Men don't get pregnant.

Finally, federal funding for comprehensive sex education!

In the words of the fabulous Ms. Gloria Steinem, "abstinence-only education is the only academic institution where children are rewarded for NOT knowing." I've always believed that teaching our youth about sex, making it less taboo and mysterious, will decrease the teen-pregnancy rate, as well as the need for abortions. Finally, federal funding for comprehensive sexual education programs will be available to those evidence-based programs that can prove they'll reduce teen pregnancy. I say it's about time! For more information on Michael Carerra's program, see the NPR link below.

"Giving young people information about sex is not the same thing as giving them permission to have sex, Carrera points out. "Sexual ignorance is not bliss. You do not make responsible decisions in the dark."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127514185&f=1014&sc=tw

An Absence of Class

Please read the following article. It is an opinion piece from the New York Times titled "An Absensce of Class"  by Bob Herbert discussing the fact that "it's long past time to acknowledge that a party that promotes ignorance and provides a safe house for bigotry cannot serve the best interestes of our country."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/opinion/23herbert.html

Ignorance is oblivion, so please get the facts!

Good morning, blog world!

Wow, a lot has happened since my last post. The Health Care Reform bill has passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. Personally, I'm almost pleased. I'm grateful that thousands of uninsured Americans (including myself) will finally have access to affordable health care, but it's disconcerting to find that "it’s price was affirming and extending the control of women’s bodies by church and state. The result restricts reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right, and the right of every child to be born loved and wanted." -Gloria Steinem (http://blog.globalsister.org/?p=1197). But, I'll try to focus on the positive for now and just keep fighting the good fight.

I like being completely informed before making a decision or judgement. I think everyone should follow this policy, but unfortunately, there are those who will believe anything anyone tells them. So I wanted to dedicate my blog this morning to the facts of the new Health Care reform bill.



Everything stated below comes from this blog: http://squashed.tumblr.com/post/461043647/updated-pros-and-cons-of-the-healthcare-reform-bill
"(Updated) Pros and Cons of the Healthcare Reform Bill

Pros:

• A lot of people who don’t have health insurance will now have health insurance.
• 95% coverage of legal U.S. residents under 65 will be covered. Compare this with 83% and dropping now. This is an increase of 32,000,000 people. (Those over 65 are already covered by Medicare either way.)
• Insurers will not be able to stop paying for people who are sick, even if they lose their jobs.
• People who cannot afford health insurance won’t have to pay as much money for it. If you are particularly poor, insurance will be very cheap or even free.
• People who are already sick will be eligible for healthcare.
• Medicaid availability will expand significantly.
• Children will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until they are 26.
• Insurers must spend at least 80% of premiums on actual medical care.
• There will be a federally regulated insurance marketplace that should make health insurance more portable.
• The bill will reduce the deficit.
• Medicare fraud will be cracked down on.
• The prescription drug “donut hole” will be closed. (If you don’t know what that is, you will now never have to worry about it.)

Cons:

• Most of the bill won’t go into effect until 2014.
• For the first ten years, it will cost $94 billion a year on average. This is a bit less than the yearly cost of the Iraq War. Unlike the Iraq War, there are cost savings and tax increases to more than cover all of this expense.
• The bill might increase the cost of health insurance in some states. This depends on whether the gains from increased efficiencies and increased competition are outweighed by the cost of providing additional benefits.
• The Individual Mandate. You will have to either buy health insurance if you don’t have it or have a 2.5% tax increase. This insurance will be subsidized for most people—but there is no guarantee that the subsidy will suffice for your specific situation.
• There will be a tax on very expensive health insurance plans.
• There will be a tax increase on very high income people. If you are making more than $200,000 (or $250,00 for a family) your Medicare Payroll tax will increase and you will need to pay Medicare taxes on investment income.

Other stuff that might be good or bad, depending how you feel about things:

• Increased government involvement in healthcare. Government already pays for huge amounts of healthcare—so this won’t be anything new.
• The bill is abortion-neutral. There will be no federal money for abortion. It will also not have additional restrictions on it. Neither side gets everything it wants on this one.
• Additional regulation on insurance companies. This might increase costs. It will increase quality.
• Doctors will have increased access to information about what treatments are most effective for their cost. If two treatments work equally well and one is cheaper, doctors can recommend that one. This was almost universally considered a good thing until a few years ago, but some people have started criticizing it lately.
• Large employers will have to offer health insurance all of their employees or pay a fee.
• Medicare Advantage plans will get less federal money. They will still get the money normal medicare patients get. So the Federal government will still be giving extra money to private insurance companies—but it won’t be giving them as much extra money.
• In the long run it will (hopefully) reduce medical costs. Rising medical costs are the main reason the long-term budget projections are so alarming. Something has to be done. Unfortunately, this bill might not do enough. While there will definitely be some savings, it’s not clear that they will be as transformative as hoped.
• There will now be a public option for people who want it.

