Friday, January 28, 2011

Ark. Senate Passes Bill To Prohibit Abortion Coverage in Insurance Exchanges; Va. House Approves Tighter Clinic Restrictions

January 28, 2011 — The Arkansas Senate on Thursday voted 27-8 to approve (SB 113) that would prevent health insurers participating in the new health insurance exchanges from offering abortion coverage, the AP/Texarkana Gazette reports. If women purchasing health coverage through the exchanges wish to have coverage for abortion, they would need to purchase separate policies or riders with private funds.

Bill sponsor Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R) said, "This is about tax dollars and Arkansans have said overwhelmingly we don’t want to spend tax dollars on abortions." However, Sen. Joyce Elliott (D) said, "Nobody plans to have an abortion. Nobody plans to be a victim of rape or incest." Opponents of the bill noted that it does not permit exceptions for coverage of abortions for survivors of rape or incest (AP/Texarkana Gazette, 1/28). Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, said lawmakers should not single out abortion from the rest of health care coverage. She said, "Telling a woman to buy a separate abortion rider that doesn't even currently exist is not an answer" (Nuss, AP/Ventura County Star, 1/27).

The Arkansas House will now consider the bill. A spokesperson for Gov. Mike Beebe (D) said the governor is studying the measure but has not yet taken a position on it (AP/Texarkana Gazette, 1/28).

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Why do men think that their opinions matter when it comes to a womans choice

I don't know how many times I have to stress the slogan My body My choice to men. Why do they always think they have the power to tell you what decisions you should make when it comes to your reproductive choice. y'all really need to stop Hyde, Stupak, all of y'all.My choice should only be left in my hands because if anything happens the responsibility will be in my hands.

Friday, January 21, 2011

ROE V. WADE IS 38!

So today we celebrated the infamous Roe v. Wade! Although this is a time to celebrate this victory it is also wake up call. Roe v. Wade could be overturned and the scariest part about that is no matter if what happens women are going to have abortions.

As I stood in the freezing Chicago could today, I thought about what would my life have been like if there was no Roe V. Wade, and the only conclusion is that I would've done ANYTHING and I mean anything I had to. I had 3 abortions and each time having a child was just not what I wanted to do at that time in my life. I know the desperation and isolation women feel when they choose to have an abortion. I was in that situation myself and I know some will do anything to get themselves out of that situation even if means sacrificing their own life. I am so proud to say that stood in the freezing cold today in effort to save as many women as I can from feeling like that.

Denying women access to abortion services is unhealthy and unsafe. Without the unwavering persistence of us ALL Roe v. Wade would have already fallen. - Dr. Carhartt

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

RE: DA: Pa. abortion doc killed 7 babies with scissors

This story brought tears to my eyes when I read it. I was filled with so much anger and hurt that it brought tears to my eyes. It really pissed me off to know that it was someone, a man of all people, that was purposely targeting minority women to perform these illegal procedures on. I personally have had an abortion, and when you're trying to make that decision your mind is all over the place. You're thinking; should I continue this pregnancy? Can I afford another mouth to feed? Am I mentally and emotionally ready to be a mother? How will I get the money? I mean the list goes on! But I say that to say; this doctor prayed on women who were desperate and just blatantly took advantage of them for the sake of money! But what really struck a nerve was the fact that he would preform these procedures on white women in a room separate from the women of color. How ridiculous is that?? And his argument was because they were more likely to file a law suit!! This story exemplifies more than ever why we should research our doctors prior to getting procedures done. Like in this story, Dr. Kermit Gosnell was certified in family practice not obstetrics-gynecology. It's little things like this that we need to pay attention too ladies! Just because he had MD after his/her name or a Dr. in front doesn't mean that they are automatically certified to perform the service you need. Ask questions it's o.k. because those questions could possibly save your life.

DA: Pa. abortion doc killed 7 babies with scissors

PHILADELPHIA – A doctor who provided abortions for minorities, immigrants and poor women in a "house of horrors" clinic has been charged with eight counts of murder in the deaths of a patient and seven babies who were born alive and then killed with scissors, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 69, made millions of dollars over 30 years, performing as many illegal, late-term abortions as he could, prosecutors said. State regulators ignored complaints about him and failed to inspect his clinic since 1993, but no charges were warranted against them given time limits and existing law, District Attorney Seth Williams said. Nine of Gosnell's employees also were charged.

