Paris Hilton Knocked Down During Fight

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Paris Hilton was leaving the new Bootsy Bellows nightclub on Sunset Blvd when a man in their group tried to pry a papparazzi's camera out of his hands.

During the struggle, Paris Hilton was knocked into a wall and then fell to the floor. She appeared to be ok and eventually left the parking structure.

Police were not called to the scene.

The photographer claims someone in Hilton's group took his camera and his jacket. He didn't say if he plans to press charges

Tamar Braxton Files “Cease And Desist” Order Against K. Michelle

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Tamar threw some subliminal shots at "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" cast member K. Michelle via twitter

During the show, in which K.Michelle claims Toya's husband Memphitz abused her and stole her money, Tamar tweeted about it.

K. Michelle later fired back in an interview saying that she “jumps gates” and that Tamar looks like a muppet.

Tamar expressed that she felt threatened by K. Michelle, and wants a public apology, and filed a “cease and desist” order against the reality star

Nebraska's Attack on Choice

To contact us Click HERE
Lately, anti-choice measures have appeared frequently in the news. First, there was Utah’s intention to create a bill that would charge women if their reckless behavior led to a miscarriage. Now, the state of Nebraska has jumped onto the anti-choice train. Governor Dave Heineman signed a law on Tuesday, April 13th that banned most abortions after 20 weeks. Heineman signed this law in the beliefs of a theory that the fetus by that point in pregnancy is able to feel pain. This law has sparked debate between pro-choice and anti-choice groups. What makes this scary is that the legislative branch passed this law with 44 votes to 5 votes. Dr. Leroy Carhart, a partner of the late Dr. Tiller, said he would continue to offer late-term abortions in his Nebraska clinic. The NY Times quoted lawmakers as being outraged that Nebraska was going to become the “late-term abortion capital of the Midwest.”

This law will take effect in October and will ban abortions anytime after a gestation period of 20 weeks. The law does allow late-term abortions in the cases of a medical emergency, usually something that would cause death to the mother.

Legal battles have already ensued over this law. These legal battles refer to the 1973 case of Roe V. Wade case which stated that no state could ban abortions prior to fetal viability. Some articles reported this as 22 weeks and some reported it as 24 weeks. Nebraska’s law would go against the stipulations provided by the landmark abortion case. In the weeks leading up to the vote, over 1,000 people over the nation signed the Trust Women PAC’s petition that called for legislators to reject the bill.

The heat of this battle is not expected to die down and the legal battles are expected to go to the Supreme Court. It is estimated that 5 of 9 of the Supreme Court justices would consider Nebraska’s claim and judge that it is a legitimate law.

This has been a huge attack on women and abortion providers. If this law is upheld in the Supreme Court, it would give other states the same opportunity to introduce the same type of bill, threatening women’s health everywhere. If the Supreme Court does legitimize this law, it would violate parts of Roe V. Wade, which would cause a huge step back in the progress of abortion rights that we have made since 1973. If this law stays in place, it will spread to other states as well and it will be a large threat to women everywhere. This law is a direct attack on the right to choose and is one that challenges Roe V. Wade. This law is also an attack on Dr. Carhart and his clinic. Carhart provides a vital service to women. This law limits his services and womens' access to abortion.

The following link is the article to the NY Times article referenced:

Nebraska Law Sets New Limits on Abortion

Tune into MTV's "16 & Pregnant" Tonight!

To contact us Click HERE
Tonight, December 28, at 11:30 PM, MTV, in collaboration with Exhale, will be airing a new episode of their popular show, 16 & Pregnant featuring three young women who chose to have abortions, titled "No Easy Decision." This is the first time MTV has covered teens who choose abortion in the three years of the 16 & Pregnant series. 

Exhale is running a campaign to support the young women who are telling their stories on MTV called 16 & Loved.  It is an incredibly brave act for these three teens to talk about their experience with abortion on the national stage and, unfortunately, there are people and groups out there that attack women who speak out about abortion.  You can leave some love for the young women on the 16 & Loved website.  They are sponsoring a live-blog tonight at the 16 & Loved website featuring feminist superstar bloggers: Lynn Harris, Shelby Knox, Jamia Wilson, & Jessica Valenti. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #16andLoved.

We haven't seen the program yet, so don't know how the young womens' stories will be portrayed, but we are glad to see MTV is covering all options available for teens facing unintended pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion.  Tune in tonight and post your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.

"Meet Planned Parenthood" Series: Rick Bartell

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For almost 19 years, Rick Bartell has been making sure thePlanned Parenthood educational programs are alive and in working order. As theDirector of Education and Outreach, Rick oversees the non-clinical programssuch as Rape Crisis Service, In Control, and Real Life. Real Talk.
In addition, Rick makes sure that there are educators out in the communities and in schools talking to kids and teens about sex education. These are services our society needs more than anything. Today, America is on par with third world countries when it comes to birth rates and sexual health education. Although this is now known as fact, members of our nation still refuse to talk about it, let alone do something to reverse it. Rick is seen through my eyes as what today’s “model citizen” should act like; doing everything in his power to get the job done and to serve the community with the best of his ability, no matter what.

