Tag Archives: contraception

Who’s Been Called In As “Experts” To Talk Birth Control On Cable News?

Jessica WakemanFebruary 11, 2012 //
Birth Control Victory
birth control pills photo
Birth control will be covered by most employers under health care reform. Read More »
Mitt On Morning After
Mitt Romney photo
Mitt Romney called the morning after pill "abortive pills." Read More »
Birth Control Facts
Did you know any of the 10 bizarro facts on this chart? Read More »
I Took Plan B
Our writer took the morning-after-pill to thwart unwanted pregnancy. Read More »

Who’s been called in as “experts” on cable news to discuss the current debate over birth control? More men than women, that’s who. Across all the networks, 91 men appeared to talk about the birth control debate, while only 55 women appeared on-air. The greatest disparity was at the Fox stations, but the “liberal”-leaning network of MSNBC didn’t do much better. When the debate primarily affects women’s lives — in this case, their very bodies — more female voices need to be heard. Shame on these networks for allowing guys, whatever their opinion, a greater voice in the debate.  [Think Progress]

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

Jessica WakemanFebruary 10, 2012 //
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

Jessica WakemanFebruary 10, 2012 //
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 »
Plan B photo

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 »

Where Can I Get A Birth Control Ninja?

Jessica WakemanSeptember 7, 2011 //

If you’re big whores like we are, you’re intimately familiar with the panoply of birth control options out there. The Pill. The patch. The Depo Provera shot. And of course, good old condoms. So we are delighted to hear there is a new option for those of us who are not responsible enough to feed and care for a goldfish, much less a baby: the birth control ninja. This tiny ninja hangs out inside your ladyparts and kicks the ass of any sperm that tries to sully one of your precious eggs. Quick, get yours now before the religious right gets them banned! [YouTube] Keep reading »

Poll: Does Your Religious Upbringing Influence Your Sex Life?

Jessica WakemanApril 14, 2011 //

Does Your Religious Upbringing Influence Your Sex Life?

  • View Results

Pope Says Condom Use “Justified” For Male Prostitutes, I’m Not Impressed

Amelia McDonell-ParryNovember 22, 2010 //

Hey, great news, male prostitutes with HIV/AIDS! The Pope has given you his blessing to use condoms! In the upcoming book Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times, Pope Benedict XVI concedes that in very rare cases, condom use could be considered justified to help stop the spread of AIDS. The example he specifically uses is for that of male prostitutes, for whom condom use “can be a first in the direction of moralization a first assumption of responsibility.” When the media was quick to jump all over this statement as a reversal of the Catholics Church’s long-standing policy banning contraceptives, the Church was quick to clarify that the Pope’s statement was no such thing. Because, I mean, let’s face it, the Catholic Church certainly doesn’t believe male prostitutes (with AIDS!) are getting into heaven anyway. Keep reading »

Study: Schools Teach Abstinence, Not Contraception

Julie GersteinSeptember 17, 2010 //

Teens learn about the birds and the bees in high school sex ed — but they’re not, apparently, learning about birth control. A report from the Centers for Disease Control found that 97 percent of teens received sex education by the time they turned 18, but an alarming 30 percent of teens said that contraception education wasn’t a part of their sex ed curriculum. Keep reading »

What Is Ella, The Morning-After Pill That The FDA Just Approved?

Jessica WakemanAugust 16, 2010 //

Woot, woot! On Friday afternoon, the FDA approved ella, a new emergency contraceptive that can be taken five days after unprotected sex, for prescription-only sales. If the condom breaks, you are a victim of sexual assault, or any number of numerous situations where you’re doing the “No babies! No babies!” dance, you now have more morning-after pill options than ever before.

What do you need to know about ella — and Plan B, the existing emergency contraception? All the deets are after the jump. Keep reading »

Birth Control Not Free As “Preventative Service” Under New Health Care Law

Jessica WakemanJuly 15, 2010 //

Yesterday the White House announced which preventative services will be free under President Obama’s health care reform and birth control did not make the cut. Uh, isn’t getting birth control the very definition of a preventative service? Like, preventing a baby? Apparently not. Keep reading »

Provincetown, Mass., Offers Condoms To All Students — Yes, Even Elementary Schoolers

Jessica WakemanJune 24, 2010 //


Starting in September, the small, seaside town of Provincetown, Massachusetts, will give a condom to any student in grades 1 through 12 who asks for one — but only if they listen to a “birds and the bees” talk first. Keep reading »

  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. ...
  6. >