FFL presents women-centered solutions to systematically eliminate the reasons that drive women to abortion.

Volume 8, Number 2Summer 2001

$5.00

A Plan to Right the WrongProtecting Women’s HealthEducated Mothers: Smart Society

Women DeserveBetter

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c o n t e n t s

The Quarterly Magazine of Feminists for Life of America Editor Erin Sullivan Associate Editor Maureen O’Connor Copy Editors Donna R. Foster, Karen MacKavanagh Communications Director Lisa Toscani Design/Layout Elizabeth Lambertson Production Coordinator Anna L. Schenck Feminists for Life of America, 733 15th Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 737-3352; www.feministsforlife.org. President Serrin M. Foster Chair Andrea Milanowski Vice Chair Peter Wolfgang Public Policy Chair Therese Madden Treasurer Marion Syversen Secretary Juda Buchanan Feminists for Life of America, founded in 1972 and reorganized in 1995, is a member of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, National Women’s Coalition for Life, National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women, and Seamless Garment Network.The opinions expressed in The American Feminist by individual authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies, views or beliefs of The American Feminist editorial staff, FFL’s President, or the Board of Directors. Copyright 2001. All rights reserved. ISSN 1532-6861

4 Plan to Right the WrongFFL President Serrin Foster urges President Bush to call for a national summit on pregnancy and parenting to helpreduce the number of abortions in America through women-centered solutions.

6 Love’s Labor LostWomen have worked hard to get where they are in the workplace today. What’s next?

10 Protecting Women’s HealthThere is mounting evidence that abortion is affecting women’s physical and mental health in a variety of ways. What are they, and what’s the cure?

15 Humane ServicesFind out how to take care of yourself and others through programs and innovative citizen initiatives on everything from financial aid to birthmother benefits to child-support enforcement.

20 Educated Mothers: Smart SocietyTest your knowledge on help in education, learn about what’s available now and hear some bright ideas for the future that can help women in need.

In Every Issue:3 Herstory

A giant figure in feminist history who wouldn’t let her dreams of equality die.

25 Letters to the Editor25 We Remember

Women who died from legal abortions.26 Voices of Women Who Mourn

FFL gives voice to the millions of women who are mourning their loss after an abortion.

“When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may safely conclude that there is something wrong in society—so when a woman destroys the life of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged.” — Mattie Brinkerhoff, The Revolution, September 2, 1869

With a new president, now is the time to take a look atinnovative ideas and solutions for women and children.

Women D e s e r v e B e t t e r

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herstory herstory Worth RepeatingWorth Repeating

Lisa Bellecci-st. romain

GROWING UP IN A FAMILY steeped in Quaker tradition, Alice Paul lived andbreathed its tenets. This included the “first principle,” that there should beequality of the sexes. According to Paul, “it wasn’t a subject for discussion ...there were many things in which the world hadn’t come along, and this wasone that had to come along sometime.” Thus, it was an emotionally stunning,life-influencing experience when 22-year-old Alice Paul, attending a Quakertraining school for theology and public service in England, witnessedstudents shouting down Christabel Pankhurst as she expressed pro-equality,pro-suffrage views. With an application form and 25 cents, Paul joined theWomen’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) inLondon and began her lifelong mission of equalityfor women. As a new WSPU recruit, she sold itspaper, Votes for Women, in the streets,participated in hunger strikes and began todeliver public speeches (for which she wouldlater be known). She was sometimes arrested forspeaking publicly and endured solitaryconfinement.

Upon her return to the U.S. in January 1910,Paul continued her work for women’s suffrage.She again spoke on street corners and organizedevents in Philadelphia’s Independence Square,filling the square to capacity.

By that time Alice Paul had already earned amaster’s in sociology with minors in politicalscience and economics. In 1912, after finishingher doctoral thesis, “Toward Equality,” she wasasked by social activist Jane Addams to be thecongressional chairman of the National American Woman SuffrageAssociation (NAWSA) and establish a Washington, D.C., headquarters.

Paul worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage in D.C. She wrote monthlyeditorials for The Suffragist, initiated a “suffrage school” to train activists onlaw and public speaking, organized an “advisory council” of writers,physicians and well-known women, and met with President Woodrow Wilsonto encourage support for women’s suffrage.

She also used large-scale campaigns to pressure the federal government.Paul stunned the public by organizing massive demonstrations, including asuffrage parade of 1,000 women at Wilson’s inauguration in 1913.

When Congress opened later that year, Paul had one woman from everycongressional district in the United States present with a petition in hand.

The following month, 531 women from various states presented resolutionsthat were introduced on the floor of both the U.S. House and Senate, markingthe first time suffrage had been up for debate on the House floor.

In 1914, she began “holding the party in power responsible”—advocatingthat women in states who had the vote now had the obligation to enfranchisethe rest of the women in the country by voting against the current anti-suffrage administration. One year later, Paul initiated a plan to organize ineach suffrage state—thus beginning the National Woman’s Party. Paul gainedmore publicity during Wilson’s speech to Congress in 1917. When he touted

his work for suffrage for Filipino men, a longbanner was unfurled from the gallery thataddressed the need for suffrage at home.

She advocated nonviolent civil disobedienceas a nationwide political strategy, and is believedto be the first person in the United States to do sosuccessfully. While picketing the White House in1917, more than 500 women were arrested and168 served prison terms. Some were held inmental hospitals. Paul was one who went on ahunger strike.

Finally, six years after Paul arrived inWashington, Congress passed the 19thAmendment, guaranteeing women the right tovote. It was ratified by the states on Aug. 28, 1920.Alice Paul considered it “the most useful thing Iever did.”

She continued her efforts for women’s rights,authoring the Equal Rights Amendment and

pushing for gender-equality statements in both the United Nations Charterand in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

But she became frustrated with the direction of the women’s movement.“We had been trying, as you know, to get our Equal Rights plank in, and wehad an extremely difficult time, extremely difficult, because all the women’sliberation wanting to put in all these other things.” Alice Paul opposed thelater trend of linking the ERA with abortion. She said, “Abortion is theultimate exploitation of women.” ❍

Lisa M. Bellecci-st. romain is an FFL member, author of three books and apublic high school social worker who teaches psychology at the high school andcollege levels.

Author of the Equal Rights Amendment

Alice Stokes PaulSuffragist

1885-1977

ALMOST THREE DECADES havepassed since Roe v. Wade unleasheda new, violent norm on America. And

while the activists on both sides of theabortion debate continue to talk at crosspurposes—“What about women's rights?”“What about the baby?”—basic needs ofwomen continue to be ignored.

We need a comprehensive review of the reasons that drive women to abortion in order to holistically solve this national tragedy.

Many Americans disagree on abortion,but both sides of the debate agree that thenumber of abortions needs to be reduced.What is missing is a woman-centered planto accomplish this goal. Every day that goes by while the needs of women areignored is another day marked bythousands of abortions.

President Bush has stated, “We are asociety with enough compassion and wealthto love and care for both mothers and theirchildren, to seek the promise and potentialin every human life.”

Yet too many women are abandoned bythose they count on most, don’t have theresources that would enable them tocombine work and family, or feel forced to choose between their education andtheir children.

The time is right for the Bushadministration to call a national summit onpregnancy and parenting to reduce thenumber of abortions in America. Just asFeminists for Life has done on collegecampuses across the country through itsCollege Outreach Program, Americans needto listen to women and create acomprehensive, step-by-step plan tosystematically eliminate the root causesthat drive women to abortion—primarilythe lack of financial resources andemotional support.