Rick is first and foremost a creator. He didn’t waste any time after joining the Planned Parenthood team; within his first two years In Control was set into motion. In Control is a teen pregnancy prevention program, and also one of Rick’s most fulfilling accomplishments.

Today, In Control has grown into a thriving community of urban youths and is recognized as “Rochester’s most official teen program.” At In Control, teens have the chance to get involved in something they love, whether it’s fashion, music, or art, and will also receive accurate information about sexuality, abstinence and birth control.

The program site serves as a place where teens can talk openly and honestly about sex and relationships in a supportive atmosphere. There is a strong emphasis on education within the program, as students set goals for themselves, have access to tutoring and are even taken on local and national college tours! The individual programs at In Control are designed to increase self-esteem, confidence and leadership skills among youth, while at the same time uplifting lifting our community as a whole.

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, this place is real, and they know the secret to success; it doesn’t matter what background one comes from, but rather how motivated one is to use the tools they are given. It matters whether or not a role model is present in a teens’ life, not how much money a family has to send them to college. For kids and teens involved in the program, living in an urban community is no longer a disadvantage. They know it doesn’t matter where they are from or what material possessions they have or don’t have, because In Control will meet them where they are - whether it be in their home, on the street or inside the classroom.

This is only a sneak peek into the work that Rick Bartell does for our Community. On a daily basis, he tackles the issue of talking about sexual health from all angles. In fact, if he had one important thing to get across to our society it would be to “not be so repressed when it comes to talking about sexual health.”

When outside of the work environment, Rick enjoys gardening, writing and literature. It’s easy to see why, when he creates and helps to grow so many positive parts of Rochester’s young community

-Elise
PPRSR Intern

Brangelina's Reunion With Jon Voight

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Brangelina along with their family, were spotted walking through Venice on Sunday with Jon Voight. The bunch took a trip through the Italian city, since Jolie is about to start filming The Tourist.

Voight, who is Jolie's estranged father, has not been reunited with his daughter for a long time. Their relationship has been on the rocks since 2002. According to E Online, the 71-year-old actor said in an interview that Angelina had "serious mental problems" and was "trying to reach her to get help." His daughter was disheartened by these statements.

However, in 2007 she was looking for a reconciliation with her father. Although they did reunite late last year, this is the first time in awhile that they have been seen in public together.

Nebraska's Attack on Choice

To contact us Click HERE
Lately, anti-choice measures have appeared frequently in the news. First, there was Utah’s intention to create a bill that would charge women if their reckless behavior led to a miscarriage. Now, the state of Nebraska has jumped onto the anti-choice train. Governor Dave Heineman signed a law on Tuesday, April 13th that banned most abortions after 20 weeks. Heineman signed this law in the beliefs of a theory that the fetus by that point in pregnancy is able to feel pain. This law has sparked debate between pro-choice and anti-choice groups. What makes this scary is that the legislative branch passed this law with 44 votes to 5 votes. Dr. Leroy Carhart, a partner of the late Dr. Tiller, said he would continue to offer late-term abortions in his Nebraska clinic. The NY Times quoted lawmakers as being outraged that Nebraska was going to become the “late-term abortion capital of the Midwest.”

This law will take effect in October and will ban abortions anytime after a gestation period of 20 weeks. The law does allow late-term abortions in the cases of a medical emergency, usually something that would cause death to the mother.

Legal battles have already ensued over this law. These legal battles refer to the 1973 case of Roe V. Wade case which stated that no state could ban abortions prior to fetal viability. Some articles reported this as 22 weeks and some reported it as 24 weeks. Nebraska’s law would go against the stipulations provided by the landmark abortion case. In the weeks leading up to the vote, over 1,000 people over the nation signed the Trust Women PAC’s petition that called for legislators to reject the bill.

The heat of this battle is not expected to die down and the legal battles are expected to go to the Supreme Court. It is estimated that 5 of 9 of the Supreme Court justices would consider Nebraska’s claim and judge that it is a legitimate law.

This has been a huge attack on women and abortion providers. If this law is upheld in the Supreme Court, it would give other states the same opportunity to introduce the same type of bill, threatening women’s health everywhere. If the Supreme Court does legitimize this law, it would violate parts of Roe V. Wade, which would cause a huge step back in the progress of abortion rights that we have made since 1973. If this law stays in place, it will spread to other states as well and it will be a large threat to women everywhere. This law is a direct attack on the right to choose and is one that challenges Roe V. Wade. This law is also an attack on Dr. Carhart and his clinic. Carhart provides a vital service to women. This law limits his services and womens' access to abortion.

The following link is the article to the NY Times article referenced:

Nebraska Law Sets New Limits on Abortion

Tune into MTV's "16 & Pregnant" Tonight!

To contact us Click HERE
Tonight, December 28, at 11:30 PM, MTV, in collaboration with Exhale, will be airing a new episode of their popular show, 16 & Pregnant featuring three young women who chose to have abortions, titled "No Easy Decision." This is the first time MTV has covered teens who choose abortion in the three years of the 16 & Pregnant series. 

