Tag Archives: Reproductive Health

Why Postpartum Depression is a Feminist Issue

19 Dec

Five months ago today, I gave birth to a beautiful, perfectly healthy baby girl.  I had a smooth, uncomplicated delivery and was immediately enthralled with my daughter. Everything about her – from her little button nose to her ridiculously tiny finger nails – was absolute perfection. Admittedly, the first six weeks were the closest thing to torture I’ve endured: zero sleep, a stitched up vagina, sore nipples, and no mental capacity to do anything more complicated than brushing my teeth.

What was all this nonsense about childbirth “being totally worth it”?! I’m kidding. Sort of.

After those first grueling weeks, which I endured like a champ, I was hit with postpartum depression seemingly out of nowhere. Right as I was sliding into a comfort zone as a new mother and gaining confidence that one day soon I’d be able to hold an adult conversation again, the proverbial rug was yanked out from underneath me.  I spent countless hours sobbing, couldn’t eat, suffered from insomnia, and was convinced my life was over.  I felt like a terrible mother – I have this gorgeous, happy and healthy little human and I couldn’t stop crying or screaming at my husband long enough to appreciate my good fortune. I was crumbling on the inside and, like an out of body experience, was watching myself push loved ones away in the midst of uncontrollable outbursts.

It took weeks of urging from my husband, parents and friends before I relented and sought professional help. Today, I question why I waited. It boils down to one word: stigma. Women are supposed to love motherhood and embrace it with an almost unspeakable enthusiasm. So what was wrong with me?

I’ve spent way too much time pulling at that thread, and while doing so, realized that the stigma associated with postpartum depression is not unlike that of other “women’s” issues: rape, abortion, domestic violence.  Each of these involves complex emotions and they are, statistically speaking, widely shared experiences. However, they are also largely shrouded in silence, with expectations of guilt and shame. The feminist community has rallied around rape and domestic violence victims and has worked tirelessly to eliminate stigma surrounding abortion. And while postpartum depression is a complicated multi-layered issue, its feminist component is coming into sharper focus by the day.

By definition, postpartum depression is entwined with motherhood, which itself is extremely politicized and scrutinized: from how and where a woman gives birth, to whether and how long she breastfeeds, to her decision to stay at home or work, etc. It’s an issue that the feminist community has become increasingly vocal about. So why the silence around postpartum depression?

Postpartum depression is deserving of attention and action from multiple communities, including the feminist community. We need to raise our voices to increase public awareness of the issue, so that women do not feel stigmatized, and demand availability and access to support services. While it is experienced exclusively by women, postpartum depression has a ripple effect; and unless it’s addressed on a large scale, women and their families will continue to suffer in silence.

I firmly believe that speaking out about an issue is the first step in erasing its stigma. So this is me, speaking out and sharing my story, albeit a very abbreviated version.

Have you had experience with postpartum depression?

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Quick Hit: Population Council’s Awesomeness

20 Jun pop council

The Population Council is an organization I’ve long admired. It conducts research throughout the developing world in 50+ countries to improve policies, programs, and products in three key areas: HIV and AIDS; poverty, gender, and youth; and reproductive health. Its research unlocks solutions to challenging situations — like unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence, female genital cutting, child marriage and more — and helps give vulnerable populations a voice in the global arena.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who really digs the Population Council; Sigourney Weaver recently filmed a short video about the organization. Take a few minutes to check it out:

Now, put on your awesome hat and make a donation! Some amazing donor has promised to match all contributions made by June 30, up to $35,000 — that’s pretty amazing and will go a long way towards sparking change and improving lives.

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Links We Love

9 Jun Daily_News

Fight Over Planned Parenthood Funding Could Be Key Issue in 2012 Election, Women’s Health Policy Report

Santorum Calls Abortion Exceptions To Protect Health of Mother “Phony,” Think Progress

Portland Passes Trans Inclusive Health Care, Feministing

Bill Introduced Lifting Block on Servicewomen’s Abortion Rights, Ms. Magazine

How We Could Be Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies, And Aren’t, Jezebel

Phoenix Clinic Cares for Women With Cut Genitals, Women’s eNews

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RIP Dr. Tiller

31 May drtiller

Today marks the 2-year anniversary of Dr. George Tiller’s murder at the hands of an anti-abortion extremist. Dr. Tiller was a brave man who provided abortion care for women who desperately needed it, but couldn’t find it elsewhere. While the loss of Dr. Tiller remains devastating, it is heartwarming to see so many feminists paying tribute to his life and work today.

Unfortunately, today also serves as a stark reminder of the violence perpetrated by terrorists in the name of “pro-life” (the irony is never lost on me). According to NARAL,

Since 1993, eight clinic workers – including four doctors, two clinic employees, a clinic escort, and a security guard – have been murdered in the United States. Seventeen attempted murders have also occurred since 1991. In fact, opponents of choice have directed more than 6,100 reported acts of violence against abortion providers since 1977, including bombings, arsons, death threats, kidnappings, and assaults, as well as more than 156,000 reported acts of disruption, including bomb threats and harassing calls.