✯ Plan to

To accomplish this we need leadersin higher education, health, technology,corporations, small businesses, theentertainment industry, governmentand the media to help redirect thedebate toward positive outcomes for allconcerned. Men must be welcomed atthe table. Most important, we mustlisten to women from all walks of life,especially those who have personallyexperienced the tragedy of abortion,and those facing an unplannedpregnancy.

We must begin by concentrating onsolutions for those at highest risk ofabortion—college women, youngworking women and low-incomewomen.

College campuses should examinetheir policies, attitudes and support forpregnant and parenting students andstaff. Through programs like PregnancyResource Forums hosted by Feministsfor Life, those on all sides of the debatewithin the campus community can putaside their differences to address theneeds of pregnant and parentingstudents. Colleges across the countryhave followed Georgetown University’sexample by addressing basic needsincluding housing, child care andmaternity benefits in student health-care plans.

Family-friendly workplaces that offerchild care, flex time andtelecommuting solutions can helplessen the pressure on women tochoose between their careers and theirchildren. More corporations shouldfollow the example of Steelcase Corp.of Michigan, which will set up a homeoffice for its employees who are newparents to help them telecommute.

Pregnancy care centers need fullfunding to give women “the rest of the

choices” including marital parenthood,single parenthood, extended family orco-parenting options and adoption.These centers also need resources tosupport nonviolent choices, includingon-site medical care in a nonsectariansetting, and a budget that enablesthem to reach out to those in need.First Resort in San Francisco—a citywhere there are more abortions thanlive births—is a model for the country.It is a nonsectarian pregnancy carecenter that offers comprehensivemedical care. Churches, mosques andsynagogues should follow the call of thelate Cardinal O’Connor by openingtheir doors to help any woman in need.

We need to replicate the success inPennsylvania, where abortions havebeen greatly reduced through resourcesthat promote life-affirming alternativesand a woman’s right to know about herbody, fetal development, and thefather’s rights and responsibilities. Thelate Gov. Bob Casey knew that womencould handle information.

States should also look at New YorkState’s implementation of CHIP(Children’s Health InsurancePrograms), which offers services likeprenatal care to the poor. Health andHuman Services Secretary TommyThompson has already recognized thevalue of this program and has proposedexpanding it to other states.

Let us drown out the voices ofnegativity by once again cherishingmotherhood, championing fatherhood,and celebrating the benefits andrewards of parenthood. As FFLHonorary Chair and Emmy winnerPatricia Heaton has said, “Women whoexperience an unplanned pregnancyalso deserve unplanned joy.”

Mattie Brinkerhoff wrote in 1869 inSusan B. Anthony and Elizabeth CadyStanton's radical feminist newspaper,The Revolution, “When a man steals tosatisfy hunger, we may safely concludethat there is something wrong insociety—so when a woman destroysthe life of her unborn child, it is anevidence that either by education or circumstances she has been greatly wronged.”

Every abortion is a reflection that wehave failed women. Every womandeserves better, and every childdeserves a chance at life.

It is time to right the wrongs. Wemust refuse to choose between womenand children. It is time to recognizethe strength and dignity of women, theimportance of fathers, and the value ofevery human life. Let’s raiseexpectations and focus our efforts onthe best for women, children andfamilies, so that one day soon we willlook back at this barbaric practice andwonder why any woman ever feltcoerced into suffering through an abortion.

President Bush has an opportunityto lead this country toward a culturethat respects life. When Americans puttheir minds to solving a problem,anything is possible.

While we look with hope to ourleaders, we must remember that thegreatest revolutions begin at thegrassroots level. Sometimes it is up tothe people to demand change. ❍

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Right the Wrong ✯

Serrin M. FosterPresident

Love’s6

Susan Rankin

FOR THE PAST 30years, women havebeen under the gun toprove that they can bejust like men in the

workplace. Mainstreamfeminist groups believedthis was the way to gainequality at work. Thusbegan mainstreamfeminists’ support ofabortion—eliminatingpregnancy made womenmore like men (seesidebar, page 9). At theoutset, this tacticappeared to work. Womenproceeded to break downbarriers and close in onequality. Business Week’sNov. 27, 2000, issue saidthat 45% of all managerialposts in the United Statesare held by women, andthe World Bank’s Development Indicatorsfor 2000 show an averageof female participation inthe workforce of over 40%.

Yet women are by no meansequally represented at all levels ofthe workplace—Carleton “Carly”Fiorina of Hewlett Packard is theonly female CEO in Forbesmagazine’s list of top 100 companies—and issues like sexual harassmentand gender discrimination are stillreal barriers to too many women at work.

Those who have a family feel theycan be penalized even further. In asurvey conducted as part of a WallStreet Journal study, 36% ofrespondents with children at homefeared missing out on advancementwhile on maternity leave. Love’s

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Mainstream feminist organizationsthought these problems would be solvedby abortion, but abortion doesn’t helpwomen who choose to have children.

“The workplace is still arranged, to agreat degree, for workers who have nochild-care responsibilities,” says SerrinFoster, president of FFL. “Now, nearlythree decades after Roe v. Wade, womenare challenging the idea of abortion asthe solution to inequality in theworkplace, and instead asking forworkplace conditions that don’t forcethem to choose between a career and motherhood.”

WHAT WOMEN WANTThis dilemma of balancing work and

family is nothing new, but many believethe challenges it presents to both menand women have gone largelyunaddressed or ignored. In her book,The Price of Motherhood: Why the MostImportant Job in the World Is Still theLeast Valued, Ann Crittenden says thatas a “committed feminist,” she isdisappointed that mainstream feministgroups still “devalue motherhood.” Somebelieve that abortion may even hurtwomen in the workplace long-term—with abortion commonly advocated asthe “preferred choice,” employers maynot have recognized the need toaccommodate those women who chooseto have children.

“Feminist organizations need to focusless on promoting abortion and more onaddressing the root causes of abortion,”Foster says. “We need to look at whatwomen really want.”

What do women want? “We needworkplace conditions designed for theneeds of families, not individuals,” wrote

Catherine Keenan to the SydneyMorning Herald in Australia on March9, 2001. Amber Rust, an Oxford graduateand mother, told the London SundayTimes on March 11 that she’d like tofind a way to “do justice to myself andmy education without working longhours in an office.”

In a study by sociologist CatherineHakim, 70% of women surveyed saidthey wanted to be mothers, and morethan half of those were looking for waysto combine work and family, rather thandedicate themselves solely to one pathor the other. The NationalCenter for Women andFamilies released a study ofworking mothers in 2000 thatshowed similar statistics. Itsaid a third of the workingmothers surveyed wanted tobe stay-at-home moms, andmore than half wanted towork either part- or full-time.

Women are not alone in thestruggle to find ways tobalance work and family.

DAD’S DILEMMA,TOO

According to a poll released by theRadcliffe Public Policy Center in May2000, having a work schedule thatallows for time with family is the mostimportant goal for men ages 20-29, and71% of these men would give up somepay for more time with their families.

Also, in a 1999 Men’s Healthmagazine survey, published by theNational Partnership for Women andFamilies, 73% of men and 90% ofGeneration X dads agreed with thefollowing statement: “Once you have a

child, your own needs come second.” In1987, only 63% of men agreed.

In response to the survey’s questionasking what men equate with status,86% said it means being a great husbandand father, while 81% said opting forfamily rather than a prestigious career.