Exhale is running a campaign to support the young women who are telling their stories on MTV called 16 & Loved.  It is an incredibly brave act for these three teens to talk about their experience with abortion on the national stage and, unfortunately, there are people and groups out there that attack women who speak out about abortion.  You can leave some love for the young women on the 16 & Loved website.  They are sponsoring a live-blog tonight at the 16 & Loved website featuring feminist superstar bloggers: Lynn Harris, Shelby Knox, Jamia Wilson, & Jessica Valenti. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #16andLoved.

We haven't seen the program yet, so don't know how the young womens' stories will be portrayed, but we are glad to see MTV is covering all options available for teens facing unintended pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion.  Tune in tonight and post your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.

ps to today's first update

To contact us Click HERE
I will say one thing, having to wait 4-5 months has given us plenty of time to think about this and talk about it. And we have. And we still feel this is the right thing for us. We feel so blessed to have such awesome donors.

I personally feel that I am getting everything I could have dreamed of. Two years ago I mourned the loss of ever carrying a pregnancy to full term. I will now be blessed with that opportunity and I still cannot believe it. When we turned to adoption, early on we decided we wanted an open adoption because we wanted our children to know where they came from, after talking to several adult adoptees, we realized and appreciated how important it is for people to know where they came from. So we will be able to give our child(ren) the gift of knowing where they came from.

We have had 4+ months to consider our child(ren)'s family tree that will have FOUR main branches, rather than just two.

I take comfort in knowing we are right where we are supposed to be, and I hope what we have been through over the past 11 years will help us to be the best parents we can be.

I do look forward to the day we meet the donors and their children, though I know I'll be a blubbering fool. I have had contact with the donors through email and text messaging and I find myself saying "thank you" A LOT and it just never seems adequate. How do we ever say thank you and convey our deep appreciation for this incredible gift we've been given.

Ok, I've succeeded in making myself cry now, time to go :)

Why Do Women Want to "Have It All?"

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Last week, former State Department director Anne-Marie Slaughter's Atlantic piece "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" spurred a flurry of internet discussion: there was a nice response on why "having it all" is the wrong thing to be striving for (see the Salon response) amidst many other responses (see the NYT summary and Joanne Wilson's response).  This discussion brings up the valid point that the set of desires of "elite women*" may be unsatisfiable.  The main problem is that the outdated expectation for a woman to pair with a socially "stronger" man does not necessarily create professionally supportive relationships for ambitious women.

The assumption that the man needs to be professionally superior leads to situations in which the woman will spend more time thinking about the family.  A mentor once made the provocative statement that that if I did a startup, I would no longer be able to find a man who I respected.  When I asked why, he said that I am "biologically wired" to look for a "stronger man."  After a fair bit of self-reflection, reading about evolutionary biology, and talking to both men and women, I concluded that this "stronger man" business is based on societal constructs left over from a time when society did not allow women to provide for themselves.  I have encountered quite a few men whom I respect who have also said they are willing to make significant sacrifices towards having a family, including staying home if necessary.  I am not saying that ambitious women can only be with less ambitious men, but they should be aware of the topography of the choice space and the tradeoffs that different choices entail.

Professionally ambitious women must also make a choice about what they want to optimize: it is likely that women seeking both "power coupledom" and supportive relationship will be disappointed.  It seems that part of the desire to be part of a "power couple" is based on expectations from the days when a women did not work and a woman's success was based on how "well" she married.  In those days, ambitious men did not expect to find equally successful women: they looked for a supportive woman.  Women should be able (and allowed by society) to make this choice as well.  Women should realize that while it may be the ideal to find a successful man who is also has the bandwidth to be supportive (professionally, emotionally, etc.), this is unlikely as the selection pool can become quite small.  We can be quite happy, however, if we choose to optimize for one or the other with no illusions about what we are giving up.

It is important for a woman to realize that if she wants a "stronger" man, she should have expectations about the tradeoffs she is making.  This does not mean, however, that all women with careers must make these tradeoffs.  We have been given one view of what it means to "have it all" and it is our responsibility to question and redefine this for ourselves.

My friend Yao inspired this post with the following comment:"I wonder why women always think they must be the ones to give up their career for kids and not their husbands."


* I acknowledge that these discussions are highly heteronormative and have a relatively small target demographic.  Everything I say probably applies only to young, urban, highly-educated, heterosexual American women.

Cornish And Phillippe Relocate To Splitsville

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Actors Ryan Phillippe, 35, and Abbie Cornish, 27, have called it quits after four years of dating. The actress was seen on Sunday removing her belongings from the house they shared.

The ex-couple met on the set of their film, Stop-Loss. Cornish and Phillippe survived intense attacks from the media, following Phillippe's divorce from actress Reese Witherspoon.

This break-up comes after months of speculation regarding Phillippe's night life. He was spotted partying at night clubs and being linked with several women. "Abbie ended the relationship with Ryan and she moved out of their home," a rep comments.

Cast of 'Glee' to Perform at White House

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The year 2010 has only just begun, but it is shaping up to be the best year ever for Fox's hit show 'Glee.' The show has already won a SAG award and Emmy this season, so what could be an even higher honor you may ask? How about singing at the White House for the President and First family.

It turns out that along with the rest of America, Malia and Sasha Obama are huge fans of the musical comedy. Not only do the girls love the show, but so does the First Lady. Michelle Obama requested the cast to come sing at the White House Easter Egg Roll, and the cast couldn't be happier to accept.

