Interview with Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Eleanor

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day and we’re so pleased to have a special treat for you here on the Feronia Project.

On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida was lucky enough to have the fabulous Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, speak at our 46th Anniversary Annual Dinner. She also took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to speak with us at The Feronia Project about the challenges facing Planned Parenthood, how the internet is changing sexual health education, and some of her must-reads. (And if you didn’t see her on the Daily Show last night – you absolutely must!)

Eleanor: What are the upcoming challenges you see Planned Parenthood facing, both locally and nationally? How are you working to solve these issues?

Cecile Richards, PPFA President: Everyone’s seen what’s been going on with Congress and the state legislatures and the constant attacks on birth control and reproductive health care. Those are very real challenges and very real fights.

We couldn’t solve it without social media; a great example is the hundreds of people that came out to the state Capitol in Virginia after finding out about the rally through social media and put politicians there on notice that they cannot put their politics before women’s health.

Eleanor: So, how can mothers introduce to their daughters and sons the importance of standing up for women’s health and women’s rights?

Cecile Richards: A great way to start is by introducing older teenagers to Planned Parenthood. Parents may not feel comfortable talking about sex with their children, but Planned Parenthood is an easy, safe place to refer them so that they can get their questions answered. As long as parents and their children can have that open dialogue and conversation, it’s a great way to talk about women’s rights and women’s health. Some of our best young activists started supporting Planned Parenthood as patients.

Eleanor: As a blog, we’d like to know – how do you see blogs like The Feronia Project, which talks about sexual health and reproductive justice, fitting into the way Planned Parenthood gives accurate sexual education information? And how does Planned Parenthood use social media and the internet to reach those who need its services?

Cecile Richards: The single biggest way that Planned Parenthood patients get their information now is online. And it’s only becoming more important – traffic to our online site has exploded in the last two months. The topics that young people have questions on are changing and social media and blogs allow people to have a conversation about those topics, in real time, and get their questions answered immediately.

3 million patients visit our Planned Parenthood health centers every year; in February 2012 alone, 4 million came online and visited Planned Parenthood’s website and social media sites. Based on those numbers, we’re projecting that 40 million people will reach out to Planned Parenthood online as a trusted sexual health provider this year.

Eleanor: In what way is Planned Parenthood bringing to light the positive stories that happen in our health centers every day? We’re more than abortions and STD diagnoses, after all.

Cecile Richards: You know, I think a key way that we do that is through social media and our website. We’ve shared stories like Close to the Heart: Stories of Planned Parenthood Breast Care Patients, and the wonderful “I Have a Say” videos on YouTube, all showing how Planned Parenthood helps women every day. During the birth control debate, we actually gave some of these stories to members of Congress to illustrate that not only do people use birth control for contraception, they also use it for a myriad of other reasons in reproductive health.

Eleanor: What are some ways that youth could show their support of Planned Parenthood – with their phones, tablets, or computers?

Cecile Richards: The most important thing is like our pages on Facebook and Twitter and re-share Planned Parenthood content with your friends. However, some of the best content is created outside of Planned Parenthood; while Planned Parenthood can create content themselves, one of the best ways that people can advocate for Planned Parenthood is by taking the license to use what Planned Parenthood has available and getting their own content to go viral. I’ve been particularly impressed with the Tumblr site Planned Parenthood Saved Me as a great example of this.

Eleanor: What can we do in Southwest & Central Florida to stand with Planned Parenthood?

Cecile Richards: You’re doing it. I’m amazed [by] being here – all the lobbying you do in the Florida Legislature and standing strong for Planned Parenthood, The SOURCE Theatre, the numerous opportunities to get involved.

The most important way we all can stand with Planned Parenthood is to vote and cast an informed vote; [you should] really look at what the candidates are saying and vote for who represents your views.

Eleanor: On a lighter note, we’re big readers here at The Feronia Project. What’s a book you would recommend to our Feronia Project followers as a “must-read?”

Cecile Richards: I have two great reads. One is How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America by Cristina Page; she’s a great writer and it’s a great exploration of the topic. One slightly different recommendation is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, a dark apocalyptic look at what it would be like if women had no rights. It’s a provocative book and shows just what it could be like if the attacks on women’s rights continue – and more than one person has told me that we’re living it right now.

Cecile Richards is a nationally respected leader in the field of women’s health and reproductive rights. As president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Ms. Richards leads a national organization that works for a healthier and safer world for women and teens.

Condoms and Sexual Negotiations: What You Want Matters, But How Do You Get It?

Posted on January 11, 2012 by E.G. Hanna

I have a good friend who is one of the most strongly feminist women that I know. She was part of the feminist group on her campus, helped put on The Vagina Monologues, runs a very popular feminist blog, promotes safe sex and gender equality every chance she gets, and is basically a notorious all-around activist loudmouth. She has that pure drive that few people have. A while back, I got a panicked message from her because she had finally lost her virginity, and was now worried about her health.