“It seems that men are placing theirpriorities in the right order—in theoryat least,” Foster says. “If both men andwomen believe that their families taketop billing, we should partner more tomake the workplace more familyfriendly. Telecommuting options, child

care, flex time, family and medicalleave, and making a living wage are notsolely women’s issues.”

The debate over how to balance workand family is complex for both womenand men, but some partial solutions arealready being considered.

WHAT’S WORKINGMany businesses already are placing

more focus on providing a family-friendly environment. Several

Labor Lost

Susan Rankin

continued on pg. 8

workin8 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

companies have been encouraged bystudies showing the corporations thatconsider their employees’ familyobligations receive increasedproductivity in return. Employers whooffer work-family programs have lowerabsenteeism, reduced turnover ratesand higher employee morale.Examples of family-friendly policiesinclude longer leave time or help withtelecommuting. Steelcase Corp. ofMichigan, for example, will set up ahome office for new parents so theymay telecommute.

The federal government has alsotaken steps to help working parents.The U.S. Department of Labor haslooked specifically at working womensince June 1920, when it establishedthe Women’s Bureau. Among itsactivities are advising women of theirworkplace rights, proposing policiesand legislation to benefit workingwomen, and researching andanalyzing information about women in the workplace. The bureau reportsits findings to the president and Congress.

Among the recent contributions ofthe Women’s Bureau: a majorinitiative to encourage employer-sponsored child care in 1982;establishing a multi-media Work andFamily Clearinghouse in 1989, whichoffers news and information for “work-life” professionals; and vehementsupport of the Family and MedicalLeave Act (FMLA) of 1993, whichentitles employees to take up to 12

weeks of unpaid, job-protected leavefor family and medical reasons.

WORK STILL UNDONEMany feel the FMLA needs to be

improved because the leave is only for12 weeks, and is unpaid. In themeantime, there are things womencan do to make the situation easier.Women should check to see whethertheir state provides disabilityinsurance, which supplements paidleave for part of the leave time.Parents can also try to plan inadvance so that their vacation andsick time can be applied tosupplement their salaries while out on leave.

Another primary concern forworking women is safe, affordablechild care. According to LisaBenenson, editor of Working Mothermagazine, only half of the 100 mostfamily-friendly companies offer on-sitechild care. “None of them offer it forfree, and many of them offer it at only one branch, thus limiting the option to a tiny group ofemployees,” Benenson added in anMSNBC.com editorial.

The federal Women’s Bureau 1997-2002 strategic plan includes abusiness-to-business mentoringproposal—connecting employersalready offering child-care programswith other businesses consideringthat step. An apprenticeship programto improve training for child-careworkers is also in the works.

So great is the misery ofthat seventeen abortions arevery one hundred pregnan

g classes9S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

Congress is responding to workingparents’ concerns, as well. A billintroduced in the Senate wouldrequire standard safety guidelines forday-care centers in all states and alsoimprove enforcement. The Children’sDay Care Health and SafetyImprovement Act, sponsored by Sens.Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and BillFrist, R-Tenn., would authorize $200million per year for states toimplement background checks, safetyinspections and improvements.

Beyond actions by corporations orgovernments, mothers are findingtheir own alternatives. Parents areincreasingly starting their ownbusinesses.

FFL supporter Joan Carey started acomputer company from her homewith her husband so that they couldspend more time with their five boysand new baby girl. Another FFLmember, Beth Luteran, started a dog-walking service in her neighborhood.FFL writer Catherine Snow worked ina public relations agency for years.When she had children, she did free-lance PR from home.

Parents often still need child-careassistance when working from home.But it can be well worth theinvestment to maintain career skillsand contacts and avoid falling too farbehind in the traditional career track.

Parents say they want affordablechild care, flexible work schedules,family-friendly tax reform, more leave

time for both mothers and fathers andmore part-time job options.

It remains to be seen whether theshift toward a family-friendlyworkplace for both men and womenwill continue, or if it has stalled withabortion as the “answer.”

Even a century ago strugglingemployees facing the challenge ofwork and family often succumbed tothe pressure through abortion. EmmaGoldman wrote in Mother Earth in1911, “So great is the misery of theworking classes that seventeenabortions are committed in every onehundred pregnancies.” Certainly inthe new millennium we can do better.

What you can do: Find outwhat kind of policies your employershave in place that affect the family,and, if necessary, encourage them todo even more. Examples of family-friendly policies include flex time,telecommuting, longer leave thanrequired by the FMLA and affordableor on-site child care. You can alsourge your congressionalrepresentatives to support legislationlike the Children’s Day Care Healthand Safety Improvement Act, whichwould provide federal funding to thestates for background checks, safetyinspections and improvements at daycare centers. ❍

Sue Rankin is a member of FFL and a

freelance writer.

How did we get here?Serrin M. FosterPresident

How did we get here? Larry Lader, a manconcerned with population issues, hooked up with Dr.Bernard Nathanson, who had seen botched abortions,and reasoned that legal abortions would be safe. Theybegan NARAL, originally the National Alliance toRepeal Abortion Laws. Lader remains active today asan abortion advocate, but Dr. Nathanson, afterperforming 60,000 abortions, later became pro-life.He has provided insights into the early days of theabortion movement and how it became thecenterpiece of the ‘70s women’s movement.

After years of unsuccessfully lobbying statelegislatures and governors to overturn “archaic”antiabortion laws—the same ones enacted as a resultof efforts by early suffragists as a protection forwomen and children—Lader and Nathanson decidedto change strategies. They noticed that the women’smovement was an emerging, powerful and vocalforce. What was the movement’s major goal? Equalityin the workplace.

Lader and Nathanson convinced the leadership ofthe ‘70s women’s movement that having children heldwomen back in the workplace. If women wanted to beeducated like men, hired like men, paid like men andpromoted like men, then they would need to controltheir fertility. After all, why should the employer haveto deal with morning sickness, maternity benefits andleave for a sick child—as if fathers would never taketime off for their children? If women wanted the samerights as men, they would have to function as men inthe workplace.

So many of the problems we face today can betraced to abortion advocates Lader and Nathanson’spersuasion of the ‘70s feminists, who turned abortioninto the centerpiece, the litmus test, of feminism.Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other early suffragistswould have stood up to these men and demandedequality in the workplace as women.

We need a fresh look at solutions that will enablewomen to combine a career and families.

the working classese committed incies. —Emma Goldman, Mother Earth, 1911

10 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

Laura Ciampa

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION cantake several steps on abortion-related policy that will improve

women’s safety. Through the U.S.Department of Health and HumanServices, the administration can call forFood and Drug Administration studies ofRU-486 and the morning-after pill,comprehensive research on the physicaland emotional aftereffects of abortionand further study of the link betweenabortion and breast cancer.

Most people involved on both sides ofthe abortion debate agree we need toreduce the number of abortions in thiscountry. More research and informationmay better inform women’s decisionsabout pregnancy and abortion andinfluence government policy.

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RU-486In September 2000, after many years of controversy, the

FDA approved RU-486, the drug combination that causesabortion in early weeks of pregnancy. FFL recommendsthat this drug be pulled from the market immediately.

The approval of RU-486 came through an accelerateddrug-approval process that is usually reserved for life-saving experimental remedies, such as AIDS medications,as if an “unwanted pregnancy” were a serious conditionand a life-threatening illness. Because of this quickapproval, pushed through by the Clinton administrationunder pressure from abortion advocates, information on the drug’s side effects is incomplete and requiresfurther study.

In addition, its fast-track status could mean that theliability for Danco, the company manufacturingmifepristone (one drug used in the RU-486 combination),is limited. This fast-track status also means that the drugcould be pulled more easily than other medications,should the Bush administration choose to attempt torevoke its approval.