Gosnell "induced labor, forced the live birth of viable babies in the sixth, seventh, eighth month of pregnancy and then killed those babies by cutting into the back of the neck with scissors and severing their spinal cord," Williams said.

Patients were subjected to squalid and barbaric conditions at Gosnell's Women's Medical Society, where Gosnell performed dozens of abortions a day, prosecutors said. He mostly worked overnight hours after his untrained staff administered drugs to induce labor during the day, they said.

Early last year, authorities went to investigate drug-related complaints at the clinic and stumbled on what Williams called a "house of horrors."

Bags and bottles holding aborted fetuses "were scattered throughout the building," Williams said. "There were jars, lining shelves, with severed feet that he kept for no medical purpose."

The clinic was shut down and Gosnell's medical license was suspended after the raid.

Gosnell and four workers were charged with murder, while five others were charged with controlled drug violations and other crimes. None of the employees had any medical training, and one, a high school student, performed intravenous anesthesia with potentially lethal narcotics, Williams said.

All 10 defendants were taken into custody, authorities said.

Two listed numbers for Gosnell in Philadelphia have been disconnected. Defense lawyer William J. Brennan, who represented Gosnell during the investigation, noted that the doctor served patients in a low-income city neighborhood for decades.

"Obviously, these allegations are very, very serious," Brennan said.

The grand jury said the woman who died was a patient who came to Gosnell's clinic for an abortion and died of cardiac arrest because she was given too much Demerol. Gosnell wasn't at the clinic at the time, but directed his staff to administer the drug to keep the woman, a healthy 41-year-old woman, sedated until he arrived, prosecutors said.

Gosnell has been named in at least 46 malpractice suits, including one over the death of a 22-year-old mother who died of sepsis and a perforated uterus in 2000. Many others also involve perforated uteruses. Gosnell sometimes sewed up the injury without telling women their uteruses had been perforated, prosecutors said.

Gosnell charged $325 for first-trimester abortions and $1,600 to $3,000 for abortions up to 30 weeks. Abortions are legal up to 24 weeks gestation in Pennsylvania, although most doctors won't perform them after 20 weeks, prosecutors said.

Some women came from across the mid-Atlantic for the illegal late-term abortions, authorities said. White women from the suburbs were ushered into a separate, slightly cleaner area because Gosnell believed they were more likely to file complaints, Williams said.

"People knew near and far that if you needed a late-term abortion you could go see Dr. Gosnell," Williams said.

Few if any of the sedated women knew their babies were born alive and then killed, prosecutors said. Many were first-time mothers who were told they were 24 weeks pregnant, even if they were further along, authorities said.

Gosnell got his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and is board certified in family practice. He started, but did not finish, a residency in obstetrics-gynecology, authorities said.

"He does not know how to do an abortion. He's not board certified," Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said. "Once he got them there, he saw dollar signs and did abortions that other people wouldn't do."

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tyra Show

So yesterday I was watching the Tyra show and the topic was teens who purposely get pregnant and the epidemic of teenage pregnancy. So I was watching this and thinking to myself what child would want to purposely have another child. So I just had to watch this. It was quite interesting because one of the girls said she purposely got pregnant but as her stomach started to grow and get bigger reality hit her that she just might not be ready for a child. Then another girl confessed that she was telling her boyfriend that she was taking birth control when she wasn't in order to get pregnant and she works a "good" job making 250 every two weeks so she can support a child and she knew that her mom would not want her to get pregnant but if she did her mom would support her. So all of these young girls sitting on stage telling the reasons why they wanted to get pregnant was all the same lack of love and not being loved the way they feel they should be.So many times our young people look for love in all the wrong places especially are young women. They look in men,drugs, alcohol and make detrimental decisions to their well being. Why is there such a lack of love in our homes and communities. I thought it takes a village to raise a child. what happen to the village because our children sure do need it and the parents.We need healthy homes and communities.Maybe then we won't have our babies having babies because they are looking for love in a place where they can't even fathom the responsibility that comes along with it.Oh and one more thing I was very impressed by something realistic and so true Tyra said to the young girls boyfriend whose girlfriend had been lying to him about taking birth control. She told him that as a man every time you have sex with a woman and you don't use a condom you put your life and all its possibilities in the woman's hand because if she gets pregnant she gets to decide whether she is gonna have your baby or not regaurdless of how you feel about it. So guys strap up!!!