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Plan G: Grow up
“The conservative politics of the Bush administration forced me to have an abortion I didn't want.” It’s hard not to read an article that starts that way, and it’s even harder to forget. It’s been a year and half since the Washington Post published this woman’s personal account of how she conceived and ended a life and whom she blames along the way. And I haven’t gotten over it yet. She starts her story by telling us that she and her husband rarely have time together and that “ in a sudden rush of passion,” they failed to use contraception. The next morning after getting the kids on the bus, she calls to get her ob/gyn to call in a prescription for Plan B, because “ I wanted to make sure that our momentary lapse didn't result in a pregnancy.” This is the one and only times she shoulders some responsibility in this fertility fiasco. She goes on to tell us that not only is she over 40, has all the kids she plans to have, but she is also on medications that “ you shouldn't take if you're expecting or even planning to get pregnant.” This is the point where my curiosity gets the better of me and I have to finish reading the article.
She places the call only to find out her ob/gyn won’t prescribe Plan B. She says, “When I realized the seriousness of my predicament, I became angry. .. that conservative politics have held up [Plan B’s ability to go over the counter].” She reminds us that she is not some teenage girl who got knocked up in the backseat of a car on prom night. The lack of widespread availability of Plan B “wound up penalizing an over-the-hill married woman for having sex with her husband.” She’s angry with her doctor’s office because “they aren't even required to tell the patient why they won't provide the drug. Nor do they have to provide a list of alternative sources. In any event, they were also partly responsible for why I was stuck that Friday, and why I was ultimately forced to confront the decision to terminate my third pregnancy.”
Now let’s review the facts: This is not her first pregnancy: she is fully aware that sex can and does lead to babies and with two kids in the family she knows exactly what that entails. She is on medication that should not be taken if pregnancy is a possibility. She is not blaming herself because “this all could have been stopped way before this baby was conceived if they had just let me have that damn pill.” This does not sound like a woman lamenting the fact that she let her passion override her “usual” use of birth control. This is a woman who is upset that the back-up plan she was apparently planning on at the time fell through.
In the end, she did have an abortion. She says “It was a decision I am sorry I had to make. It was awful, painful, sickening. But I feel that this administration gave me practically no choice but to have an unwanted abortion.” If there had been no Plan B, it was a decision she would have faced anyway. The story reads as if she would have made a different choice on that night of passion, had Plan B not been an option at all.
No matter what side of the abortion/Plan B fence you stand on, I think everyone agrees that these are not meant to be an excuse to let passion override responsibility. No one should be thinking, “Aw, to hell with it. I’ll just call the doctor in the morning, let’s go for it!” That attitude is an affront to every woman who has ever had to make a gut-wrenching decision concerning a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, over a child too ill to survive after birth, over too many children to carry in one womb, over a slew of other heartbreaking reasons. In a society that allows for choices, above all else we have to choose responsibility. Freedom to choose in not freedom to blame.
( In my essay I have tried to fairly represent the author of the article and include quotes representative of her overall story. I have not included her name because my essay is not about a person, but about an attitude. To hear her complete story in her own words, read : “What Happens When There Is No Plan B?” The Washington Post. Jun 4, 2006. p. B-1 . )
She places the call only to find out her ob/gyn won’t prescribe Plan B. She says, “When I realized the seriousness of my predicament, I became angry. .. that conservative politics have held up [Plan B’s ability to go over the counter].” She reminds us that she is not some teenage girl who got knocked up in the backseat of a car on prom night. The lack of widespread availability of Plan B “wound up penalizing an over-the-hill married woman for having sex with her husband.” She’s angry with her doctor’s office because “they aren't even required to tell the patient why they won't provide the drug. Nor do they have to provide a list of alternative sources. In any event, they were also partly responsible for why I was stuck that Friday, and why I was ultimately forced to confront the decision to terminate my third pregnancy.”
Now let’s review the facts: This is not her first pregnancy: she is fully aware that sex can and does lead to babies and with two kids in the family she knows exactly what that entails. She is on medication that should not be taken if pregnancy is a possibility. She is not blaming herself because “this all could have been stopped way before this baby was conceived if they had just let me have that damn pill.” This does not sound like a woman lamenting the fact that she let her passion override her “usual” use of birth control. This is a woman who is upset that the back-up plan she was apparently planning on at the time fell through.
In the end, she did have an abortion. She says “It was a decision I am sorry I had to make. It was awful, painful, sickening. But I feel that this administration gave me practically no choice but to have an unwanted abortion.” If there had been no Plan B, it was a decision she would have faced anyway. The story reads as if she would have made a different choice on that night of passion, had Plan B not been an option at all.