RU-486 has been used with mixed success in WesternEurope for many years, and was found to have a 44%failure rate when tested in Taiwan, according to a 1999Central News Agency newswire service article. In U.S.clinical trials, using the most physically ideal candidates,2% hemorrhaged, one out of 100 women was hospitalized,and several women required surgery to stop the bleeding.Some women were bleeding for close to 60 days aftertaking the drug, and some developed endometriosis, aninflammation of the lining of the uterus.

Worldwide, a 10% hemorrhage rate has been reported,with 1-2% significant enough to require a transfusion, anda 5-15% rate of pelvic infection, resulting in sterility for 4-5% of those women. In the U.S., women in their fifthweek of pregnancy aborted 92% of the time, while womenin their seventh week aborted 77% of the time. Side effectsof RU-486 include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, painfulcramping, and, less frequently, infection and heartpalpitations. The long-term physical effects are not known.For example, although it is known that RU-486 crosses theblood follicle barrier and gets into the follicular fluidsurrounding a woman’s ripening eggs, what effect this mayhave is yet to be determined.

Mifepristone is more effective when taken with Cytotec,a drug used to induce labor but only FDA-approved fortreating peptic ulcers. At least eight deaths have beencaused by this “off-label” use of Cytotec, which has beencondemned by its manufacturer, G.D. Searle Corp. Thedrug has caused amniotic fluid embolism, severe vaginalbleeding, retained placenta, shock, pelvic pain, andruptures and perforations requiring surgery, among otherserious conditions.

In addition, use of RU-486 is a more difficult processthan might be expected, as it requires three visits to thedoctor's office over the course of two weeks. Because ofthe nature of a chemical abortion, a woman will mostlikely abort at home, raising the question of emotionalafter-effects. RU-486 brings a woman face-to-face with the violence of abortion, as sheexpels a recognizable human being athome, at work, or in a college dorm.

A few colleges have announced that their clinics will notoffer RU-486. Jim Davis, director of Utah State University’sStudent Health Center in Logan, told the Salt LakeTribune on March 12 that RU-486 “has a lot of potential, inaddition to not working, for medical complications.” TheSalt Lake Tribune reported in the same article that 8% ofwomen taking RU-486 require follow-up surgery. “That isbeyond the scope of our care here,” Davis told thenewspaper. “It’s not something we’ve been trained to do,and none of our physicians have sought training for that.”

FFL President Serrin Foster says RU-486 should bepulled off the shelves immediately. “We have no idea whatRU-486 will do to future generations, a woman’s long-termmental health or her capacity to bear future children—especially when used repeatedly,” said Foster. “Taking RU-486 off the market is a good step toward protectingwomen and children.”

continued on pg. 12

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—Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1873. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s newspaper, The Revolution, and most other feminist publications

What you can do: Write Secretary of Health andHuman Services Tommy Thompson and ask him to pull thisdangerous drug off the market because of the harm it can doto women’s mental and physical health and because little isknown about long-term effects, especially with repeat usage.

THE MORNING-AFTER PILL As in the case of RU-486, the FDA bypassed regular drug

trials when it approved manufacture and marketing of themorning-after pill in March 1997.

The morning-after pill provides a short, strong burst ofhormones that may prevent pregnancy in some cases bytemporarily stopping production of eggs, inhibiting transportof the egg or sperm within the fallopian tubes, or preventingfertilization—depending on the time during the menstrualcycle that it is taken. According to manufacturers, if a childhas already been conceived, the pills function by alteringthe uterine lining with their high estrogen content,preventing implantation.

Although it is standard for doctors to review a patient’smedical history before prescribing powerful medications, so-called “emergency contraception” is being offered over thephone, and even over the Internet, on sites such asgetthepill.com, where you can pay $20 to enter somemedical information, have one of its doctors review yourcase, prescribe the pill or a morning-after pill, and have theprescription waiting for you at a nearby drugstore. Nowmore than 60 women’s and medical groups have presentedpetitions to make it available over the counter.

Unanswered questions remain about the safety of themorning-after pill. Short-term effects from this massive doseof hormones include nausea and vomiting, headaches,breast tenderness, dizziness, weakness and fluid retention.FFL and others feel the FDA is doing a great disservice towomen in not studying the long-term effects of this powerfuldrug dosage—particularly the effects on a woman’s futurefertility and children.

In addition, corporations and family planningorganizations promoting the morning-after pill are

attempting to redefine pregnancy. Pregnancy begins atconception, but abortion advocates now say that a womanbecomes pregnant only after the newly conceived humanembryo implants itself in the womb. The reference to themorning-after pill as “emergency contraception” is actuallya misnomer. The manufacturer has clearly said that it canwork to prevent conception or to prevent implantation of an embryo.

“Manufacturers and promoters hope that by misinformingwomen about when pregnancy occurs, it will be easier for usto swallow their pill,” said Foster. “The National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) should play a leadership role informingwomen—as well as the manufacturers and the media—thatlife begins at conception—not implantation.”

What you can do: Respectfully ask SecretaryThompson to study the repeat usage of the morning-afterpill. Contact news organizations when they incorrectly referto the morning-after pill as “emergency contraception” orreport that the use of the morning-after pill can reduceabortions, as the abortifacient effect will certainlyincrease—in essence, an early abortion.

PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL RISKS OF ABORTION

Another great service the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services could perform for women is to conduct acomprehensive study of the physical and emotional effectsof abortion. Known physical consequences of surgicalabortions include excessive bleeding (often caused byuterine punctures), damage to the cervix, increased risk offuture miscarriages and ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, pelvicinflammatory disease and endometriosis (an inflammationof the lining of the uterus that can cause infertility), plusincreased risk of developing breast cancer.

It is unknown how many women die each year due tobotched abortions, since the government stopped collectingstatistics in 1987 due to the lack of accurate reporting.However, from 1985-1987 there were 26 deaths reported, and

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s of the last century refused to join in the common practice of printing advertisements for thinly disguised patent-medicine abortifacients.

Depression

Guilt

Anxiety

Alcohol and drug abuse

Eating disorders

Other self-punishing behaviors, such as entering into abusive relationships

several deaths continue to surface in the news media each year. Many of these deaths and injuries could beprevented if clinics were required to follow basic safety andsanitary regulations.

Although abortion is the most common surgery in theUnited States, opposition has prevented most legislation to require government inspections and reporting byclinics—standard for other medical facilities. “We havemore stringent requirements for veterinary clinics thanabortion clinics. Do we care less about women than dogs?” said Foster.

The U.S. Supreme Court, on Feb. 26, 2001, refused to hearan appeal from abortion practitioners regarding SouthCarolina’s new rules to regulate everything in abortionclinics from bookkeeping to air flow in clinics. “Now that weknow that the Supreme Court will not interfere with thesemeasures, similar legislation should be introduced in otherstates,” said Foster.

In addition to the potential physical consequences ofabortion, there are emotional effects. Symptoms of post-abortion syndrome include depression, guilt and anxiety as

SYMPTOMS OF POST-ABORTION SYNDROME INCLUDE:

continued on pg. 14

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well as increased rates of alcohol and drug abuse, eatingdisorders, other self-punishing behaviors (becoming promiscuous,entering into abusive relationships) and suicide. A study reportedby USA Today found that women who already suffer fromdepression or other mental illnesses will more likely sufferemotional consequences from an abortion, debunking support ofabortion on “therapeutic” grounds by the American PsychologicalAssociation and the American Psychiatric Association.

