From the category archives:

reproductive justice

Indianapolis Woman Alleges Brutal Police Beating That Caused Miscarriage

by Cara August 31, 2010

Trigger Warning for descriptions of police violence and forcible miscarriage, as well as discussions of racism and victim-blaming. LaDonna Dixon claims that last June, an Indianapolis police officer beat her severely after she argued with him — even though she was in handcuffs, and even though she says that she told him she was pregnant [...]

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Emergency Room Allegedly Denied Treatment to Woman Because She is Trans

by Cara August 3, 2010

Trigger Warning for transphobia/transmisogyny and abuse by health care workers. Some links also contain transphobic language. Fifteen years ago, a woman named Tyra Hunter was involved in a car accident and in need of emergency care. Adrian Williams, the firefighter/EMT who was the first responder on the scene began treating Hunter for her injuries — [...]

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U.S. Continues to Discriminate Against Sex Workers, Deny HIV Prevention Funding

by Cara July 27, 2010

Last Friday, Titania Kumeh wrote an excellent blog post at Mother Jones about the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, and the over 100 sex workers and advocates who protested outside. The protest was about how U.S. funding to fight HIV transmission explicitly and deliberately excludes sex workers, even though they are one of the groups [...]

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Brazilian Football Star Charged in Gruesome Murder of Eliza Samudio

by Cara July 13, 2010

STRONG TRIGGER WARNING for very graphic, very disturbing descriptions of intimate partner murder. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Making the rounds is a horrifying story about the murder of Eliza Samudio, a Brazilian woman who has been missing for a month. Charged in the case is football goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes Das Dores de Souza. Her association [...]

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On Dismissing Sexual Violence Against Some Women As “Cultural”

by Cara June 25, 2010

Strong Trigger Warning for discussions and descriptions of sexual violence, rape apologism, war, murder, and racism. This morning, an incredible op-ed by Lisa Shannon was published in the New York Times, entitled “No, Sexual Violence is Not ‘Cultural.’” Of course, those of us here know that rape culture is very, very real. But the context [...]

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UK Health Group Wants to Test All Pregnant Women for Smoking

by Cara June 24, 2010

Just last week, I was defending the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK for its recommendations regarding age-appropriate sex education. This week, I find myself needing to ask what in the hell they’re thinking. NICE has recommended that all pregnant women should be given carbon monoxide tests in order to determine whether [...]

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Group Suggests Age Appropriate Sex Education? Time to Freak Out.

by Cara June 17, 2010

Well, here we go again. Every few months or so, some public official or organization makes a common sense observation that sex education is largely useless unless we start it early, and thus expresses support for age appropriate sex education for kids as soon as they start school. Cue the outrage, as a variety of [...]

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Gynecologist Accused of Multiple Sexual Assaults Finally Faces Charges

by Cara June 2, 2010

Last month, I wrote about a really horrifying case of a Chicago gynecologist who has allegedly raped or otherwise sexually assaulted or harassed multiple patients over the course of 9 years. A part of the horror is that over those 9 years, police were aware of his alleged sexual violence, yet took no action. There [...]

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Anti-Choice Ultrasound Laws Don’t Change Abortion Rates, But Continue Getting Tougher

by Cara June 1, 2010

Last last week, the New York Times published an article about the growing wave of U.S. state anti-abortion laws that center on ultrasounds. Specifically, the state laws in question usually either require that ultrasounds be performed prior to an abortion or that the woman (or person of a different gender seeking an abortion, though they [...]

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New Report Examines Reproductive Health of Urban Native American Women

by Cara May 12, 2010

A new report has been released on the reproductive health of American Indian and Alaska Native women (referred to in the report as AI/AN women, a term I will thus also use here). The full report, Reproductive Health of Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Women, can be found here (pdf) and the executive summary [...]

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