Free birth control? It might not be a fantasy. →

bedsider:

You could qualify for FREE birth control (what better way to celebrate National Women’s Health Week?). Find out here and spread the word to your lady friends.

Anonymous asked:

Please answer this question for me. Can a 15 year old girl go get an abortion in New Jersey without her parents knowing? Could she pay out of pocket? Would there be a difference between the operation and the pill? What are the laws surrounding this?

Good questions! There are parental notification and consent laws in many states for minors seeking abortion. According to the Guttmacher Institute, which reviews abortion policies and effects in the US and internationally, there is a parental notification law in New Jersey - however, due to a court order, the policy is not in effect. So, there is no enforced law requiring parents to be involved in a minor’s abortion in New Jersey.

There are 24 providers in New Jersey that I know of, so there may be differing policies depending on the clinic. I do know that Planned Parenthood accepts cash, and for the most part will not turn you away due to your inability to pay. They may work out a payment plan, or you can ask if they have a fund.

The difference between surgical abortion and the abortion pill (not to be confused with emergency contraception/Plan B) is explained in these posts: Abortion Procedures. There, you can find descriptions of how the abortion pill works, descriptions of the five/six kinds of surgical abortion, and a comparison of medication abortion vs. surgical abortion.

For more information on abortion laws in the US, the Guttmacher Institute is an amazing resource. Their State Center takes you to specific state policies (look for “State Policies in Brief” once you click on your state), but I’d encourage you to spend some time exploring their site to see what else you can learn!

girlswithvoices:

abortion-now:

Manual vacuum aspirator, with cannulae used for handheld aspiration abortion.

For people curious about the tools used for abortion procedures. I think these photos should be more public, it can be very scary to go into the procedure and have no idea what to expect. 

-Kate

(via stfuprolifers)

Most people pay out-of-pocket for abortions.

Abortion access affects not only women, but trans* and queer people as well.

"Welcome to the pre-release version of the Creative Interventions Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Stop Interpersonal Violence. While we are waiting for the finalizing of the designed version of this Toolkit, we wanted to make the contents of the Toolkit available for the public. These pdf versions are being made available for your use. Because the pdfs were not meant as a final version, some of the formatting is awkward. We hope to have the designed version available by the end of Summer 2012. Due to the length of the full Toolkit, we have the pre-release version available as a complete document, or you can download the Toolkit in sections."

Toolkit | Creative Interventions

gonna take a look at this later!

(via iinventedeverything)

(via iinventedeverything)

Tumblr, in all its glorious wisdom, won’t let me reblog myself, but please reblog my post, Resources for Decision-Making and Low-Income Parenting! The more people who know about it, the better!

Mississippi's Last Abortion Clinic May Close Soon →

the-girl-with-a-pearl-earring:

bebinn:

Mississippi passed a law last year requiring abortion clinics in the state to have hospital admitting privileges. In a state where the stigma surrounding abortion is extreme and hospitals can refuse any service on religious grounds, this law was written to eliminate safe, legal abortion in Mississippi.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization has been refused admitting privileges by every hospital to which they’ve applied. They can argue their case in front of the Mississippi Department of Health, and attorneys have requested an injunction while they argue the law’s constitutionality. However, if these measures fail, Mississippi could soon be the only state without safe, legal abortion.

A lack of providers means the people in Mississippi will need to travel out of state to acquire an abortion provided in a safe, sterile, legal environment. For those without money to travel, cars, a place to stay, or someone to watch their children (61% of people who have abortions already have children), this may prove an impossible task.

If you or someone you know can provide any of these things - transportation, lodging, child care, funds - please message the Abortion Assistance Blog. You can contact the blog through Tumblr’s Ask, Submit, and Fan Mail functions, or by email at abortionassistanceblog@gmail.com.

Interestingly enough— I believe it also happens to be illegal to travel out of state for an abortion…

Oh no, it definitely isn’t! The Kaiser Family Foundation has an interactive graphic on the percentage of abortions by out-of-state residents in each state.

There have been a number of bills introduced to ban transporting minors across state lines to get abortions without their parents’ consent, but (please correct me if I’m wrong) none of them have ever become law.

Feeling Ill, but Uninsured? Find a Free or Charitable Clinic Here! →

stfuconservatives:

tofuboots:

The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics oversees more than 1,200 clinics comprised of a volunteer workforce of doctors, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. Eligibility for these clinics is usually restricted to those who are uninsured, underinsured, or those who otherwise have limited access to healthcare.

I’m lucky enough to have insurance through my place of employment, but I know a lot of people out there that aren’t. Take care of yourself and feel free to visit one of these places if you get ill <3

Signal boosting!

47 Questions I Should Have Asked My Midwife →

kikidonahue:

Super thorough list of questions to ask your midwife in a consultation

(Source: katiohead, via jenniferthorsondoula)

stfuhypocrisy:

livindavidaloki:

stfuconservatives:

(trigger warning for rape)

runwitheyeswideopen:

futurebatgirl:

thatisnotfeminism:

campaignofdistractions:

“The monetary cost for a rape victim to receive treatment at a hospital in the United States.”

hey. fuck society. 

