Tag Archives: health

Today’s Lady News: Rick Santorum Says Birth Control “Just Costs A Few Dollars,” Is Not Something “You Need Insurance For”

Birth Control Victory
birth control pills photo
Birth control will be covered by most employers under health care reform. Read More »
BC Should Be Covered
Birth control should be covered by health care plans, says report. Read More »
Mitt On Morning After
Mitt Romney photo
Mitt Romney called the morning after pill "abortive pills." Read More »
Rick Santorum birth control
  • Oh, Rick Santorum, just shut up already! He told conservatives at the CPAC  conference today that insurers shouldn’t cover the cost of birth control because it “costs just a few dollars. Is that what insurance is for?” He continued, adding “Things that are not really things you need insurance for, and still forcing on something that is not a critical economic need, when you have an economic distress, where you would need insurance. But forcing them even more to do it for minor expenses.” Regardless of what your opinions on health care reform are, Rick Santorum is just WRONG. It’s not “just a few dollars.” It’s not a “minor expense.”  My birth control pills had a co-pay of $60 — that’s with insurance — so I stopped taking them because they were out of my budget. [Think Progress]
  • Yes, let’s all fight about Liz Lemon on “30 Rock” some more. [NPR]
  • No female TSA agents on duty meant a Denver woman was not allowed to board a flight. She was not even allowed to sign a waiver and approve a male TSA agent pat her down.  How ridiculous! [KDVR
  • Blogger Alyssa Rosenberg on the New York Giants’ Brandon Jacobs, who suggested Gisele Bundchen “look cute and shut up,” and how sexism silences wives of famous men. [Think Progress] Keep reading »

Math Teacher In Trouble For Giving Her Student Morning-After Pill

Mitt On Morning After
Mitt Romney photo
Mitt Romney called the morning after pill "abortive pills." Read More »
Today's Lady News
The iPhone's Siri won't help you find the morning-after pill. Read More »
I Took Plan B
Our writer took the morning-after-pill to thwart unwanted pregnancy. Read More »

This is a sad story that underscores how the age requirement on the morning-after pill doesn’t work:  a math teacher in Austin, Texas, resigned after she was caught having helped a student acquire the morning-after pill. Two weeks ago, a 16-year-old came to her teacher, Tracy Lee Steinberg, 32, in tears and told her she was afraid that she was pregnant. Steinberg told the student she had a bright future and that she would help the 16-year-old get the morning-after pill, which is only available over-the-counter without a prescription for women ages 17 and up. Steinberg got money for the Plan B from the student and the student’s boyfriend, purchased it at a Planned Parenthood, and the student took it.

But when the student started experiencing normal side effects of Plan B like nausea, the student — surely in fear — told her mother she’d taken the morning-after pill and that Steinberg had gotten it for her. The mother called the school district and the administrators notified Steinberg she’d be put on leave. Instead, Steinberg offered to resign. Keep reading »

Health Secrets I Learned From A Sex Toy Party

When my friend asked me if I wanted to accompany her to a “Passion Party,” I said “Absolutely!” Whether or not I was in the market for adult toys was beside the point—I’m always in the market for a good laugh.

But surprisingly, what we got was more than a case of the giggles, a taste of chocolate-raspberry flavored lip gloss, and a penis-shaped pen (which I should probably take out of my purse before it falls out and announces itself to my co-workers). We got a lesson in confidence, self-care, and even chemistry, too. Read more

Today’s Lady News: Billionaire Bloomberg Will Donate Up To $250K To Planned Parenthood

How To Support PP
You can support Planned Parenthood even if Susan G. Komen won't. Read More »
I Stand With PP!
The importance of Planned Parenthood in women's lives. Read More »
Komen Website Hacked
Komen hack photo
Hackers pranked the charity's website on Wednesday. Read More »
US Gov't Vs. Planned Parenthood
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Seven things to know about the government shutdown of Planned Parenthood. Read More »
  • Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire behind Bloomberg financial services and the mayor of New York City, announced today he would donate up to $250,000 in matching gifts to Planned Parenthood to make up most of what was halted from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure grants, which stopped earlier this week. The Komen foundation said it would not be granting money, which went to breast cancer screenings, because the clinics are being investigated at the behest of an anti-abortion Republican politician. Susan G. Komen for the Cure also recently hired a VP who ran for governor of Georgia on an anti-abortion platform and was endorsed by Sarah Palin. In a statement, Mayor Bloomberg said: “Politics have no place in health care. Breast cancer screening saves lives and hundreds of thousands of women rely on Planned Parenthood for access to care. We should be helping women access that care, not placing barriers in their way.” You can donate to Planned Parenthood here. Let’s secure that $250K! [New York Times]
  • By the way, here’s what Planned Parenthood actually does all day, in one handy dandy chart. No, it’s not abortions. [Washington Post]
  • How Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s defunding of Planned Parenthood will impact poor women of color. [Colorlines]
    Keep reading »