Nebraska's Attack on Choice

To contact us Click HERE
Lately, anti-choice measures have appeared frequently in the news. First, there was Utah’s intention to create a bill that would charge women if their reckless behavior led to a miscarriage. Now, the state of Nebraska has jumped onto the anti-choice train. Governor Dave Heineman signed a law on Tuesday, April 13th that banned most abortions after 20 weeks. Heineman signed this law in the beliefs of a theory that the fetus by that point in pregnancy is able to feel pain. This law has sparked debate between pro-choice and anti-choice groups. What makes this scary is that the legislative branch passed this law with 44 votes to 5 votes. Dr. Leroy Carhart, a partner of the late Dr. Tiller, said he would continue to offer late-term abortions in his Nebraska clinic. The NY Times quoted lawmakers as being outraged that Nebraska was going to become the “late-term abortion capital of the Midwest.”

This law will take effect in October and will ban abortions anytime after a gestation period of 20 weeks. The law does allow late-term abortions in the cases of a medical emergency, usually something that would cause death to the mother.

Legal battles have already ensued over this law. These legal battles refer to the 1973 case of Roe V. Wade case which stated that no state could ban abortions prior to fetal viability. Some articles reported this as 22 weeks and some reported it as 24 weeks. Nebraska’s law would go against the stipulations provided by the landmark abortion case. In the weeks leading up to the vote, over 1,000 people over the nation signed the Trust Women PAC’s petition that called for legislators to reject the bill.

The heat of this battle is not expected to die down and the legal battles are expected to go to the Supreme Court. It is estimated that 5 of 9 of the Supreme Court justices would consider Nebraska’s claim and judge that it is a legitimate law.

This has been a huge attack on women and abortion providers. If this law is upheld in the Supreme Court, it would give other states the same opportunity to introduce the same type of bill, threatening women’s health everywhere. If the Supreme Court does legitimize this law, it would violate parts of Roe V. Wade, which would cause a huge step back in the progress of abortion rights that we have made since 1973. If this law stays in place, it will spread to other states as well and it will be a large threat to women everywhere. This law is a direct attack on the right to choose and is one that challenges Roe V. Wade. This law is also an attack on Dr. Carhart and his clinic. Carhart provides a vital service to women. This law limits his services and womens' access to abortion.

The following link is the article to the NY Times article referenced:

Nebraska Law Sets New Limits on Abortion

Tune into MTV's "16 & Pregnant" Tonight!

To contact us Click HERE
Tonight, December 28, at 11:30 PM, MTV, in collaboration with Exhale, will be airing a new episode of their popular show, 16 & Pregnant featuring three young women who chose to have abortions, titled "No Easy Decision." This is the first time MTV has covered teens who choose abortion in the three years of the 16 & Pregnant series. 

Exhale is running a campaign to support the young women who are telling their stories on MTV called 16 & Loved.  It is an incredibly brave act for these three teens to talk about their experience with abortion on the national stage and, unfortunately, there are people and groups out there that attack women who speak out about abortion.  You can leave some love for the young women on the 16 & Loved website.  They are sponsoring a live-blog tonight at the 16 & Loved website featuring feminist superstar bloggers: Lynn Harris, Shelby Knox, Jamia Wilson, & Jessica Valenti. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #16andLoved.

We haven't seen the program yet, so don't know how the young womens' stories will be portrayed, but we are glad to see MTV is covering all options available for teens facing unintended pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion.  Tune in tonight and post your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.

ps to today's first update

To contact us Click HERE
I will say one thing, having to wait 4-5 months has given us plenty of time to think about this and talk about it. And we have. And we still feel this is the right thing for us. We feel so blessed to have such awesome donors.

I personally feel that I am getting everything I could have dreamed of. Two years ago I mourned the loss of ever carrying a pregnancy to full term. I will now be blessed with that opportunity and I still cannot believe it. When we turned to adoption, early on we decided we wanted an open adoption because we wanted our children to know where they came from, after talking to several adult adoptees, we realized and appreciated how important it is for people to know where they came from. So we will be able to give our child(ren) the gift of knowing where they came from.

We have had 4+ months to consider our child(ren)'s family tree that will have FOUR main branches, rather than just two.

I take comfort in knowing we are right where we are supposed to be, and I hope what we have been through over the past 11 years will help us to be the best parents we can be.

I do look forward to the day we meet the donors and their children, though I know I'll be a blubbering fool. I have had contact with the donors through email and text messaging and I find myself saying "thank you" A LOT and it just never seems adequate. How do we ever say thank you and convey our deep appreciation for this incredible gift we've been given.

Ok, I've succeeded in making myself cry now, time to go :)

House Passes Historic Health Care Reform Bill!

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As many of you know, the health care bill was passed by Congress late last night by a vote of 219 to 212. This bill, one that Obama has been promoting and arguing for since he ran for office, will provide many positive changes in the lives of Americans, and will affect all citizens in one way or another.

In regards to affecting women’s reproductive rights, Planned Parenthood is pleased that the health care reform bill will extend health care coverage to tens of millions of women and families, guarantee access to affordable life-saving screenings for breast and cervical cancer, protect women against gender discrimination by private insurers, end the practice of dropping coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and significantly increase insurance coverage of reproductive health care, including family planning.

