My concern is that many women probably think they can find the "complete, accurate information and compassionate peer-counseling" that A Woman’s Concern promises, when in fact this crisis pregnancy center (CPC) uses lies and deceitful tactics to convince women not to get an abortion. CPCs have already been written about by other blogs a lot (Feministing, Choice USA, RH Reality Check...), but I wanted to do my own, thorough analysis on a CPC. I chose A Woman’s Concern because the anti-choice group on my campus is affiliated with it, and I previously tried to expose their tactics, in what little way I could, through my college newspaper.

I could pretty much go paragraph by paragraph, if not sentence by sentence, detailing what is an exaggeration, a trick, or an outright lie. That would be a little too tedious, so I will instead focus on some of the information they provide on abortion, emergency contraception, and (premarital) sex.

Written by Darsana Srinivasan, Fellow
National Women’s Law Center

Dear Wisconsin, 

Thank you for being so awesome this past month. If I had a Cheesehead hat I’d wear it around the office for you. 

http://nwlc.blogs.com/...

  I want to tell you up front: I am a scatter brain. I'm not gonna act like I'm not, b/c, really, I am. One of the things the University said was interesting about my ADHD was that my brain has so much going on at once that, simply put, no one could get me to put together a cohesive thought. Yet it was clear I knew what was going on; it was just that I had about 5,000 things going on. Honest.
 Then I read this today on NPR. And I was reminded of the yearly pap I've sceduled 3x and keep forgetting.
http://www.npr.org/...
I ain't forgetting this time.

From the Kansas City Star this morning:

http://www.kansascity.com/...

After years of imposing restrictions on abortion, Missouri lawmakers are now taking aim at emergency contraception, commonly known as the morning-after pill.

Legislation presented to a House panel last week would classify emergency contraception as an abortion-inducing medication, contrary to the definition used by the Food and Drug Administration.

The bill also would protect pharmacies from lawsuits and from punishment by state regulators for refusing to sell or fill a prescription for any drug defined as triggering an abortion. Supporters said it would remove any financial incentive to sue the pharmacy’s owners for refusing to sell or stock an item that violated their conscience.

On Friday, the Hartford Courant reported that all women who arrive at any emergency room in Connecticut will have access to Plan B emergency contraception (EC).

Big news from the biggest retailer in the country.  Wal-Mart has signed onto  Planned Parenthood's pharmacy policy on emergency contraception (EC), also known as the "morning-after pill."  This means that Wal-Mart will provide EC in-store, without delay.  

What inspired me to write this topic was the Central Florida woman who was victimized three times.  She was brutally raped, then after calling police, she was thrown in jail for an outstanding warrant (when she was a juvenile), and then was refused emergency contraception that she was legally entitled to because of the jailer’s religious beliefs.

Now call me cynical, but I do believe the most personal decision a woman can make, the decision to have a baby, should at least include the woman.  Since she will be the one to raise it, take care of it, and financially support it, I just think she should have some say in this.  

There was another troubling instance over the weekend of a rape victim being denied access to Plan B contraception due to the personal beliefs of medical personnel.

This, my friends, is my first diary.  I have been a lurker for more than 2 years, but have decided on this cold, sunny morning to take the plunge.  Please be gentle.

I am modivated to write this morning because of an amazing editorial in our local newspaper, the Courier-Journal.  Along with dozens of Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country, our local affiliate offered free Emergency Contraception (EC) this past Wednesday, December 6.  

Planned Parenthood sponsored this event to raise awareness of the availability of EC at our clinics and to encourage women to have EC on hand in case the condom breaks, they miss two or more birth control pills or have unprotected sex.  Jump below the fold for some scary statistics, link to the editorial and info about what Planned Parenthood is doing to help women with their reproductive health.

As documented at ColoradoConfidential here and here, since the FDA finally made this safe drug available over the counter, its real availability has been less than stellar here in Colorado and probably elsewhere too.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 6th, Planned Parenthood will be providing free Emergency Contraception pills at all their clinics.  Find a location here.

http://www.cnn.com/...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Women may buy the morning-after pill without a prescription -- but only with proof they're 18 or older, federal health officials ruled Thursday, capping a contentious 3-year effort to ease access to the emergency contraceptive.

Make the jump...

Near the end of his press conference on Monday, Bush engaged in the following exchange:

Q Thank you very much. Mr. President, some pro-life groups are worried that your choice of FDA Commissioner will approve over the counter sales of Plan B, a pill that, they say, essentially can cause early-term abortions. Do you stand by this choice, and how do you feel about Plan B in general?

THE PRESIDENT: I believe that Plan B ought to be -- ought to require a prescription for minors, is what I believe. And I support Andy's decision.

Plan B is an emergency contraceptive.  You take it up to three days after sex in order to prevent pregnancy. It doesn't abort a fetus or make the little baby angels cry or anything like that.  But it does one thing very well, and by that I mean that it subverts God's will.  It keeps you from getting pregnant, even if God has put the sperm on a collision course with that seductive egg, ready to make baby magic.  Luckily, we have the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent this sort of thing.

http://www.pennlive.com/...

"Lebanon PA - A Good Samaritan Hospital emergency room doctor refused to give a rape victim a morning-after pill because he said it was against his Mennonite religion. Rebuffed by the doctor, the woman called her gynecologist, who wrote the prescription. Her local pharmacy told her it was out of the drug and referred her to a sister store in Reading (Editing Note - that is about a 30 minute drive, in the next county). The (doctor) ... said he sees nothing strange about asking a woman from eastern Lebanon County to drive to Reading for a drug. "People drive to Reading to buy jeans. Even if that were the case, that you had to drive to Reading to get this , to me that does not rise to a compulsion that you have to pass laws that have to do something," Dr. Joe Kearns said."

I explained that RU-486 is not sold in pharmacies, you must get it from your doctor. I explained that the "morning after pill" does not cause an abortion, in fact, it won't work if you are already pregnant. I explained that the "morning after pill" is simply a high dose of regular birth control pills. I'm not sure if my friend believed me, she seemed skeptical. The "pro-lifers" are deliberately trying to muddy the waters and make people think the "morning after pill" causes abortions. They are succeeding.
More...

Wal-Mart has released its Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filing for this year.  The AP reports:

Women accounted for 60 percent of the overall work force, 39 percent of officers and managers and 75 percent of sales workers.

This should be recognized as making a virtue out of necessity.  Retailing is generally a low-wage job and, unfortunately, most low wage jobs in America are filled by women.  As the story goes on to explain: