Category Archives: health

Catch up on the latest health legislation, honest discussions about our bodies, and “I Have” essays from women’s personal experiences. Whether mental or physical The Frisky discusses each disease, concern, or condition to encourage open conversation.

Kermit Gosnell, Late Term Abortion Provider, Found Guilty Of Three Counts Of Murder

Jessica WakemanMay 14, 2013 //

Q&A with Sarah Erdreich, author of the book "Generation Roe." Read More »

My Abortion

This author says her abortion was the best decision of her life. Read More »

Our Favorite Republican

... says male legislators "shouldn't even vote" on abortion bills. Read More »

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, a Philadelphia doctor whose clinic gained attention for his criminal performance of late-term abortions, was found guilty yesterday of three counts of first-degree murder. He had been accused of killing four babies and one woman, but was found guilty of only three of the babies’ deaths.

Gosnell, 72, operated an illegally-run clinic in Philly that provided late-term abortions to low-income women. He was accused of killing live babies after delivery with scissors, as opposed to terminating the pregnancies during standard late-term abortion procedure. Gosnell’s case became a lightening rod for anti-abortion activists who attempted to paint Gosnell as the standard in abortion care. Similarly, abortion rights supporters underscored the reason abortion needs to be safe and legal is to keep patients safe from doctors like him. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: My OBGYN Visit In Iran

Bahar AnooshahrMay 13, 2013 //

My STD

One woman talks about getting an STD. Read More »

Pap Smear Guidelines

Kindly inform your ladybusiness that Pap smear guidelines have changed. Read More »

My Boring Vagina

This woman has a boring vagina. Read More »

As I am getting ready to leave for the doctor’s office, Auntie Shadi gives me a warning: “Now don’t expect to be seen exactly on time. This is not America.”

“Oh. Ok,” I say, instead of admitting that we don’t necessarily get seen exactly on time for our doctor’s appointment either. During this one-month stay in Iran I have learned to choose my battles with misconceptions. I only correct the important ones, like the one where they assume that anyone who lives in America has lots of money without working.

Since I had left a lucrative career as an oral surgeon to become a writer, money was tight and most of my activities were on hold. When dad invited me to Iran on an all-expense-paid trip, I gladly accepted. As most everything is cheaper in Iran, I decided to get some of my annual medical exams out of the way, too. My father takes a particular pleasure in going to the doctor. It’s his fear of hospitals that makes him so diligent in preventative care to the point that when he runs out of things to do, he just pops in for some blood work. So, hearing about my interest in seeing a doctor (any doctor, really) was good news. He secretly wanted to show off the excellence in Iran’s medical care.

A routine check up at the OB/GYN could not be that complicated, I reasoned. Besides, nowhere in the United States does a specialist visit cost $16. Keep reading »

North Carolina Pols Actually Thought Requiring Parental Consent For STD Testing Was A Good Idea

Jessica WakemanMay 9, 2013 //

Vaginal Probe Ad

NC candidate co-stars with vaginal probe in new campaign ad. Read More »

NC Vaginal Probe

North Carolina's ultrasound-before-abortion law challenged. Read More »

Abortion Provider Death Threats

NC politician calls for public hanging of abortion providers. Read More »

terrible idea!

Thank God somebody in North Carolina’s state legislature has some sense: the Health and Human Services Committee has pulled a bill that would require teens get parental consent for STD testing and treatment, as well as other healthcare. The Republican-controlled committee had advanced the bill on Tuesday, to an explosion of WTF ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? on the Internet.

The bill would have required teens to get notarized parental consent for STD testing and treatment, pregnancy care, mental health counseling, or substance abuse treatment. Anyone with half a brain would know that teenagers don’t want to talk with dear old Mommy and Daddy about weird stuff going on in their genitals, their cutting problem, or their dependency on popping pills. But North Carolina Republicans? Apparently they don’t understand basic human psychology. Keep reading »

Obama Administration Appealing FDA’s Morning-After Pill Decision

Jessica WakemanMay 2, 2013 //

Plan B Progress?

The FDA considers making the morning-after pill over-the-counter. Read More »

FDA Overuled

The government says the morning after pill cannot be over-the-counter. Read More »

I Took Plan B

Our writer took the morning-after-pill to thwart unwanted pregnancy. Read More »

what?

This is why we can’t have nice things, America.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration announced the age to purchase the morning-after pill would be lowered to 15 and it would be available on shelves instead of behind-the-counter. The decision was prompted by a federal judge having struck down the “age-17 and over without a prescription” limit back in April. But no more: yesterday, the Justice Department announced its plans to appeal the federal court decision, claiming, The Washington Post reports, the federal judge “overstepped his authority.” Keep reading »

FDA Makes Morning-After Pill Available Ages 15 And Up

Sarah GrayMay 1, 2013 //

I Took Plan B

Our writer took the morning-after-pill to thwart unwanted pregnancy. Read More »

Birth Control Facts

Did you know any of the 10 bizarro facts on this chart? Read More »

Plan B Progress?

The FDA considers making the morning-after pill over-the-counter. Read More »

Over The Counter!