Thanks to supporters like you, we were able to keep the Stupak abortion ban out of the final legislation and President Obama did not include the Stupak language in his Executive Order. Unfortunately, the bill includes the Nelson amendment that will impose new and severe restrictions on private health insurance coverage for abortion for millions of women. While we celebrate the passage of health care reform, we're going to need your commitment to fix the damage caused by the Nelson amendment — and that starts right now.

Take a moment to check out the statement by Cecile Richards, President of PPFA, about the bill being passed. Also, this Planned Parenthood website provides a list of representatives and whether they voted YES or NO on the bill. Feel free to follow the links to thank or express your concern about how they voted!

Bristol Palin PSA: Insulting to Teen Mothers?

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Recently the Candie’s Foundation released a Public Service Announcement about teen pregnancy, starring none other than America’s favorite teen mother, Bristol Palin. This ad has come under fire by several different blogs, including Jezebel and The Frisky, for it’s portrayal of teen pregnancy. The opening of the ad is Bristol with her son Tripp in which she says: “What if I didn’t come from a famous family? What if I didn’t have all their support? What if I didn’t have these opportunities?” The ad shows Bristol and her son well dressed in a nice home. It then fades into her looking ragged and saying if she didn’t have all of that “it wouldn’t be pretty.”

Although the ad has good intentions, it comes off insulting to those who were and are teen moms. I’m sure it was not supposed to come off like it, but this ad makes it sound like teen pregnancy is okay if you’re from a prominent family. Just because someone is not from a prominent family, it does not mean that they don’t have any support from their family. She acknowledges that she is fortunate to have the support (and money) of her family, but the ad comes off classist. The imagery of the ad makes it seem as if a girl isn’t from a privileged famous family and becomes pregnant; she will end up poor and without anything.

The ad fails to address that a majority of teenage pregnancies come from girls who are already in poverty. The ad also is noticeably missing Levi Johnson, the father of Bristol Palin’s son. This ad only features Bristol, which makes it seem as though the unintended pregnancy was her “fault.” The media and society often place the fault of teenage pregnancy on young girls. It is not just the girl’s responsibility to practice safer sex.

Although the ad is poorly created, Bristol Palin, in interviews, does offer some words of wisdom on her ending message “pause before you play.” In an interview on Good Morning America, Palin stated: “"It could be pause and go get a condom or it could be pause and think about your life or it could even be pause and wait until marriage.” This message does not promote abstinence, but offers abstinence as one method, alongside the use of contraceptives.

This message is associated with what Palin said last year about abstinence not necessarily being a reality for teenagers. Although the ad is aiming to prevent teenage pregnancy, it glamorizes Bristol Palin’s situation, and almost seems to say: “As long as you’re privileged, it’s okay to have an unintended pregnancy.”

The Ad Presented by the Candie's Foundation:

What does YOUR country believe about condoms?

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Did you know that in the U.S. approximately 4 in 10 women become pregnant at least once before turning 20 years old or that 1 in 4 sexually active teens become infected with an STD every year? These statistics are startlingly high, especially when compared to other countries throughout the world. Why in a country as progressive as ours are safe sexual practices not happening? Although there are many different reasons and factors, I think one important factor to look at is the acceptance of the condom. The male latex condom is one of the most popular forms of birth control used worldwide. However, in looking at condom advertisements from different countries you can clearly see the differences in social acceptance of the condom.

For example, the ads from both Sweden and France are very straight forward “slap in the face” type ads that use humor to show the importance of condom use. Whether it is to avoid STDs or unwanted children, they both blatantly imply “Use Condoms”. No ifs, ands or buts.

A few of the commercials even show the actual condom and how it is unrolled. For example, in the commercial from Kenya, a man is shown being chivalrous by supplying a condom when a women needs one to keep her umbrella closed. Even though this isn’t the obvious or advertised use for the condom, the meaning behind it shows that chivalry will make a women appreciate you. I also thought it was great that every onlooker in the background cheers and is smiling when the condom is taken out and used on the umbrella. Condoms in this commercial are encouraged and portrayed as helpful.

In my opinion, the condom ad from India was the best for many reasons. It provided information about the condoms, such as the fact that it can be made in different colors, or can be lubricated. It shows the actual condom, and provides information about where it can be bought, and what it does, such as prevent an STD.

Then we see the U.S. commercial. The condom is only shown once, when it is still in the package and coming out of the dispenser. Rather than focuses on the use of the condom, the ad focuses more on the message that most men are pigs (presumably because they won’t use condoms). The one man who buys a condom is seen as unusual. It sends the message that every women should try to be lucky enough to find a man who will use one. This message does not promote the idea that condoms should be generally accepted. Sadly, this ad is one of the best ads from the U.S. and was, in fact, banned on Fox and CBS when it came out in 2007 for being “inappropriate.”