Many women experience symptoms similar to other forms ofpost-traumatic stress disorder, and re-experience the abortion invarious ways, such as through recurring nightmares or flashbacksbrought on by the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Some womenexperience a reaction on the anniversary of the abortion or theexpected due date. Others become preoccupied with becomingpregnant again.

Abortion can also lead to anxiety over fertility and childbearingissues, and can interfere with a woman’s bonding with futurechildren, by causing low self-esteem, survivor guilt, and evensubconscious devaluing of her other children. Many womenwho abort have trouble grieving their lost children dueto their and society’s reluctance to admit what hashappened. Another difficulty in assessing theemotional ramifications of abortion is thatmost studies have only surveyed women withina short time after their abortions. Thesestudies show that many women report feelingrelief, yet many symptoms do not surface untilyears later.

Another area in need of study is repeatabortions. The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention’s most recent report indicates that half ofall abortions are repeat abortions. “Better outreach towomen who have had an abortion seems to be indicated,” Fostersaid. “Research into why this group is especially vulnerable andstrategies for meeting their needs would be helpful if we areserious as a nation about making abortion rare.”

Since women have been given basic information about abortionunder laws like the Abortion Control Act in Pennsylvania,abortion has decreased. “Women can handle basic informationabout their bodies, fetal development, paternity establishmentand child support, abortion alternatives and risks from maternityand abortion. The federal government can also play a role byoffering information,” said Foster. “As with other health issueslike heart disease and drug abuse, the Surgeon General’s officecan hold a national campaign to help educate women about solutions.”

What you can do: You can help by connecting women inneed to: The National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing,

Inc.National referral line: 1-800-5WE-CAREE-mail: noparh@juno.com, Web site: www.marquette.edu/rachels

Or: Rachel’s Vineyard, Toll Free: 1-877-HOPE-4-ME Web site: www.rachelsvineyard.org

ABC: ABORTION/BREAST CANCER LINKA serious, comprehensive look at the abortion-breast cancer

link would also be extremely beneficial to women. Dr. Joel Brind, internationally recognized expert on the

possible link between abortion and breast cancer, said, "If not forpolitics, the ABC link would have been acknowledged years ago.The weight of the evidence is at least as much and as consistentas for other things universally acknowledged to be risk factors.”At this point, 19 of 24 studies have found a link between the two,12 of them with statistical significance. Breast cancer is startingto reach epidemic status among American women, as more than175,000 women develop the disease each year, and 53,000 diefrom it.

In his 1999 book, Breast Cancer: Its Link to Abortion andthe Birth Control Pill, Dr. Chris Kahlenborn cited findings that

the risk of developing breast cancer in a woman who hasan abortion before her first full-term pregnancy is

increased by at least 50%. A study soon to be published by the British

Royal Statistical Society suggests that theincidence of breast cancer is about to riseexponentially among British women due tothe high abortion rate and low number ofchildren women are having. Research into

breast cancer’s causes and prevention isbecoming a priority. However, mainstream

medicine, under pressure from pro-abortionlobbying, steadfastly continues to deny the

connection. So far, there have been two cases of womensuing abortion facilities after their abortions for failing to providethis information.

“Research always indicates more research,” said Foster, “butwith the number of studies we have available to us now, werecommend that HHS hold an education campaign about thepotential risks, and require that women about to undergo anabortion be educated about the potential risks.”

What you can do: Respectfully ask Secretary Thompson(see page 19 for address) to further study the link between abortion and breast cancer, and to educate the public aboutpotential risks.

FFL hopes the new administration will address these hazardsto women’s health by funding further and more comprehensiveresearch into RU-486, the morning-after pill, the physical andemotional aftereffects of abortion and the link between abortionand breast cancer. Women deserve that much. ❍

Laura Ciampa, an FFL member, is a legal assistant for a

communications company.

S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

THE U.S. Departmentof Health andHuman Services is

the federal government’sprincipal agency forprotecting the health of allAmericans and providingessential human services,especially for those whoare least able to helpthemselves. The socialservices policies andprograms established andmaintained by HHS affectwomen’s ability to supportand protect themselvesand their children—bornand unborn. This agencyis also in a uniqueposition to publicize some of the model nongovern-ment programs that help women and children.

WELFAREThe new Secretary of Health and

Human Services, Tommy Thompson,is no stranger to the welfare debate.He initiated dramatic andcontroversial welfare reforms whilegovernor of Wisconsin.

“Wisconsin invested heavily inwelfare-to-work training, healthcare and day care,” says SerrinFoster, FFL president. “Thompsondid a lot of things right.”

Another state that has seen greatsuccess is Wisconsin’s neighbor tothe west, Minnesota.

There, a bipartisan legislaturevoted to increase funding to helpfamilies transition from welfare towork, and according to a report onthe “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” onPBS, it has paid off. Under the current program, called MinnesotaFamily Investment, more clients are keeping their jobs.

humaneColleen Jones

services

16 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

The difference? During thetransition, participants can keeptheir health and financial benefitsuntil their income reaches 140% ofthe poverty level, rather than simplygetting cut off. Participants receivejob-placement assistance, on-the-jobcounseling, health care, child care,bus passes and advice on how toreduce expenses. Some receive carloans and later in the program evenmortgage loans. They can’t abuse the system, however, because clientscan participate for only five years. Asurprising outcome of the program isthat participants are 40% more likelyto marry or remarry because theincentive is to work. Contrast this

outcome to the old system thatemphasized benefits to singlemothers with children andunwittingly broke up families so theycould receive public assistance. ThePBS report said the Minnesotaprogram was also helping to break amultigenerational dependency onwelfare. Parents with increasedpride in their work provide a modelof responsibility and discipline fortheir children. Recruiters are nowcoming to welfare recipients for jobplacement. Because new employeescontinue to receive assistance,employers in effect get a wagesubsidy.

The “stick”—the five-yearmaximum time in the program—and

the incentive “carrots” have helpedpeople to transition who neverbelieved that they could remainemployed. The program spends moreper person than programs in otherstates on the average, but the extracost pays off in comparison to thecost of incarceration—crime beingan all-too-frequent route for thosewho are desperate. A boomingeconomy, along with a supportive,determined legislature, helpedprovide this additional assistance.

There are also national programsto help women and children in need.Temporary Assistance to NeedyFamilies (TANF), a state-managedwelfare program that replaced Aid toFamilies with Dependent Children(AFDC) in 1996, is one of manyinitiatives that positions HHS to setpolicies that will help reduce thenumber of abortions in the U.S.TANF, the result of a multi-yearwelfare reform debate, takes steps toeliminate a number of the issuesthat propel women to haveabortions, including lack of supportfrom the father, loss of opportunityto support oneself, and teen and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.

Like AFDC, TANF providesfinancial aid to needy families. Itdiffers from its predecessor in itsfive-year limit on family benefits andits requiring recipients to developjob skills and to work part time toreceive cash assistance for morethan two years. TANF also providesstates with block grants that can beused to:

■ Provide child-care assistance toneedy families so that parents areable to work without abandoningtheir children.

■ End the dependence of needyparents on government benefits bypromoting job preparation and work.

■ Encourage the formation of two-parent families.

While the child-supportenforcement, child care and job-training benefits that TANF created

are certainly victories for womenand children, better positioningthem to achieve self sufficiency andembrace their role as mothers,there’s more to be done.