Being educated about safe sex, she had planned ahead and brought condoms and insisted the guy use them, but when he vehemently protested and then outright refused, she gave in. Now, she was worried about pregnancy and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). This story broke my heart, because even one of the strongest girls I know was pressured into potentially sacrificing her health so that her partner could avoid wearing a condom.

I see this over and over again. One woman who was paying hundreds of dollars for a birth control method she could get for free in her home state if she only waited one month paid out of pocket anyway because her boyfriend refused to use condoms and she was terrified of getting pregnant. “He doesn’t like them,” she told me. Another woman had a high risk for stroke on pills containing estrogen due to her high blood pressure and migraines but was desperate for us to prescribe them to her because she hated her progestin-only pills. Her boyfriend wouldn’t use a condom because he told her “it was against his religion.”

Now, I know that sex takes two and I don’t want to portray this as a story of poor women being coerced by evil men. Women want to have sex just as badly as men do and if condom usage does not seem like an option, many people will choose risky sex over no sex. However, I truly think that men’s sexual pleasure is held at a higher priority than women’s bodies and desires and I want this to change. It is vitally important that women protect their health and understand that their boundaries and requests for safe sex are important and should be respected.

So, if you’re sexually active and know that you prefer to use condoms, whether for birth control purposes or just to avoid STIs, here are some tips that I hope will empower you to control your sexual destiny:

Carry condoms with you. Planning ahead doesn’t make you presumptuous or promiscuous. You can’t use them if no one has them!
Don’t be afraid to be firm. Women are taught to be polite and it’s hard for us sometimes to stand up for ourselves. It’s okay to tell someone there will be no sex without a condom. Most people, given the choice between sex with a condom and no sex, will choose sex with a condom. I don’t want to propagate the notion that it’s easy for women to turn down sex because we want it less than men do anyway; turning down sex you want because you don’t have a condom or they won’t use one really sucks. But like I said, a lot of people will agree if you insist and if not, at least you don’t have an STD or pregnancy scare.
Female condoms, female condoms, female condoms! If they don’t want to use a condom, you can use one yourself. They even have extra benefits; they cover the vulva so you have more protection against viruses like HPV and herpes. They can also be used for anal sex.

Remember, you have the right to state what you want during sex and stick with it. Also, if your partner consistently protests at wearing condoms if you want them to, ask yourself some questions about the safety of your relationship. Putting your body at risk for pregnancy and infection is a big red flag.

Have any of you ever been in a situation where a partner refused to wear a condom when you wanted them to? What did you do?

The Problem with Pop Science

Posted on December 28, 2011 by E.G. Hanna

Science, despite its efforts to be objective, is easily influenced by social norms and expectations. As science historian Londa Schiebinger points out in Salon, an excellent example of this is the human egg. Once thought to be a passive drifter awaiting a strong swimmer, it was determined in the 70′s to have microvilli on its surface to grab and catch sperm, becoming its own active force in fertilization. The microvilli were actually discovered in the 1890′s, but not considered noteworthy until the 1970′s, as noted by Salon writer Margaret Wertheim in the same article, “a time when women’s roles in society were themselves being reconceived.”

I bring this up because pop science – what I consider the interpretation of scientific studies into soundbite worthy articles for news sites – is so often used to make headlines by using a study to present some (alleged) fact about men, women, and/or sex. These facts may conveniently be “politically incorrect,” which is the polite way of saying they reinforce conservative notions of gender or sex roles. Often, the culprit is my arch nemesis: Evolutionary Psychology (but more on that in another article).

Once you’ve noticed this trend, you’ll find it’s everywhere. Just recently reported in August, a study done at FSU by Roy Baumeister found that “countries with greater gender equality have higher rates of sexual activity.” According to his research, he found that “with [gender] parity comes a greater likelihood of casual sex and more sexual partners.” Study number two, done by John Hopkins University and reported by the Huffington Post in September, finds that “dominant women have less sex.” The study was a survey of African women, and as co-author Carie Muntifering put it, “[u]nderstanding how women’s position in the household influences their sexual activity may be an essential piece in protecting the sexual rights of women and helping them achieve a sexual life that is both safe and pleasurable.”

I’m not interested in the fact that these two studies found such different results; they were done by different researchers with different subjects in different countries, after all. What I find interesting is the conclusions drawn from the information as well as the reporting itself. In study number one, the author uncovered higher rates of sexual activity. He went on to explain that “when women have more access to educational and financial opportunities, they don’t need to hold sex hostage as much, so they relaxed the controls they’ve put on sexuality.” He goes on to state that sex is used by women as an economic force to attain goals and “get what they want from men.” The article describes the prevalence of increased casual sexual partners as a “mathematical, emotionless” characteristic.