It is startling that these ads are sometimes the only education teens receive about condoms. While proper condom use, sex positions and same-sex relationships are all part of the curriculum for students in Swedish high schools, U.S. high school students are often taught little or no information on basic condom use. Although it varies state to state, it is widely known that safer sex information is not widely publicized in the U.S. There are definitely very few schools teaching sex posititions or same- sex relationship information. Just by viewing these short condom commericials, we can see the basic beliefs about sex that each of these countries believe in. Is it any surprise that the U.S. has twice the teen pregnancy rate of Canda, four times the rate of Germany and France, and eight times the rate of Japan?

Nebraska's Attack on Choice

To contact us Click HERE
Lately, anti-choice measures have appeared frequently in the news. First, there was Utah’s intention to create a bill that would charge women if their reckless behavior led to a miscarriage. Now, the state of Nebraska has jumped onto the anti-choice train. Governor Dave Heineman signed a law on Tuesday, April 13th that banned most abortions after 20 weeks. Heineman signed this law in the beliefs of a theory that the fetus by that point in pregnancy is able to feel pain. This law has sparked debate between pro-choice and anti-choice groups. What makes this scary is that the legislative branch passed this law with 44 votes to 5 votes. Dr. Leroy Carhart, a partner of the late Dr. Tiller, said he would continue to offer late-term abortions in his Nebraska clinic. The NY Times quoted lawmakers as being outraged that Nebraska was going to become the “late-term abortion capital of the Midwest.”

This law will take effect in October and will ban abortions anytime after a gestation period of 20 weeks. The law does allow late-term abortions in the cases of a medical emergency, usually something that would cause death to the mother.

Legal battles have already ensued over this law. These legal battles refer to the 1973 case of Roe V. Wade case which stated that no state could ban abortions prior to fetal viability. Some articles reported this as 22 weeks and some reported it as 24 weeks. Nebraska’s law would go against the stipulations provided by the landmark abortion case. In the weeks leading up to the vote, over 1,000 people over the nation signed the Trust Women PAC’s petition that called for legislators to reject the bill.

The heat of this battle is not expected to die down and the legal battles are expected to go to the Supreme Court. It is estimated that 5 of 9 of the Supreme Court justices would consider Nebraska’s claim and judge that it is a legitimate law.

This has been a huge attack on women and abortion providers. If this law is upheld in the Supreme Court, it would give other states the same opportunity to introduce the same type of bill, threatening women’s health everywhere. If the Supreme Court does legitimize this law, it would violate parts of Roe V. Wade, which would cause a huge step back in the progress of abortion rights that we have made since 1973. If this law stays in place, it will spread to other states as well and it will be a large threat to women everywhere. This law is a direct attack on the right to choose and is one that challenges Roe V. Wade. This law is also an attack on Dr. Carhart and his clinic. Carhart provides a vital service to women. This law limits his services and womens' access to abortion.

The following link is the article to the NY Times article referenced:

Nebraska Law Sets New Limits on Abortion

Tune into MTV's "16 & Pregnant" Tonight!

To contact us Click HERE
Tonight, December 28, at 11:30 PM, MTV, in collaboration with Exhale, will be airing a new episode of their popular show, 16 & Pregnant featuring three young women who chose to have abortions, titled "No Easy Decision." This is the first time MTV has covered teens who choose abortion in the three years of the 16 & Pregnant series. 

Exhale is running a campaign to support the young women who are telling their stories on MTV called 16 & Loved.  It is an incredibly brave act for these three teens to talk about their experience with abortion on the national stage and, unfortunately, there are people and groups out there that attack women who speak out about abortion.  You can leave some love for the young women on the 16 & Loved website.  They are sponsoring a live-blog tonight at the 16 & Loved website featuring feminist superstar bloggers: Lynn Harris, Shelby Knox, Jamia Wilson, & Jessica Valenti. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #16andLoved.

We haven't seen the program yet, so don't know how the young womens' stories will be portrayed, but we are glad to see MTV is covering all options available for teens facing unintended pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion.  Tune in tonight and post your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.

Top 20 Songs Of The Week

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TOP 20 SONGS OF THE WEEK


1. Rihanna "Where have you been?" UP2
2. Drake f/ Lil Wayne "Hyfr" DOWN1
3. Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz "Mercy" UP2
4. Brandy f/ Chris Brown "Put it down" UP2
5. Jennifer Lopez f/ Pitbull "Dance Again" DOWN3
6. Kirko Bangs "Drank in my cup" UP2
7. Rita Ora f/ Drake "RIP" DOWN3
8. Young Jeezy f/ Ne-yo "Leave You Alone" UP3
9. Nelly Furtado "Big Hoops" UP3
10. Sabi f/ Wale "Where they do that?" DOWN1
11. Maroon 5 f/ Wiz Khalifa "Payphone" UP3
12. B.O.B "So good" DOWN5
13. 2 Chainz f/ Drake "No Lie" UP3
14. Wiz Khalifa "Work hard, play hard" UP3
15. Jennifer Lopez f/ Flo-Rida "Goin In" UP3
16. Trey Songz f/ T.I "2 Reasons" UP3
17. Pitbull "Back In Time" UP3
18. Usher "Climax" DOWN8
19. Usher f/ Rick Ross "Lemme See" DEBUT
20. Rick Ross f/ Usher "Touch'n you" DEBUT

Why I Go Out

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My friend Neha sent me this piece Why Go Out, in which Sheila Heti compares going out (to bars, clubs, parties, and the like*) to a cigarette habit, discusses the merits of being alone, and concludes that social interaction may be a necessary evil. While I agree that people should be honest with themselves about why they go out (to fill voids; to avoid knowing themselves), going out can provide more than just a quick fix for the voids they may be trying to fill.

