters for years now. Oh, the hypocrisy…