No matter what side of the abortion/Plan B fence you stand on, I think everyone agrees that these are not meant to be an excuse to let passion override responsibility. No one should be thinking, “Aw, to hell with it. I’ll just call the doctor in the morning, let’s go for it!” That attitude is an affront to every woman who has ever had to make a gut-wrenching decision concerning a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, over a child too ill to survive after birth, over too many children to carry in one womb, over a slew of other heartbreaking reasons. In a society that allows for choices, above all else we have to choose responsibility. Freedom to choose in not freedom to blame.
( In my essay I have tried to fairly represent the author of the article and include quotes representative of her overall story. I have not included her name because my essay is not about a person, but about an attitude. To hear her complete story in her own words, read : “What Happens When There Is No Plan B?” The Washington Post. Jun 4, 2006. p. B-1 . )
hahahahaha
story of the month:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15053535/?GT1=8618
Always knew that'd get caught sooner or later...
Anyway, interesting last couple of days, and yet again: I was right all along.
Here's some other things I've noticed:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15053535/?GT1=8618
Always knew that'd get caught sooner or later...
Anyway, interesting last couple of days, and yet again: I was right all along.
Here's some other things I've noticed:
- HW has a really annoying voice. I'd rather listen to myself gargle than hear her talk
- Life's not a constant, nor is it a race.
- We should apply Darwin's Theory to school.
- Doesn't exactly have the patience of a saint, does he?
- Is raising your voice really neccessary?
- *sniff* foul play.
- yeah, that'd ruin my day/week/month
- ...random speech...and she still does what he spent 10 minutes telling us not to do. What a moron.
- She's gonna get mugged...even if I have to do it, just to teach her a lesson.
- Every girl's got those stupid random slip-ons too.
- thaaaaaaat's hot....wow.
- *sad voice* Of course not...nevermind *depression*
- Then again, it didn't ruin my day. I should have known.
- of yeah, she does. No questions asked.
- That'd be a failry good example of an ass-out hug.
- SWEET!!! I mean, uh...that's terrible...
- I feel like Hitler in some ways....
- Always have a plan, and a back-up plan. Then havea back-up plan for the back-up plan.
- Hard-ass.
- Well, it'd woooooork, but....
- Is that who she thinks it is, or is that who she wants it to be.
- it's really not that exciting, but all the hype she puts into it is almost worth it.
- Ha! Jealousy streams forth from you like candy from Willy Wonka's factory.
- angry sidelong glances
- yeah, that was "for effect." Ha! Right.
"I need the morning after pill... "
This morning my volunteer activities were anything but ordinary. Normally they have me entering or checking data from a pharmaceutical survey regarding access to emergency contraceptive. Today I got to be more involved, however.
Here's how they explained what I'd be doing:
"You're going to call these student health centers, pretending to be a student from the college, and say that you need the morning after pill and ask these questions"
Basically I was calling them, pretending as if I had sex last night and the condom broke and I needed the morning after pill. The tough part is... that I'm not a student at those colleges, and I hate talking on the phone.
About 5 of the 15 health centers I called were religiously affiliated, most of them Catholic. So I knew that it wasn't going to be a good experience... because I know the Catholic stance on contraception.
I was really nervous about it, my heart was pounding really fast. Most of the people were pretty nice about it even if it's not something they help with at their facility. They gave me referrals to other places.
A woman at one of the Catholic colleges was a little hostile... she didn't even let me finish my question, she interrupted me saying that no they didn't do that because it completely goes against the philosophy of the college. She was still kind enough to tell me somewhere else that might be able to help.
A woman at a different Catholic college said that they didn't do that, also due to the religious affiliation of the college, but she was much nicer about it all. She talked in depth about two separate referrals, and about how good the people at those places were, and offered to discuss my options with me. It was nice.
Probably the scariest phone call was when the woman on the phone asked me for my last name as soon as I had finished my question. Obviously I couldn't tell her my last name since I'm not a student there, so I just told her that I wasn't ready to make an appointment yet because I would have to check with my professors to make sure I could get in that afternoon. She let me get through the rest of my questions but I felt so bad.
The thing is... emergency contraception is such a time sensitive thing. The sooner you take it the better it works. I'm sure it sounded silly to her that I wouldn't want to come in ASAP when considering the possible consequences of waiting too long.