And this nonsense didn’t stop when Tiller died. Case in point: just last week, a man was arrested for plotting to kill clinic personnel at a Madison, Wisconsin Planned Parenthood.

Given the high level of violence and intimidation aimed at abortion providers and clinic staff, it is not surprising that the number of doctors who are trained, qualified and willing to provide abortion services is declining. Extremist anti-choice forces have succeeded in creating an atmosphere of fear that deters doctors from entering the field and others from providing services, thus further restricting women’s access to abortion. When coupled with other anti-choice efforts — including (but certainly not limited to) parental interference laws, mandatory waiting periods and counseling, the uneven geographic distribution of abortion-related services, and allowance of physician refusal — this paints a bleak picture for women seeking abortion care.

So here’s a virtual high-five and cheers to those doctors and clinic workers brave enough to stare down threats the size of Oklahoma City to help women and provide them with the medical care that is their right. I thank you.

Be sure to check out posts on Dr. Tiller’s work and life at Feministing, Feminists For Choice, PRCH, and RH Reality Check.

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Lessons From a Stranger

6 Apr trustwomen

I spent my morning yesterday doing “clinic defense” in the Bronx. What does this mean? Basically ensuring that patients entering and leaving a woman’s health clinic were free from harassment. And, as with most feminist endeavors, I re-learned a very valuable lesson: you can’t presume to know every woman’s story.

It’s too bad the anti-choice harrassers haven’t yet learned this lesson. Case in point:

One man, who was accompanying a female patient, started to  engage with the protestors who were — unsurprisingly — urging the woman not to “kill her baby.” The interaction was quickly squashed and the man showed more control than I could have in his position. It was clear he was troubled, however, and he began to open up to me about why they were there.

Earlier in the week, the woman’s doctor informed her that she absolutely needed an abortion. She had nearly died giving birth to her first child, and this fetus was stuck and growing in her fallopian tube. If it was left to grow, it would likely explode, and she would face irreparable harm and possibly  death. Since she has no insurance, she couldn’t afford to have the procedure done at a hospital, which brought her to the clinic. She was devastated by the news and, already a mother, very much wanted to have this baby. But her health and life depended on not having the baby.

My point here is that every woman’s story is different. Nothing about abortion is black and white, and everyone — both pro-choicers and anti-choicers — should bear this in mind.

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Victory! NYC Passes CPC Legislation!

3 Mar New York City Council

 

New York City Council

With all the horrible, no good, very bad attempts to erode abortion rights going on, I think it’s important to highlight victories amidst the onslaught. Which brings me to today’s post.

Yesterday, New York City’s Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of regulating those pesky CPCs I’ve talked about. From now on, CPCs in NYC will be held accountable for disclosing whether or not they have a licenced medical professional on staff and if they refer women to other services (i.e., emergency contraception, abortion).

With all the lies and propaganda flying at us from every angle about abortion and women’s healthcare, this is a very welcome piece of legislation. I applaud the city council’s Chris Quinn and mayor Michael Bloomberg, who very vocally and adamantly supported this bill, and am proud that NYC remains a beacon of hope for women facing difficult decisions.

So Cheers! Way to stand up for women, NYC!

 

 

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I Stand With Planned Parenthood Because…

25 Feb I-Stand-with-Planned-Parenthood

This post is a little bit different from my others; it is part of Fair and Feminist’s Blog Carnival and is dedicated to reasons why I stand with Planned Parenthood. In the face of the GOP’s onslaught against the organization, it’s critically important that we all stand with Planned Parenthood now more than ever.

So, without further ado, I stand with Planned Parenthood because….

  • PP respects my right to choose when I’ll become a mother
  • PP trusts me to make my own decisions about my body
  • Of that life-saving pap-smear they gave me when I had no insurance and no money
  • PP stands up to threats the size of Oklahoma City just to support my right to choose
  • PP doesn’t care if you’re poor, rich, Black, White, Latina, Asian, young, old, gay, straight, able-bodied or not — they’ll provide you with quality healthcare
  • PP serves those traditionally underserved by society with primary healthcare
  • PP provides medically accurate information on all-things sexual and reproductive health — unlike bastard CPCs
  • PP provides a plethora of health services: contraception accounts for 35%; testing for sexually transmitted diseases, 34%; cancer screening and prevention, 17%; abortion only 3%.
  • Even if I was part of that 3%, PP would treat me with respect, dignity and without judgment
  • Without PP, millions of women — and men — would be without proper reproductive and sexual healthcare
  • PP helps prevent hundreds of thousands of unwanted pregnancies every year, helping women live their lives as they otherwise might not be able to

I’m sure there are a million other reasons to stand with Planned Parenthood — so please feel free to add in your reasons in the comment section below!

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Plan B and the FDA

14 Feb planb

Today I stumbled upon a Feminists for Choice article regarding the FDA‘s dilly-dallying around with Plan B, otherwise known as emergency contraception (EC), and had to bring it to your attention.