Some critics charge that TANFneeds to be strengthened. Theycomplain states often don’t use theblock grants from TANF to helpwomen. Some apparently sit on themoney and then funnel it to otherprograms. Others just lose the grantswhen they go unused, which createsthe impression that TANF is notneeded. A further concern is thatthe five-year benefit limits will beginto cut people off this year, just as theeconomy begins to falter.

What you can do: You canhelp by contacting your staterepresentatives and supportingwelfare reforms like those Minnesotahas implemented, as well asencouraging them to ensure thatTANF block grants are being used tohelp women and children.

HEALTH CAREHHS manages another social

services program that significantlyaffects pregnant and parenting low-income women.

The Children’s Health InsuranceProgram (CHIP) provides healthinsurance to needy children whoseparents enroll them in the program.Like TANF, Children’s HealthInsurance is a federally fundedprogram executed at the state level.

Each state provides a customizedprogram—with some states offeringmore comprehensive benefits thanothers. New York State’s Children’sHealth Insurance Program offerssome of the most comprehensivebenefits—providing prenatal care toqualified mothers. Not only does theprenatal care provision reduce therisk of serious illness in the pre-bornchild, thus decreasing the cost ofinsuring that child after birth, but italso assures women at risk for

17S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

abortion that they will be supportedin a decision to carry their child to term.

Women do not have to look only tothe government for health care.Several successful programsthroughout the country serve asmodels for other communities. Oneexample is the (Washington) D.C.Developing Families Center. Thisbirth and family center offersservices ranging from prenatal andwell-woman care to a day-carecenter and well-child care—allunder one roof.

Supported by foundations andlocal government funds, the centeraddresses Washington, D.C.’sstaggering infant-mortality rate.Babies in northeast Washington aredying at two to three times the rateof newborns across the country.Linda Randolph, co-CEO of thecenter, says, “That’s because womenhere are among the most likely todevelop complications during theirpregnancies and the least likely toobtain adequate prenatal care.

“Not only must we act now to stopthis horrifying epidemic of infantdeath, we must empower womenwith the knowledge and tools to take care of themselves and raisehealthy babies.”

The Kaiser Family Foundation,one supporter of the birth center,says that “the founders also want toemphasize that the center will notprovide abortions ... combining laborand delivery care with abortionservices sends a mixed message topatients, and practically speaking,just doesn’t work.”

This program is already beingused as a model for similar proposalsin the inner cities of Atlanta,Baltimore, Kansas City and Phoenix.

What you can do: Encourageyour state legislators to extend CHIPbenefits to pregnant women. Supportempowering programs like the D.C.Developing Families Center. Help

fund educational programs like FFL’sCollege Outreach Program. Thisprogram is being expanded toeducate college health-clinic staffsabout government-subsidizedprenatal care available in each state.

ADOPTION: BENEFITSFOR BIRTHMOTHERS,ADOPTIVE PARENTS

Everyone knows at least some ofthe benefits for parents who adoptchildren, but what about benefits forbirthmothers? Too often, womenconsidering placing their babies foradoption are not made aware ofbenefits they can receive.

Birthmother Jessica O’Connor-Petts, an FFL member fromWashington, D.C., says that when sheplaced her son for adoption, she wasentitled to the same pregnancy-leavebenefits as those who parent.

“Women who give birth and placetheir babies for adoption, even ifthey give the baby up just hours afterit is born, are still entitled to thesame time off from work as a motherwho is parenting her baby,” she says.

“Birthmothers need this time toheal and recover.”

In addition to governmentservices like Medicaid, birthmotherscan receive even more benefits fromadoption agencies. Robert Kasky ofOne World Adoption Services inFlorida says the state offersbirthmothers Medicaid and hisagency offers a variety of additionalbenefits, including counseling,financial assistance and informationon vocational programs available. Hesays the agency “helps thebirthmothers decide what to doabout the future.” Couplesconsidering adoption should alsoknow that adoptive parents areentitled to receive some of the samebenefits as biological parents.

Adoptive mother of two childrenand FFL board counsel Jane SullivanRoberts says, “If you are thinkingabout adopting, you should

continued on pg. 18

Child murderers

18 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

determine what leave benefits youmay be entitled to as an adoptiveparent. Under the Federal Familyand Medical Leave Act, employerswith more than 50 employees arerequired to provide at least 12 weeksunpaid leave to adoptive parents aswell as biological parents who work1,250 hours per year. Note thatcertain states provide more than 12weeks of leave, and some states havea less demanding hour requirement.

“Some employers also providebiological parents with paid leave, inthe form of disability leave if eligibleand/or child care leave. Some statesrequire employers to provide thesame benefits to adoptive andbiological parents. In states that donot require such parity of benefits,

some employersneverthelessvoluntarily extend thepaid child-care leaveto adoptive parents;some also voluntarilyextend the paiddisability leave toadoptive parents.Some employers willalso cover certaincosts of adoption(e.g., agency, legaland medicalexpenses).

What you can do: Ask youremployer about benefits forbirthmothers or adoptive parents.

CHILD-SUPPORTENFORCEMENT

Nearly 30 million children in theU.S. are owed $39 billion in childsupport, according to the FederalOffice of Child Support in the 20thAnnual Report to Congress. Thegovernment child-support agencycollection rate—the percentage ofcases receiving one or morepayments—is still just 20%.

There is some help available, bothfrom government and privatesources. The Uniform Child SupportEnforcement Act of 1997, sponsoredby Reps. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., and

Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., requiresautomatic wage withholding fromnon-paying parents. Also, TANFrequires each state and the federalgovernment to develop a registry ofchild-support orders and a “newhire” registry that enable states andbusinesses to cooperate with eachother to more effectively enforcenon-custodial support orders.

Geraldine Jensen, president ofthe Association for Children forEnforcement of Support (ACES),supports such legislation and wantseven more to be done.

“If we can have a system thatensures children whose parents aredeceased, of support, certainly wecan design a national child supportenforcement system to collectsupport for children with livingparents,” Jensen said.

For women who need help withchild support, ACES suggestscontacting your state’s child-supportenforcement agency first. Each statehas a federally funded Child SupportEnforcement Agency that must helpcollect child support for childrenunder 18.

Those who want to help canencourage their legislators tosupport back-to-work programs for fathers so they can afford childpayment.

“Chronically unemployed men toooften aren’t fulfilling their paternal

Child murderers practice their profession without letand open infant butcheries unquestioned ... Is there no remedychild murder? ... Perhaps there will come a time when an unmanot be despised because of her motherhood ... and when the righbe born will not be denied or interfered with.—Sarah Norton, the first woman to successfully argue admission to Cornell University, 1870

The law for mandatory income withholding to collect child support wentinto effect nationally in 1994. Payments are payroll deducted byemployers after they receive a notice of the support order from the statechild support agency or attorney. Payments are sent from the employerto the State’s central payment registry, recorded and then sent onto thefamily by the state government. Other new laws from 1996 stipulatedthat all employers send a copy of new hires’ W-4s to the state childsupport agency who matches them against child support orders. If there isa match, the employer is sent a notice to withhold the support payments.Although the system works well when all parents live in the same state,problems persist on interstate cases.

Source: Geraldine Jensen, president of the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES)

19S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

responsibilities,” says Foster of FFL.“Obviously we want to have childrenand fathers connected andreconnected, but it’s also importantfor one to provide financialassistance. We need to examinelegislation that would fund back-to-work programs for fathers, just as wehave for mothers.”

In the meantime, ACES warnswomen to be wary of private child-support collection agencies. It saysthat most collection agencies requireclients to close their governmentcases and give the agency 20-30% ofthe support collected, even if thecollection agency does nothing to getthe money. Sometimes, parents haveeven paid an application fee andnever gotten help.