I think we’ve moved beyond the part of the debate where people are screaming about death panels, euthenasia, rationing of healthcare, forced abortion, one-child policy, and putting a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor. I don’t think I need to reiterate how none of that is in the bill. Additionally, Nebraska no longer gets special treatment in the reconcilliation bill. There is more information here. "

I've heard some arguements opposing the bill because it will "give lazy people a free ride." First of all, "lazy people who won't work" aren't the only individuals, families, etc that cannot afford health insurance. Did they even stop to consider the many Americans that have been laid off and are now unemployeed? They lost their insurance along with their job. Or the single parent that is working several part-time jobs that don't offer insurance. Does that make them lazy? I don't think so. Secondly, as you can see from the points above, no one will get a 'free ride'. Individuals will have to either purchase a plan (that would be cheaper than existing individual plans) or they will be taxed. Either way, the government is getting money from everyone for everyone to go to the doctor when they need to.

Anyway, I hope you will do more research on your own in order to make an INFORMED decision on which side you stand.

Thanks,

-The Informed Feminist

This is about Nikki being Nikki.

So, I'm giving you all a little break this morning as I've decided to blog about something other than politics. I'm going to give you a little update on my life, because I'm sure you're all just dying to know what's been going on with me!

January 2010 - This was a good month for me; a month of change and some relaxation. I quit my job as an Admin assistant for Triumph, LLC with the Wellness Management and Recovery (WMR) program. The stress kept piling up as more and more lay-offs occurred and the responsibilities of those unfortunate, now former employees were passed on to other staff, namely me, and all the while our pay checks were slaughtered again and again. Pay goes down (drastically) and rent goes up, responsibilities go up, and not one single "thank you for doing a great job." It was time to get out!

On the flip side,  Nick and I officially started dating again. We will have known each other for 7 years in August. It's always interesting how things work themselves out, but I'm deeply happy they did. 

 February 2010 - Luckily, I was offered a position with our sister company and started Feb 2nd. I was very reluctant to take it because I really want to get out of community mental health but you do what you must when you have bills to pay. So far, I've had mixed feelings about it. I'm still an administrative assistant, but the stress has lessened tremendously. I don't enjoy the work and I'm learning how to run the front desk. I don't want to work in a health clinic anymore. But what can you do? I'm grateful to have a job and to be seen as an important asset.

I'm delighted that Nick and I are moving back in together. We've found a cute little villa in the Brier Creek area of Raleigh. And I can't wait to get out of Durham.

March 2010 - I've started studying for the GRE this month with the intentions of taking it by the end of the summer - August at the latest. I'm going to apply to UNC Chapel Hill's Master of Public Health Program with a concentration in Health Behavior Health Education. My dream job would be to teach comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to communities through a non-profit organization. Or I guess I wouldn't mind teaching general health on a college level. I could even inforce the Healthy Youth Act and teach good health practices to t(w)eens. I think either one of these career paths would make me truly happy. So wish me luck! The pressure is on!

Spring is almost here! It's just a little over a week away. I can't wait for sunshine and warm breezes and long walks in flip flops with my Chico man. My goals for the spring are to get more exercise for myself and make sure Chico gets plenty, as well. We've been too lazy this winter so we need to liven up.

Upcoming in April 2010 - My goals for April are to continue to study for the GRE, probably take a few practice tests; improve my money-saving skills; and establish a nice little daily/weekly routine that includes a good workout, plenty of study time, enjoyable work, and some relaxation with the loves of my life (Nick and Chico). Speaking of, Nick's birthday is in April! I LOVE birthdays, so that's something to look forward to!

Well, I believe that's it for now. Please stay tuned to my passionate politics, my crazy life decisions, and my constant strive for positivity!

-The Content Feminist.

Why Don't I Deserve Affordable Health Care?

Man, a public option for health insurance sure would come in handy right now. I'm employed full time, I pay taxes, I contribute to society, and I have a college degree but I don't have health insurance. Why, you might ask? Because my employer will not offer it to me now. So, what is it about all of that says I don't deserve health care? Or that I deserve to pay outrageous prices for health care that I can't afford? Keeping in mind that those taxes coming out of each pay check (that I earned through my full-time job) goes to pay for Medicaid and Medicare for low-income and elderly people, shouldn't I have an option, too, since I'm paying those taxes? Don't get me wrong; I'm happy to contribute to something that will help so many that need it. But what about the help I need? And it's not like I'm sitting back and letting others take care of me, getting a free ride. I work just as hard as the next young professional. So, why don't I deserve affordable health care? Can someone please explain it to me?

Thanks.

-The Confused Feminist

Have you hugged an abortion provider today?

Today is the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers!

http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/National_Day_of_Appreciation_for_Abortion_Providers.aspx

Abortion providers make reproductive choice possible for American women and often offer critical support and care. Yet the number of doctors and clinicians able to perform abortion procedures or administer abortion medication is declining, making access to an essential health-care service increasingly difficult. 

It's interesting to me, and even a little saddening, to hear that abortion is the most common medical procedure of girls aged 15 - 44 and yet medical schools do not discuss abortion care or train students on the procedure. It seems to me that this would be a requirement, right up there with how to deliver a baby or how to remove a gall bladder.

Personally, I applaud all abortion providers and the medical students that have chosen to take this path. I imagine it's a difficult decision to make when you have so little support from your teachers and professional peers.
So, Thank you too all abortion providers for allowing women to have a choice in their own reproductive health and for providing the care that women need Thank you for braving the dangers that come from anti-choice, hypocritical protesters, clinic bombers, and murderers that continue to make your work place unsafe. I appreciate the care that you provide and I know of countless other women who feel the same..

Thank you!

-The Thankful Feminist