I was surprised at how informed the people I talked to where though. It makes me happy to know that they're at least somewhat informed about it and that many of them are making it available to students.
One thing that surprised me was that none of them asked if there had been any kind of sexual assault. I know that there are some people who only advocate the use of emergency contraceptive in the case of rape or sexual assault, so I thought maybe one of the religious colleges might prescribe it under certain circumstances or something.
It's a serious issue. I felt like I was helping, but it was scary.
It makes me wonder what I would do if I really was in that situation... where the condom broke, or if the unspeakable were to happen and I was assaulted. People on some of those campuses might not have anywhere they feel like they could turn to.
Just an interesting thought I guess... and I was completely unprepared for my participation. I hope that women know what options are out there for them. I really do.
This morning my volunteer activities were anything but ordinary. Normally they have me entering or checking data from a pharmaceutical survey regarding access to emergency contraceptive. Today I got to be more involved, however.
Here's how they explained what I'd be doing:
"You're going to call these student health centers, pretending to be a student from the college, and say that you need the morning after pill and ask these questions"
Basically I was calling them, pretending as if I had sex last night and the condom broke and I needed the morning after pill. The tough part is... that I'm not a student at those colleges, and I hate talking on the phone.
About 5 of the 15 health centers I called were religiously affiliated, most of them Catholic. So I knew that it wasn't going to be a good experience... because I know the Catholic stance on contraception.
I was really nervous about it, my heart was pounding really fast. Most of the people were pretty nice about it even if it's not something they help with at their facility. They gave me referrals to other places.
A woman at one of the Catholic colleges was a little hostile... she didn't even let me finish my question, she interrupted me saying that no they didn't do that because it completely goes against the philosophy of the college. She was still kind enough to tell me somewhere else that might be able to help.
A woman at a different Catholic college said that they didn't do that, also due to the religious affiliation of the college, but she was much nicer about it all. She talked in depth about two separate referrals, and about how good the people at those places were, and offered to discuss my options with me. It was nice.
Probably the scariest phone call was when the woman on the phone asked me for my last name as soon as I had finished my question. Obviously I couldn't tell her my last name since I'm not a student there, so I just told her that I wasn't ready to make an appointment yet because I would have to check with my professors to make sure I could get in that afternoon. She let me get through the rest of my questions but I felt so bad.
The thing is... emergency contraception is such a time sensitive thing. The sooner you take it the better it works. I'm sure it sounded silly to her that I wouldn't want to come in ASAP when considering the possible consequences of waiting too long.
I was surprised at how informed the people I talked to where though. It makes me happy to know that they're at least somewhat informed about it and that many of them are making it available to students.
One thing that surprised me was that none of them asked if there had been any kind of sexual assault. I know that there are some people who only advocate the use of emergency contraceptive in the case of rape or sexual assault, so I thought maybe one of the religious colleges might prescribe it under certain circumstances or something.
It's a serious issue. I felt like I was helping, but it was scary.
It makes me wonder what I would do if I really was in that situation... where the condom broke, or if the unspeakable were to happen and I was assaulted. People on some of those campuses might not have anywhere they feel like they could turn to.
Just an interesting thought I guess... and I was completely unprepared for my participation. I hope that women know what options are out there for them. I really do.
call me a safe bet, i'm betting i'm not.
le plan pour preperation for tomorrow.
[hahahahahhaha. preperation h is already a suggested tag. hahahahaha.]
uno- find pluckers.
deux- use pluckers.
three- locate clothes of awesome-ness.
d- remove la nail polish, weapon of choice-my nails. :)
IV- redo nail polish, black again, weeee!
6ix- find clippers.
sept- put clippers to use.
then tomorrow i'll take shower, get dressed, blah blah sheep.
ahh, excited already, excellent. havn't been too excited for anything in a while. but that's the way i live, i'm a donkey on the edge.
i've also eaten too many cookies.
no.
never enough cookies.
;)
exes&ohs.
[hahahahahhaha. preperation h is already a suggested tag. hahahahaha.]
uno- find pluckers.
deux- use pluckers.
three- locate clothes of awesome-ness.
d- remove la nail polish, weapon of choice-my nails. :)
IV- redo nail polish, black again, weeee!
6ix- find clippers.
sept- put clippers to use.
then tomorrow i'll take shower, get dressed, blah blah sheep.
ahh, excited already, excellent. havn't been too excited for anything in a while. but that's the way i live, i'm a donkey on the edge.
i've also eaten too many cookies.
no.
never enough cookies.
;)
exes&ohs.
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