Favorites from this week
Another busy work week, filled with a lot of the politics of clinical practice by which I continue to be amazed. What happened to being a midwife? How does that factor into practices that are not midwife-run, or that are focused on business models, or that do not see midwifery as anything different from the care provided by obstetricians? So much to learn about how to be myself, how to be the midwife I want to be, and how to support other midwives in my same group in that quest.In other news, my awesome friend (waiting to match for Residency - good luck, Taylor!!!) sent along a link to this free Coursera course called Contraception: Choices, Culture and Consequences through UCSF. Some great free resources associated with the free class are Managing Contraception on the Go and the two-part series from Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers (Part 1 (Intro through Chapter 12) and Part 2 (Chapter 13 through end)). Begins in about one week, if you're interested. At least in the free stuff!...Series: Welcoming All Families; Working With Gender Variant (Transgendered) Families - Simon Adriane Ellis at Science and SensibilityWicked awesome discussion, from a CNM, about providing midwifery care. "...When asked, many birth professionals will tell you that they’ve never cared for a gender variant patient. Many of us claim that we don’t have the skills or the knowledge to do so. Turns out we’re usually wrong, on two fronts. First, chances are many of us have served gender variant people, without knowing it. And second, we are competent, compassionate, and well-trained professionals who already have what we need to provide excellent care and services to our gender variant patients. This post will provide a basic framework for approaching care, as well as some specific resources and suggestions to make your practice more inviting. I write it from both my perspective as a practicing Certified Nurse Midwife, and my perspective as a gender variant person (female-to-male)...If someone asks you why you choose to do birth work, what do you say? Many of us would say that we are passionate about serving women, that we value women’s bodies and autonomy and we honor the journey to motherhood. Which is fantastic! We should! But what if your pregnant client doesn’t happen to identify as a woman? Does that change anything about the importance of their journey to parenthood? Does it make their birth experience less authentic and worthy of support? Of course not. Birth is birth, regardless of gender identity. And birth is our specialty. But many of us have a very hard time imagining pregnancy outside the concept of “woman,” which casts doubt on gender variant people who choose to carry a pregnancy. Being aware of and challenging your own biases and personal attachments to the concept of gender will help you prepare yourself for working with a more diverse client base..."...Why Ending the Ban on Women in Combat is Good for All Women - Jessica Valenti at The Nation"...Arguments against women on the frontlines have done little to protect and support actual women—in fact, they’ve been used to actively discriminate against women. When Phyllis Schlafly launched her (sadly, successful) campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment, one of her major arguments was that the amendment would force women into combat.The truth is that women are already dying in service to their country and are already on the frontlines,despite the existing policy.What lifting the ban on women in combat will really mean is more opportunity for career advancement. TheACLU points out that women will now be eligible for tens of thousands of jobs that were once only available to men.But perhaps even more importantly, it will start to chip away at the benevolent sexism that clouds our culture and suggests that inequality is just another form of chivalry..."...No Man's Job - Anthony KurtzAn awesome photo series chronically women at Femme Auto in Senegal.
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Worst States for Pregnant Rape Victims - Katy Hall and Chris Spurlock
"...A Republican state representative in New Mexico introduced a bill Wednesday that classified abortions for rape victims as "tampering with evidence," effectively requiring women to carry their pregnancies to term in order to prove their case in a sexual assault trial.
This bill will not pass, as Democrats control both chambers of New Mexico's state legislature, but there are plenty of other state laws that extend the nightmare for women who are impregnated through rape.Of the 26 states that require a waiting period (usually 24 hours) for women seeking abortions, only Utah makes an exception for cases of rape or incest. Pregnant rape victims in some states must also undergo counseling about the negative effects of abortion before having the procedure.If a woman who conceives through rape does go on to have the child, she can open herself up to being victimized by her rapist again and again. In 31 states, paternal rapists are allowed to sue for custody and visitation rights like any other father, as a Chicago woman who was served with custody papers from her rapist brought to the public's attention last summer after former Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) made his"legitimate rape" comments..."
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A Pep Talk From Kid President To You - Kid President at Soul Pancake