Ladies, rejoice! For once, politicians are actually expanding access to contraceptives — sort of! Following a recent court decision – Tummino v. Hamberg – mandating that the Food and Drug Administration expand access to the morning-after pill, the government agency did just that. Yesterday, the FDA announced two major changes to purchasing the emergency contraceptive:

It has lowered the purchasing age to 15.
It will be available on shelves instead of behind-the-counter. Keep reading »

Your Slutty Behavior Is Killing Flowers (Or Something?)

Jessica WakemanApril 30, 2013 //

quick pic

You probably didn’t know that by taking the birth control pill, you are directly contributing to lethal experimentation, euthanasia, poverty, and crime. Well, this flower/weed graphic discovered by feminist blogger Jessica Valenti on One More Soul, a Christian website promoting chastity until opposite-sex marriage, will set you straight. Only through chastity will you have a strong family life. Anything else that sounds remotely fun is SEXUAL CHAOS!

Well. I happen to like dandelions. So … [Feministing]

El Salvador Delays On Lifesaving Abortion For 22-Year-Old Mom

Jessica WakemanApril 26, 2013 //

Save Beatriz

El Salvador will not allow lifesaving abortion for young mother. Read More »

Savita's Death

The 31-year-old died because the hospital refused to give her an abortion. Read More »

Abortion Rights

All of The Frisky's posts about reproductive rights. Read More »

Amnesty International has warned that a 22-year-old woman is going to die if the government of El Salvador does not give her a lifesaving abortion. Abortion is illegal in the country under all circumstances, even to save the life of the mother. Keep reading »

MSNBC Host Mika Brzezinski Opens Up About Exercise Bulimia

Jessica WakemanApril 26, 2013 //

My Eating Disorder

Katie struggled for an eating disorder in high school and college. Read More »

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

One woman's experience battling this disorder. Read More »

Feminist Blogger's ED

Feministing blogger Chloe Angyal reveals eating disorder, apologizes. Read More »

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski has opened up about an eating disorder she has struggled with throughout her life: exercise bulimia — a compulsion to binge eat food and then overexercise to burn off the calories.

People with exercise bulimia will exercise several times a day, multiple days a week even when they’re sick or injured. They’ll blow off other responsibilities to exercise and get panicky or depressed when they can’t work out. Not surprisingly, they’re very focused on their appearance and self-critical, particularly in regards to how much food they have eaten and think they need to burn off. (Unlike with regular bulimia, they don’t make themselves vomit.) As explained by ULifeline.org:

People with exercise bulimia are obsessed with exercise and often binge. Bingeing is when someone eats large quantities of food in a short amount of time. … Exercise bulimia has dangerous complications, including depression, injury, weak bones, reproductive problems and even cardiac arrest. Keep reading »

Domestic Violence Victims Screwed Over By PA Town’s “Three Strikes” Disorderly Behavior Ordinance

Jessica WakemanApril 25, 2013 //

A Picture A Day

... in the year of a domestic violence victim. Read More »

Domestic Violence Advice

... from a prosecutor who has seen it all. Read More »

Hurting Victims

The NYPD has a misguided strategy to force DV victims to cooperate. Read More »

I Witnessed DV

Jessica watched a man commit domestic violence while bystanders did nothing. Read More »

Most folks would be happy if their neighbors got evicted after three different “disorderly behavior” instances in less than three months. No one wants to deal with that much partying, dog barking, or loud music, right? But a “three strikes” disorderly behavior ordinance in Norristown, Pennsylvania, is now being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of PA because instead of just evicting noisy nuisance neighbors, it is being used to evict innocent domestic violence victims for calling the police for help.

The ACLU filed this week on behalf of Lakisha Briggs, a domestic violence victim who called the police last year when her ex-boyfriend assaulted her; they arrived and arrested him. But police also told Briggs that if they kept returning to the residence over disorderly behavior calls, she would get evicted. Not surprisingly, Briggs was afraid to call the police regarding future incidents — including the time her ex-boyfriend attacked her with a brick — over fear that she and her three-year-old child would become homeless. And yet after a June 2012 attack from her ex-boyfriend that had Briggs airlifted to the hospital, police of Norristown threatened to evict them from their home because neighbors had called to complain. Keep reading »

New Sexual Assault Medical Examination Guidelines Issued By Department Of Justice

Jessica WakemanApril 25, 2013 //

New "Rape" Definition

A new definition of rape has been approved by the FBI. Read More »

"Forcible Rape"

Behind Republicans' attempts to redefine rape. Read More »

CDC Sex Assault Data

Adolescent girls and preteen boys are at the highest risk for sexual assault. Read More »

The Department of Justice issued new national medical guidelines yesterday revising the 2004 standard of care for victims of sexual assault. Instead of focusing on the criminal justice aspect of evidence collection during the medical exams, the emphasis now is to support the victim’s health needs — including offering female victims yemergency contraception or information on how to obtain EC. The guidelines also encourage victims to undergo forensic evidence collection, even if she does not plan to report the rape to police immediately, and stipulates how evidence should be collected and what equipment should be used to do so. As explained by The New York Times, “The guidelines emphasize that the rape victim’s physical and emotional needs should take precedence over criminal justice considerations.” Keep reading »