If all else fails, ACES suggestsusing a private attorney, who isbound by the American BarAssociation’s code of ethics, ratherthan a private collection agency. “It’s cheaper and smarter topay a private investigator aflat fee for location,”according to the ACES Website. “Locates, whensuccessful, rarely take morethan 10 hours. At theaverage rate of $10 an hour,$100 is much cheaper thana percentage of support fora year or two.”

What you can do: Encourageyour legislators to support childsupport legislation and back-to-workprograms for fathers.

The U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services oversees anumber of additional programssupporting low-income families, andFFL is encouraged to see the stepsthat federal and state governmentshave taken to better protect andsupport low-income women andchildren. However, until demand forabortion disappears, we mustcontinue encouraging the federalgovernment to examine the impact ofits social service programs andencourage our state legislators tolearn from the successes of otherstates to continue improving theirprograms. ❍

Colleen Jones is a member of FFL

and an editor and writer for a

consulting firm.

ContactsMinnesota Family Investment Program: Allows participants to keep their welfare benefits until they reach140% of the poverty level. For more info on the program, visit its Web site,www.dhs.state.mn.us/ecs/Program/mfipminn.htm or call 651-296-4476.

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF): Block grants to states for child care, job preparation and out-of-wedlock pregnancy prevention programs. For more info, contact your state's welfare department or checkwww.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/opa/facts/tanf.htm

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): Provides health insurance benefits to needy children whoseparents enroll them in the program. You can find information at Walmart stores or by calling 1-877-KIDS NOW.

D.C. Developing Families Center: Birth and family center in Washington, D.C., that offers services ranging fromprenatal and well-woman care to a child-care center and well-child care. For more information, call 202-398-2007.

Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, 202-401-5559

Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES), 419-472-6609 or www.childsupport-aces.org.

The Hon. Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Room615-F, Washington, DC 20201. Fax 202-690-7203; e-mail: hhsmail@os.dhhs.gov.

or hindrance, for this ante-natalrried mother willt of the unborn to

20 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

Ellen Kennedy Johnson

TOO OFTEN, young womenchoose abortion believingthere are no services

available to help them stay incollege after the birth of achild. A multitude ofgovernmental, charitable andcorporate programs havebeen established to helpstudents deal with unplannedpregnancies. Nonetheless,college women frequentlyreport to FFL that they areoffered few options when theyconsult their university healthclinics for pregnancycounseling.

E d u c a t e d M o t h e r s : S m a r t S o c i e t y

21S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

Linda, a college junior, says she found outshe was pregnant, was handed a referral toan abortion clinic and paid her clinic fee inless than an hour. Christine, anotherstudent, went to her university clinic to askfor the morning-after pill. She said she feltshe couldn't support a baby because of hergrim financial circumstances and the fearthat she would never be able to achieve herlife-long dream of becoming a lawyer. Afterasking a few questions, the nurse calculatedthat she was within the appropriate timeframe for the drug’s effectiveness and gave her a prescription with three additional refills.

Feminists for Life President Serrin Fosterunderstands the dilemma a student faceswhen challenged with an unplannedpregnancy: “She doesn’t have a place to live;

or related conditions (like high bloodpressure, pre-eclampsia or gestationaldiabetes) should be provided with access tomedical benefits and sick leave. 4) Womenreturning to school after a pregnancy leaveshould have a right to be reinstated to their program and any other benefit ofenrollment.

When women are not told about resourcesthat help pregnant and parenting students,they often conclude that abortion is theironly option. That is why FFL supportslegislation that would require any campushealth center whose college receives federalfunding to give pregnant women informationon abortion alternatives and includematernity coverage in any student andfaculty health-insurance program. “Womenshould be given the rest of the choices,” said

she doesn’t have day care; she doesn’t havematernity coverage. Colleges essentiallyforce women to choose between theireducation or career goals and their child.There is this really hostile attitude aboutwomen having babies. Women who arepregnant on college campuses are stared atas if they were exotic animals.”

To prevent discrimination againststudents based on pregnancy, FFL wantsthese workplace principles to be applied incolleges as well: 1) Discrimination on thebasis of pregnancy is prohibited. 2) Pregnancy is treated the same way thatany other temporary physical disability istreated. 3) Women experiencing pregnancy

Foster, “including referrals to pregnancycare centers in their local area as well asnational 800 numbers and a brochure withthe type of resources generally offered, andinformation about paternity establishmentand child support. The campus should alsotake their own inventory regarding housing,child care and maternity coverage in healthcare to make sure all of their students’needs are filled. FFL is here to help them doall of these things.”

One resource for student mothers is afederal tuition-assistance program called thePell grant, a need-based scholarship forundergraduate students offered by the

When a man steals to satisfy hunger, we may

safely conclude that there is something wrong

in society — so when a woman destroys the life

` of her unborn child, it is an evidence that either

by education or circumstances she has been

greatly wronged.” —Mattie Brinkerhoff, The Revolution, 1869

continued on pg. 22

22 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

Department of Education. The amount ofthe award is determined by a standardformula, and the expenses associated withchild care are taken into consideration. Thegrants are offered on a yearly basis, andwomen who need financial aid in betweensemesters may have to wait until the nextschool year to apply. However, most stateuniversities allow students to apply forinterim funding, often paid for by localcommunity organizations.

The high cost of good-quality day care canhinder a young mother’s ability to continueher education, which hurts everyone in thelong run. Statistics have shown that povertyrates for women decrease with each year ofcollege credit they earn.

To ensure the success of both parent andchild, the Department of Educationimplemented the CAMPUS (Child CareAccess Means Parents In School) program in1999. Eighty-seven colleges and universitiesqualified for the first round of CAMPUSfunding. Through the program, scholarshipsfor on-campus day care are awarded toparents taking full class loads.

Theresa Castanon, director of the day-care center at Northern New MexicoCommunity College, says that a student whoreceives a child-care expense waiver is morelikely to stay in school and do betteracademically: “For a young mother, jugglingschool, work and a child sometimes becomestoo stressful. Because we can keep the childall day, a student can use the time she is notin class to do homework, use the library, andto socialize with other students.”

While there are many federal, state andprivate agencies willing to help parentingstudents, locating resources for eachindividual area of need can be frustratingand time-consuming. Catholic CharitiesUSA’s crisis-pregnancy hotline refers allwomen, regardless of religion or income, toseveral support agencies offering a widerange of services such as counseling,adoption information, housing, health care,and parenting classes.

The hotline spokesperson, Winnie Merritt,wishes more Catholic Charities affiliatescould participate in the program: “Of our1,400 member agencies, only 40 had thefinancial resources to implement the crisis-

pregnancy hotline. Also, states such asWyoming and Montana offer referrals butsometimes students can't access thembecause they're located hundreds of miles away.”

Within the next year, Right to Life ofMichigan (RTL-MI) will propose a plan tothe state legislature to fund pregnancy-resource centers on university campuses.These facilities would offer womenconvenient access to all resources available through the Michigan FamilyIndependence Agency and other state, local and independently sponsoredassistance programs.

The legislation was inspired by a keynoteaddress by Foster at an event hosted by RTL-MI in fall 2000. “At the event, pro-lifeDemocratic and Republican womenmembers of the House and Senate learnedthat college women were at greatest risk ofan abortion,” Foster said. “They asked, ‘Whatcan we do to help?’”

