The personal is political
By Jeanette M.
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment brought abortion to the forefront of the health care debate. But in analyzing our politicians’ views on reproductive choice, we cannot lose sight of the personal in the political. Trusting girls and women means empowering them – and not legislators – to make reproductive decisions about their own bodies. There are three million unplanned pregnancies in the United States every year. We must trust our sisters, daughters, wives, and girlfriends – rather than our senators and congressmen – to make the personal and private decisions about their own lives.
Trusting women means empowering them with the information they need
By Stacie G.
To me, being pro-choice means trusting women to make their own decisions about sex, sexuality, pregnancy, and childbearing. I also believe that in order for women to make the best choices, they need honest, accurate information about these issues. Unfortunately, even in Massachusetts, whether you get sex education in school – and the quality of that information – is often an accident of geography. It’s time we trust young people with the knowledge they need to lead sexually healthy lives. There are roles for schools, parents, community organizations, and religious institutions in conveying this information. Young people need to know about the mechanics – reproductive biology, how pregnancy occurs, how to use contraception, STIs and HIV, and how to use a condom. But they also need help figuring out the more subjective side – what is a healthy relationship, how to say no, how to say yes, where to find help if you’re sexually assaulted, and what it means to be gay, straight, bi, or trans. NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is committed to working with educators, health care providers, youth, and parents to ensure that young people get the information they need to stay healthy.
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Black and Hispanic girls and women between the ages of 15 and 19 are most likely to experience unplanned pregnancy.
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p>(http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national-data/pdf/Proportion-Unplanned-Pregnancies-United-States.pdf)
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p>However, the Congressional body representing them is 83 percent male and 85 percent White, with an average age of 56 in the House and 61 in the Senate.