Susan G. Komen For The Cure Web Site Was Hacked Last Night

Last night, the website for Susan G. Komen for the Cure was hacked! According to The Atlantic Wire, visitors were redirected to a dummy site with a mocked up page reading, “Help us run over poor women on our way to the bank.” Oh, burn. Obviously the hack is in response to Komen’s decision on Tuesday to halt grants to Planned Parenthood that gave breast exams to women that could otherwise not afford them, after caving to pressure from anti-abortion activists, including an anti-abortion ex-politician who now works for Komen. (However, I was pleased to read this morning that one of Komen’s top public health officials, Mollie Williams, resigned in protest over the decision to defund Planned Parenthood.) Nevertheless, what an awesome hack. Don’t f**k with women’s health!  [The Atlantic Wire, The Atlantic Wire]

How To Support Planned Parenthood In Light Of Susan G. Komen Halting Its Grants

WTF Happened?
Susan G. Komen for the Cure has halted grants to Planned Parenthood. Read More »
Breast Cancer On Facebook
boobs photo
Is this new breast cancer meme totally stupid? Read More »

Yesterday, cancer survivors, their loved ones, and loved ones of those who succumbed to the disease, reeled to learn that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the charity synonymous with breast cancer research, halted grants to Planned Parenthood.

The charity caved to pressure from anti-abortion activists who have the nationwide clinics under investigation at the behest of an anti-abortion politician (more about that here). Another factor is surely the hiring of Komen’s senior VP for Public Policy, Karen Handel, an ex-politician who ran unsuccessfully for governor of Georgia in 2010 on an anti-abortion platform and was endorsed by Sarah Palin (more on that here).

Despite the fact Susan G. Komen’s grants to Planned Parenthood mainly were used for breast exams for women who otherwise could not afford them, anti-abortion groups have targeted those charitable donations because some Planned Parenthood clinics also perform abortions.

But enough about ideology trumping ethics. What are we going to do about it? Keep reading »

Pfizer Recalls 1 Million Packs Of Faulty Birth Control

Birth Control Victory
birth control pills photo
Birth control will be covered by most employers under health care reform. Read More »
I Took Plan B
Our writer took the morning-after-pill to thwart unwanted pregnancy. Read More »
Whiskey For Preggos
pregnant woman drinking photo
Behold, a "halal whiskey" that pregnant women can drink. Read More »
Birth Control Facts
Did you know any of the 10 bizarro facts on this chart? Read More »

Wrap it up!  Yesterday, Pfizer announced a recall of one million packs of faulty birth control pills and warned everyone to use a backup method immediately. The recalled pill packs were a mix of packages in which some contained too many “active” pills, while others had too few. As we all learned in health class and/or Judy Blume novels, birth control pills work by tricking your body into pregnancy through regulation of your lady-hormones. If the balance in the hormones is off-set, then you are not protected from pregnancy. Affected birth control pills are sold under the name Lo/Ovral-28 and as generic Norgestrel/Ethinyl Estradiol and a full list of recalled lot numbers is available on the Pfizer web site. The pills aren’t dangerous to your health, but should be returned to your pharmacy … unless you want to get knocked up. [Raw StoryThe Atlantic WirePfizer.com]

Girl Talk: I Love My Weight Gain

Weight Talk
One writer is sick of talking to women about weight. Read More »
The Ugly Friend
How one writer stopped thinking of herself as the ugly friend in the group. Read More »
My Nose Job
One writer talks about getting a nose job. Read More »

I used to be really skinny. So skinny my ribs stuck out.

Everywhere I went, women said, “You’re so skinny! Oh my god. I’m jealous.”

I had friends that were more gorgeous than me, but it was OK, because I was really skinny.

“I wish I was as skinny as you,” they said.

I smiled. I said, “Nah, whatever.” Keep reading »

Today’s Lady News: Susan G. Komen Cancer Charity Halts Grants To Planned Parenthood

  • Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the charity synonymous with breast cancer research, has halted grants to Planned Parenthood — seemingly caving to pressure from anti-abortion activists who have the nationwide clinics under investigation. Susan G. Komen grants mainly were used for breast exams (and other breast health services) for women who otherwise could not afford them. But anti-abortion groups have targeted those charitable donations because some Planned Parenthood clinics also perform abortions. A CEO of a Planned Parenthood in Virginia, which received a 2010 grant from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, told the AP, “We’re kind of reeling … cancer doesn’t care if you’re pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative.” [Washington Post]
  • Meet Ava Duvernay, the first black woman to win the best director prize at Sundance for her film “Middle of Nowhere.” [ColorLines]
  • Ladybloggers: we have oh-so-many feelings. [n+1]
    Keep reading »

Things That Happen When You Eat Only Chicken Nuggets For 15 Years

McNugget Prostitution
Woman tried to exchange bjs for nuggets. Read More »
Addiction Bingo
Play "My Strange Addiction" Bingo! Read More »

Things that happen when you refuse to eat anything but chicken nuggets for 15 years (like seriously, nothing else): You collapse from anemia. You have swollen veins in your tongue. Shortness of breath. Doctors tell you might die if you don’t stop. You have a house full of Happy Meal toys.

After a being rushed to the hospital struggling to breathe, 17-year-old chicken nugget addict Stacey Irvine admitted, “I’m starting to realize this is really bad for me.” Well, we’re glad she finally realized it. Time to force feed the girl some kale. [The Sun UK]