This is why rape awareness is important. This right here

>:( this is bullshit

….Fucking disgusted.

And people wonder why victims don’t report it.

I know that at least in the state of Iowa, the Iowa Sexual Abuse Examination Payment Program pays the full cost of these exams, even if nothing is reported to the police. The fund is paid for entirely by fines and penalties paid by convicted criminals.

There are similar programs in other states (ex: Minnesota counties cover the cost, and Maine’s Victims’ Compensation Program will pay up to $750), so it’s worth checking to see if yours does, too.

(via stfueverything)

Let us help you find a doc! →

hellyeahscarleteen:

Scarleteen’s excellent resource to help you locate various sexual health, counselling, and abuse resources near you. Find-a-doc!

(via fuckyeahsexeducation)

Substituting the Morning-After Pill with Birth Control Pills

plannedparenthood:

Someone asked us:

I was once told that if you can’t get the morning after pill that taking 5-7 days worth of the daily pill at once can be an acceptable substitute. Is that true?

Some brands of birth control pills can be used as emergency contraception, but not all of them. You can check out this chart to see what brands can be used and how to use them. (As a general rule, progestin-only birth control pills cannot be used as emergency contraception, only combination pills can.)

If you do use your birth control as emergency contraception, you should continue taking the rest of your pill pack as your normally would, but skip the placebo pills — your period week pills. Then continue on normally with the next pack. Your period might be irregular for the next month, but that’s totally normal.

- Nina at Planned Parenthood

Anonymous asked: I have been reading your pro-choice posts after finally being made aware at how horrifically politicians regard abortion rights. I was always in the belief abortion should be left in the choice of the woman carrying it and all the things I read on your blog and others like it have reinforced this. I would like to further educate myself this matter and discuss other topics relating to this.I have facebook and my name is Amber Clark. Please contact me so I can give you my e-mail, I have no tumblr.

I’m keeping myself anonymous on this account, so I won’t contact you through Facebook. You can email me through the Abortion Assistance Blog’s email (abortionassistanceblog@gmail.com), and feel free to ask any questions you like here on anon!

In the meantime, my Important Posts page is a good place to start. You can click on the tags of each post to learn more about specific topics, too. (I made a page of frequent tags on this blog for easy reference.)

REGISTER TO VOTE →

keepyourbsoutofmyuterus:

If you live in the US, one of the most important things you can do today is register to vote. And then on Nov. 6, vote.

Don’t let anyone tell you that your vote does not matter. Even if you don’t live in a swing state, you still need to go vote because you aren’t just voting for the president. You are voting for the people who will govern your state and your town. And in those elections, your vote will count so much more (the numbers, inevitably, are smaller), especially if you aren’t in a swing state because people in non-swing states aren’t encouraged as much to go vote and turnout tends to be smaller.

The link above takes you to Whitney Muse’s chirpstory where she has collected the date by which you must register to vote in order to be able to vote on November 6 FOR EVERY US STATE (it is different in every state). And she has a link where you can register to vote (or at least start the process) as well as check your voter registration status.

Spread the word.

Register.

Vote. 

(via becauseiamawoman)

Resources for Decision-Making and Low-Income Parenting

Health Care:

• 211.org can connect you to help with food, housing, employment, health care, counseling and more
• Scarleteen’s Find-A-Doc lets you search for doctors, counselors, shelters/centers, doulas, and other sexual/reproductive health services. You can also add or read reviews.
• Look over your insurance options at Healthcare.gov
• Your state’s Medicaid program
• The Affordable Care Act expands insurance and health care options for pregnant people and children, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can find local health care centers, services, and information on their page.
• Many Planned Parenthood locations provide general health care at little to no cost, depending on your income
• Nurse-Family Partnership offers free at-home (or another safe place) pregnancy and childcare assistance until your child turns two.
• NeedyMeds is a directory of programs that offer assistance to people who can’t afford their medications or health care.
• Free Dental Care can help you find low-cost or free clinics
• Look for dental and dental hygiene schools if you are comfortable with closely-supervised students
• Your state’s United Way program may sponsor or help you connect with low-cost or free dental care
• You can straight up ask for a discount at your doctor’s office. The Billfold’s How to Get Health Care While Uninsured has more on the topic.

• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) for food and health care services
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
• If you’re a Native American living on or near a reservation, apply for Food Distribution on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Find your local food bank

• Backline can connect you to parenting resources
• Your state’s Department of Human Services may have a program to provide low-income, working parents with access to quality, affordable child care
• The US Department of Health and Human Services sponsors the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to both states and Native tribes
• eHow has a step-by-step guide to finding child care assistance through Child Care Aware
• Detroit’s Sew Up the Safety Net for Women and Children is a free program connecting women ages 18-34 to parenting support, counseling, baby health and care information, and other services and education
• You may be able to find parenting and home ec. classes, baby materials, social support, child care, and other resources through your place of worship
• Many diaper and formula companies offer free samples and opportunities to win packages or cash