In study number two, though the study author seemed to indicate that less sexual partners was a positive sign of increased sexual control for the African women, the writers of the article chose to frame it quite differently. They reported that “empowered women…could be losing out on sex” and that “the more decisions made, the less physical intimacy” they experienced, a decidedly negative-sounding side effect. The important similarity between the two articles is this – both articles placed a negative connotation on women’s sexual freedom. The women who experienced increased sexual activity were mathematical and calculating, the women who experienced decreased sexual activity were missing out. Looks like women can’t win!

Sometimes it’s not just the journalism you must look at with a skeptical eye, but the study itself. The University of West Scotland did a study on the way women walk and their history of orgasms – particularly, vaginal orgasms. 16 subjects were analyzed for their gait and their history of orgasm. (I admit the article already lost me here – I’d never put much faith in a study with such a small sample size anyway.) They found that a “trained sexologist” could tell which women had vaginal orgasms based on the longer stride and increased vertebral rotation. They supposed that women who had vaginal orgasms may “feel more confident in their sexuality, which might be reflected in their gait.” They went on to discuss the studies implications for sexual dysfunction therapies. My issue with this? Lack of vaginal orgasm is not sexual dysfunction. The utter lack of discussion on the clitoral orgasm reinforces the long-standing cultural notion that vaginal orgasms are superior to clitoral ones and frankly seems a little insulting towards women who can only have the clitoral kind.

My point isn’t to judge anyone; they’re all looking for a human interest story, and all they have is their cultural mores and values to draw upon. I just think it’s important to draw attention to how science, no matter how rigorous the method used, is vulnerable to our own cultural perceptions when we try to interpret it. This has huge implications for what we consider true, as well as where we choose to get our information from. The next time you see a study in the news, pay careful attention to the dissonance between the data and the words used to describe it, and above all – stay skeptical.

Feronia Gift Guide: Cool Stuff For Cool People

Posted on December 12, 2011 by E.G. Hanna

It’s the time of year when we search to find the perfect gift for our friends and family that they don’t already have, isn’t crazy expensive and doesn’t suck…not an easy task. If you haven’t yet finished crossing off your list, don’t worry – I’ve got a bunch of great gift ideas, you lucky procrastinators. I found a bunch of lady-friendly, fun and sex-positive gifts for you and your loved ones.

Book-lovers

For your friend who is a mom or is thinking about becoming one, I really enjoyed Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care, by Jennifer Block or try Firdaus’ recommendation, Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood, by Naomi Wolf. Both are insightful looks into the childbirth routine and the industry that surrounds it, from a perspective that is very supportive of mother’s rights and autonomy during birth.

For your friend who likes sociological and racial analysis of our society (but really, don’t we all?), try The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander, an award-winning book about the ongoing racial stratification in America.

For the fashionable and proud reader, Sarah Utter makes a cute “Reading is sexy” t-shirt.

Artsy types

If you know someone who’s always sketching or jotting down ideas, think about this gorgeous sketch pad by Olympia, Washington-based artist Nikki McClure.

For the introspective or the aspiring writer, she also has this super pretty journal.

Also, you really can’t go wrong with Frida Kahlo socks. Sounds ridiculous, looks awesome. I own them in yellow.

The Silly

For your friend with a sense of humor, Giant Microbes make adorable plush versions of microbes. They have a wide variety, but I prefer their sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydia is especially adorable. (Probably not a good gift for the germophobe.)

Help your friends show their feminist pride by wearing this Bra burning t-shirt. Yes, I know feminists never actually burned their bras but it’s still quite a statement.

You can wear your heart on your sleeve, but can you wear your uterus on your…uterus? Yes, you can. You’re welcome.

The Granola

Fact: Vegetarians love cookbooks. These two are classics: The Moosewood Cookbook and Vegan With a Vengeance.

Or, you could always get her some cloth menstrual pads or a menstrual cup! She’ll look at you funny but thank you later.

The Sex-Positive

Pillpaks are a cute place to stash your birth control, with a handy alarm so you remember to take them.

Safe Sax make really cool tote bags, shoulder bags, or makeup bags lined with colorful condoms. For someone who likes to make a statement – be prepared for people to ask a lot of questions.

Our Bodies Ourselves, by the Boston Women’s Collective is a classic for any sex-positive/body-positive lady. An excellent gift for a younger sister, especially.

Or, if you’re a really good friend, you could always buy something from Good Vibrations. Hey, get yourself something too. It’s the season for giving, after all.

Houston, We Have a Vulva Problem

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Genevieve

I recently received a phone call from one of my friends who told me that our mutual friend, who is pregnant, asked if the baby was going to come out of her pee hole. I was flabbergasted because this woman is college-educated and 30! I would have assumed that somewhere along the way she would have stumbled upon some information about her Vulva. This incident reminds me of the episode on The Office where Dwight asks Toby where the clitoris was located. I agree with Toby, our public school system and parents have obviously failed many of our youth when it comes to basic sexual and reproductive health information. If you or a loved one has never been introduced to the glorious vulva, then today is your lucky day! If you would like additional information on how to feel more comfortable and accepting of the area “down there” or watch this clip from Oprah.

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Tag Archives: sexual health