EC has been available — behind pharmacy counters with proof of ID — to those 18+ since 2006, and to those 17+ since 2009. Nonetheless, it remains inaccessible for many. For example, women must approach the pharmacist and request EC; should the pharmacist’s religious beliefs conflict with providing Plan B, s/he may refuse to hand it over, under the protection of conscience clauses.

Price is another hurdle. In 2007, I led NOW-NYC’s Reproductive Rights Action Committee in a city-wide survey of pharmacies, which found prices as high as $50 for one dose of EC. While $50 may be a drop in the bucket for some, it means choosing between a week’s worth of meals and avoiding pregnancy for others.

More recently, Teva, the maker of Plan B One-Step, has pushed to make EC available over the counter for women of all ages. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, it highlights just how much the FDA has dicked around with Plan B.

In a nutshell:

  • It took the FDA from 2001 to 2006 to finally allow the sale of Plan B. We have Bush and his anti-choice cronies to thank for that. Which brings me to point 2:
  • The FDA allowed politics to trump science for too long. According to the article, “it turns out that the Bush White House had been consulted during the decision-making process – one high-level FDA official even told colleagues that he was afraid he’d lose his job if he approved Plan B for over-the-counter status”
  • The FDA has failed to take action on a court mandate ordering Plan B to have true over-the-counter status.

I encourage you to read the full article, which is written by a legal fellow with the Center for Reproductive Rights. The bottom line is that ONCE AGAIN women’s reproductive health is being played with and this needs to end. Politics should never trump science.

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US District Court Judge: CPCs Can Continue to Deceive

2 Feb CPCs

CPCs (or so-called Crisis Pregnancy Centers) are a major threat to women’s health. And yet, they appear to have an ally in United States District Court Judge Marvin Garbis, who yesterday ruled

that a Baltimore ordinance requiring that “limited-service pregnancy centers” display signs in both English and Spanish indicating that they do not provide or make referrals for abortions or comprehensive birth control services was unconstitutional.

So what exactly are CPCs and why are they dangerous?

Operating under false pretenses, CPCs appear to be comprehensive health clinics that cater to pregnant women. In reality, they are anti-choice centers that will do just about anything to keep women from obtaining legal abortions, even if that means lying about dangers associated with the procedure. 

For example, some of the false claims CPCs use include:

  • Abortion causes breast cancer
  • Abortion is psychologically damaging
  • Abortion can lead to sterility
  • Birth-control pills cause abortion

This is coercion.

To make matters worse, CPCs are often unlicensed and unregulated. As NARAL points out, this means that “they don’t have to follow privacy-protection laws like your doctor or real clinics do.”

There are 4,000+ CPCs in the United States that regularly deceive women. And some even get tax dollars to do this.

The US District Court’s decision sets a dangerous precedent. By not making CPCs be upfront about the limited “services” they provide, the Court effectively sends a signal that women do not deserve comprehensive reproductive health care. Rather, it seems, they are deserving of coercion and deception.

Thankfully, the Center for Reproductive Rights plans to immediately appeal this decision:

Stephanie Toti, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, stated, “We plan to immediately appeal today’s court’s decision and we are confident we will prevail. Baltimore’s ordinance is a common sense measure designed to protect consumers from a long-standing and documented pattern of deceptive practices by crisis pregnancy centers.” (via Feminist Wire Daily News)

I sincerely hope the Court rules in favor of a woman’s right to comprehensive health care. To do otherwise is just wrong.

Interested in learning more about CPCs? Check out NARAL’s fact sheet here.

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Late-term Abortion: Setting the Record Straight

23 Jan think

Late-term abortion is back in the news, thanks to Dr. Kermit Gosnell. The problem is, these news stories are accusing Gosnell of performing late-term “abortions.” As I explain in my previous post, this is a dangerous misrepresentation of the word.

It occurred to me that while I recognize this conflation, others may not. Whether because of anti-choice propaganda or just plain ol’ ignorance, late-term abortion is precariously misunderstood. So I’d like to set the record straight.

While first trimester abortions are typically “elective procedures,” late-term abortions — generally defined as those occurring after 24 weeks — are not. Nor are they common: only one percent of abortions in the U.S. occur after 21 weeks.

Women seeking these procedures did not suddenly decide that pregnancy and motherhood are, in fact, not for them. They are women who are forced to make excruciatingly difficult decisions, faced with “fetal deformities so severe their child either would not survive pregnancy, would be born only to die, or in which carrying the pregnancy to term would threaten” their very survival (via RH Reality Check).

For instance: a recent New York Times article about abortion in New York City quotes a doctor who gives the example of a “41-year-old who’s been trying for seven years to get pregnant, then at 21 weeks finds out she has breast cancer and has to terminate the pregnancy.” RH Reality Check has also compiled a number of stories from women who were forced to make this painful decision and are brave enough to share their experiences.

So there you have it.

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