I agree with the idea that being with people makes you addicted to being with people. I have found that when I have been surrounded by people, I feel more lonely when I am alone. When I have a roommate, I desire social interaction more than when I live alone. I find it important to spend time alone in order to establish the equanimity of being alone as a home base. Spending much of the week "out" certainly gets in the way of self-reflection, self-knowledge, and self-friendship.

Going out is more than a quick fix for me: it is an important part of my character development and well-being. Because of the public persona I find it important to maintain, going out forces me to act happy and carefree. Going out gets me out of my head and keeps me in practice of making small talk. It makes me realize I am not the only person in the world and that my problems are irrelevant to most people. I often feel more confident, happy, and agreeable after being out than after spending time alone or even with a close friend.

Establishing a productive framework for going out takes commitment. The more you go out, the more you get invited out, and the more people you meet. This makes you more statistically likely to attend better parties and have better friends, based on whatever definition of "better." A couple of years ago I established the rule "always go out" for weekend evenings. This has caused dramatic improvement in not just my social life but also my productivity: I am feel much happier and more creative now. Everybody wins.

And so I go out, not just out of habit, but to establish habits that bring more human connection and happiness. Yes, I would sometimes rather be at home, but it does not mean that being home is better for me.

* The "going out" Heti talks about seems to describe a specific kind of going to bars to drink and to pick up people. I also find that fairly empty and depressing; I can see how it can be addictive. As a graduate student in Cambridge I am lucky to have found the "party circuit" of grad students who go out and are also nice and interesting people. Being able to so easily "go out" among friends is not the norm.

forever learning on our journey to become parents

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The waiting continues. Our attorney went on spring break so it took longer for her to draft the agreement and there are still a few blanks to be filled in.

Little did we know we would be faced with questions such as who will get the embryos should my husband and I get a divorce. Not really something we'd given any thought to before now.

In addition to our legal agreement with the donors, we also have a legal agreement with the lab where the embryos will be kept.

Who knew?

Nothing about our journey has been easy, yet I'm still surprised when something takes longer, doesn't happen when I think it should, etc.

One of my friends is really concerned about me being pregnant at my age. I tried to explain that a large part of the risk of being pregnant at my age has to do with the old age of the eggs. I am not getting pregnant with my old eggs, I am getting pregnant with 33-year-old eggs that have already been screened before they were fertilized. Therefore, a lot of the risk has been removed. Yes, there is still some risk when one is of "advanced maternal age," but it is significantly lower when using donor embryo created with the eggs of a 33-year-old woman.

I have been on prenatal vitamins for 11 years now, so I'm well prepared in that respect! And I've been caffeine-free for ages now in preparation for pregnancy.

We have a crib from a family member ready. We will be the third family within our family to use it, and we are very excited about that!

And yes, we do realize how very, very, VERY lucky and blessed we are to have these donors in our lives now and forever. They have already become like family to us. It's so much more than I ever dared dream for. I still pinch myself on a daily basis. I hope my body will come through for all of us and carry a baby (babies?) full term, but, no pressure.

As with the adoption leg of our journey, I am sharing this with you, dear reader, in hopes that you will learn something from our journey. Maybe someone reading this will decide to donate their embryos to another couple unable to have children. Maybe this will simply cause you to walk around with a big fat smile on your face for the rest of the day :) Who knows.

Feeling closer to my child(ren) every day!

update #372

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The legal process of transferring embryos from the donors to us is proving to be much more complicated than I'd ever imagined. But then our whole journey to be parents has proved to be much more complicated than I'd ever imagined.

I am trying to keep my eye on the prize, but some days are more difficult that others.

The donors continue to be more supportive that I ever could have imagined.

Our RE says this has been one of the most difficult situations he has ever been involved with. Leave it to us to have things be complicated.

There are some meds I that that I cannot take while pregnant so I have been weaning off those, of course with some difficulty.

We began this process in February, and here it is May. We'd hoped for an April transfer, but now May isn't looking good either. Maybe June.

For those of you considering private embryo donation, be sure to ask your attorney what is involved and how long you can expect the legal side of things to take. We never never imagined it would take this long. Our legal agreement is over 12 pages long and contains items we never imagined we'd have to think about. After seeing our RE in March, and talking to our attorney, we assumed it would be taken care of in a matter of weeks, not months. We just has no clue what was involved.

I turned 45 last week. My age is a matter of concern for me because I want to be around for my child(ren) as long as possible, and I'd like to be around to see our grandchildren.

And still, I wonder about the state of adopting from foster in our country. What is wrong with that system that after two years and nearly 100 inquiries, Chris and I were not able to adopt. Why? Why were we never chosen. What will become of the children waiting in foster care.

So much on my mind. I just want a family, yesterday.

ps to today's first update

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I will say one thing, having to wait 4-5 months has given us plenty of time to think about this and talk about it. And we have. And we still feel this is the right thing for us. We feel so blessed to have such awesome donors.

I personally feel that I am getting everything I could have dreamed of. Two years ago I mourned the loss of ever carrying a pregnancy to full term. I will now be blessed with that opportunity and I still cannot believe it. When we turned to adoption, early on we decided we wanted an open adoption because we wanted our children to know where they came from, after talking to several adult adoptees, we realized and appreciated how important it is for people to know where they came from. So we will be able to give our child(ren) the gift of knowing where they came from.

We have had 4+ months to consider our child(ren)'s family tree that will have FOUR main branches, rather than just two.

I take comfort in knowing we are right where we are supposed to be, and I hope what we have been through over the past 11 years will help us to be the best parents we can be.

I do look forward to the day we meet the donors and their children, though I know I'll be a blubbering fool. I have had contact with the donors through email and text messaging and I find myself saying "thank you" A LOT and it just never seems adequate. How do we ever say thank you and convey our deep appreciation for this incredible gift we've been given.

Ok, I've succeeded in making myself cry now, time to go :)

Do you GYT?

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What do you think GYT stands for? In this commercial, some celebrities take their best guess and come up with some odd answers. Green Young Tomatoes? Gerbils Yearn Touching?.......The real answer: GYT is Get Yourself Tested!

Did you know that one in two young adults will get a sexually transmitted disease by age 25? This statistic has caused alarm to health care providers, parents, and teens and has spured a national campaign to help people feel comfortable asking their doctors for STD testing. That’s why the month of April is dedicated to the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign, hosted by MTV, Kaiser Family Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

As seen in the commercial and on the GYT website, many celebrities are contributing to the campaign and the issue to help raise awareness. These celebs include Keri Hilson, Perez Hilton, Debi Nova, Emily VanCamp, Iyaz and many more.

Go to itsyoursexlife.com to find the testing center near you, to watch entertaining ads, and to learn more about this important topic and campaign. You can also download fliers and other materials to help spread the GYT message within your community.




How will YOU help spread the GYT message?

May is Masturbation Month!

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May is Masturbation Month! Although not a recognized national month by the government, it is recognized by many groups around the nation. The Center for Sex and Culture, based in San Francisco, hosts a Masturbate-a-thon in which people can participate or watch. If one doesn't feel comfortable participating in public, they can participate at home. The Center for Sex and Culture is a sex-positive group that teaches people about positive sex and how to have a healthy sexual relationship. So what about the history behind Masturbation Month? Masturbation month started in May 1995 by the company Good Vibrations to protest firing then Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders. When asked about safe sex, Elders responded: "Masturbation is something that perhaps should be taught." This did not sit well with some people in the American population, and Elders was fired. The first Masturbate-A-Thon was hosted in 1998. Since the Masturbate-A-Thon was created, over 10,000 articles have appeared on Google. The event also

It's a great idea to have a masturbation month. This promotes the idea of self love and it aims to take away the stigmatization of it. This month should definitely be brought to light, especially to the youth. Like Elders said, it is something that perhaps should be taught. This could prevent riskier sexual activity that youth might participate in.

History of the Masturbate-a-Thon

Happy Anniversary to the Birth Control Pill!

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As we mark the 50th anniversary of the approval of the birth control pill by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1960, we must ensure that women in the U.S. have access to effective, affordable contraception, regardless of their ability to pay or the kind of insurance they have. Why? Half of all pregnancies in America are still unplanned, and the rate is highest among teens. Ensuring affordable contraception is one of the most crucial investments we can make in women, so they can achieve their hopes for themselves and their families when it comes to family life, career, education and so much more.

The birth control pill was more than just a pill — it was a pathway for women to seek higher education, enter the work force and be able to control the number and spacing of their children. Moreover, in the past 50 years, the percentage of women who die as a result of pregnancy dropped by half. During that same period, there has been a more than threefold decline in the rate of infant deaths. The percentage of unplanned pregnancies has also declined, despite the fact that too many still occur. And, as access to contraception has increased, the rate of abortion has decreased.

There is no better way to build on the progress of the pill than by ensuring that quality contraception is covered as preventive care under the new health care reform law. To make your voice heard, please visit http://www.ppaction.org/.

Tune into MTV's "16 & Pregnant" Tonight!

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Tonight, December 28, at 11:30 PM, MTV, in collaboration with Exhale, will be airing a new episode of their popular show, 16 & Pregnant featuring three young women who chose to have abortions, titled "No Easy Decision." This is the first time MTV has covered teens who choose abortion in the three years of the 16 & Pregnant series. 

Exhale is running a campaign to support the young women who are telling their stories on MTV called 16 & Loved.  It is an incredibly brave act for these three teens to talk about their experience with abortion on the national stage and, unfortunately, there are people and groups out there that attack women who speak out about abortion.  You can leave some love for the young women on the 16 & Loved website.  They are sponsoring a live-blog tonight at the 16 & Loved website featuring feminist superstar bloggers: Lynn Harris, Shelby Knox, Jamia Wilson, & Jessica Valenti. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #16andLoved.

We haven't seen the program yet, so don't know how the young womens' stories will be portrayed, but we are glad to see MTV is covering all options available for teens facing unintended pregnancy, including parenting, adoption and abortion.  Tune in tonight and post your thoughts in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.