Kristen Hemker, RTL-MI’s legislativeliaison, believes that the presence of an on-campus site will do more than offerpregnant and parenting students an array ofservices: “When a woman attending collegegets pregnant,” Hemker explains, “everyoneknows she has no place to go. She opens thecampus newspaper and sees three ads forabortion and no ads offering alternatives.”Hemker hopes campus pregnancy-resourcecenters such as these will help dispel themyth that it’s impossible to have a child anda successful college experience too.

She is confident that Michigan staterepresentatives will respond positively toRTL-MI’s proposal because they understandthat parents who drop out of school aremore likely to use social programs thanthose who prepare for a career. It isestimated that $10 is saved for every dollarthe state spends on high-quality day care orcollege completion programs.

More flexible schedule requirementswould also benefit student mothers. Collegescan help by increasing the number of coreclasses offered through distance-learningprograms so stay-at-home mothers maycontinue their education while caring fortheir babies. Additionally, colleges should beencouraged to videotape lecture classes and

High schoolprogramsCollege students are not the onlyindividuals who can benefit fromgovernment resources. Earlyintervention programs sponsored by state and localagencies can help high schoolstudents understand therelationship between educationand future success.

Disturbed by the growing rate ofteen pregnancy in Alexandria, theVirginia General Assembly, inpartnership with the Freddie MacFoundation, funded TeenLink, amulti-phased outreach programaddressing the needs ofAlexandria's teen population.One of the many mentoringclasses offered is Teen Talk, inwhich young women and mendiscuss the potentially dangerousconsequences of early sexualinvolvement. Through ProjectStepout, a life planning andmentoring program, teens learnpractical life skills and addressthe challenges of makingresponsible decisions.

blackboard notes for students who are absentbecause their children are ill.

While programs like these have helpedthousands of young women stay in school, somuch more needs to be done.

What you can do: Work with your stateRight to Life affiliate to introduce legislationsimilar to RTL-MI’s initiative. Then contactyour state representatives and ask them tosponsor the bill.

Recommend to local colleges that they offerparenting students more off-campus optionssuch as distance-learning classes andvideotaped lectures.

Interview the universityhealth center director to learnhis or her procedure whendealing with unplannedpregnancies; as most clinicsreceive federal funding, it isimperative that they offeralternatives to abortion. Give the director an FFLclinic kit.

Encourage pregnancycare centers to sponsor aclinic kit for nearbycolleges’ health clinic staff.

FFL believes no womanshould have to choosebetween her child and hereducation. “There is a betterway,” says Serrin Foster, “andwe owe it to our daughters, oursisters and all women to find it.” ❍

Ellen Johnson is an FFL member

and writer who teaches at Arizona

State University.

S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

For information about federal Pellgrants, consult the financial aid officeat your local university or call 1-800-4-FED-AID.

A list of colleges and universitiesawarded CAMPUS day-care funding can be found at the U.S.Department of Education/Office ofPost-Secondary Education Web site:www.ed.gov/offices/OPE.

Contact Catholic Charities USA’s CrisisPregnancy Hotline at 1-800-CARE-Callers will be linked to local agenciesoffering a variety of supportive services.

For more information about TeenLink or Project Stepout, call theVirginia Department of Health at 1-703-838-4400 or the UrbanLeague at 1-703-836-2858.

Contact information for your congressional representatives can beaccessed at www.senate.gov orwww.house.gov.

002.

24 S u m m e r 2 0 0 1

FFL’s HonoraryCommittee MembersSpeak Out

FFL’s Honorary Chair and Emmy win-ner Patricia Heaton presented“Rewarding Motherhood” at the NewJersey Right to Life annual conventionbanquet on May 9. Heaton told 1,000attendees, “Women whoexperience anunplanned pregnancyalso deserveunplanned joy.”

On May 2, FFL’s Honorary Committeemember and actor MargaretColin testified on behalf of FFLbefore a packed Senate Subcommitteeon Commerce in opposition to the creation and destruction of humanclones for research. FFL supports prom-ising alternative sources of stem cellsincluding adult stem cells, placental,umbilical cord donations—even fat.Colin quipped that she was sure thatmany would willingly donate fat “in the name of science, of course!” Her testimony can be found under “hot topics” at www.feministsforlife.org.

FFL President Appears on CNN International

FFL President Serrin Foster appeared in June on CNN International opposite FeministMajority attorney Sharon Tejani to discuss the Dutch abortion ship Aurora, which hadrecently docked in Dublin, Ireland. The abortion advocacy group Women on WavesFoundation plans on performing abortions in international waters off the coast ofcountries where women and children are protected from abortion. Foster called theAurora a “tragedy at sea waiting to happen” and invited Women on Waves and theFeminist Majority to “set a new course” by working with FFL to systematically eliminate the reasons that drive women to abortion. Foster said we should “refuseto choose” between women and children, and urged women to refuse to choosebetween their education and career plans and sacrificing their children. “Women deserve better,” Foster said.

FFL President Meets With Rep. Chris Smith

FFL President Serrin Foster (center) met with Rep. Chris Smith(R-N.J.) along with FFL member Susan Hurley DeConcini on May 3to propose a national summit on pregnancy and parenting. The summit would bebased on FFL’s successful collegiate Pregnancy Resource Forums and the FFL-inspired“5,000 Too Many Conference” in Dublin, Ireland, (a reference to the number ofwomen who reportedly left Ireland for Great Britain to have an abortion in 1999).Foster hopes that such a summit would produce a woman-centered plan to solve theproblems that contribute to abortion (see introduction, page 4). Also discussed waslegislation to expand protection for students from pregnancy discrimination, and funding for centers to serve pregnant and parenting students on college campuses.

From left to right: FFL President Serrin Foster, Patricia Heaton,Executive Director of The Weekly Standard Fred Barnes, who also appears regularly as co-host of the “Beltway Boys” on Fox News Channel, MargaretColin and FFL Communications Director Lisa Toscani meet at the NewJersey Right to Life annual convention in May.

Celebrity News

�

�

New Memb e r sh i p Campa i g n Grows F F L ! ith FFL’s ambitious goals to help women andchildren, we need your help to grow. After all,the more of us there are to help, the faster we

will accomplish our mission!Please take our new membership brochure from the

center of The American Feminist and personally invitefamily members, friends or colleagues who may feel allalone in their pro-woman, pro-life beliefs to join us in ourlifesaving work. You may order more membershipbrochures to distribute by e-mailing us atinfo@feministsforlife.org. (Order “What Women ReallyWant” for outreach purposes to those who are not pro-woman or pro-life.)

Download FFL’s new ad featuring Patricia Heaton atwww.feministsforlife.org and post it in your community(see back cover). Women and children are counting on us!

Thank you!

Today in the mail I received both my weekly Timemagazine and quarterly American Feminist. The articleson Remarkable Pro-life Men inspired me. However, whenI opened my Time, which features the cover story aboutthe continuing horrors of killing innocents in war, therewas an article that broke my heart. “How Med StudentsPut Abortion Back in the Classroom” hailed female medstudents for their steps in including abortion in manyschools’ regular curriculum. I was horrified anddistressed. Fortunately your magazine was there toremind me not to give up and that there are others whofeel the way I do and are fighting for the truth. Thankyou for reminding me that. Keep spreading the truthabout abortion and I will continue to support you and dothe same in my sphere of the world too.

Elizabeth BoydTexas A&M University, Class of 2001

WE REMEMBER

LouAnne Herron1965 – 1998

“Is everything OK? What’s wrong with me?” LouAnne Herronasked as blood pooled under her body following an abortion atthe now-closed A-Z Women’s Center in Phoenix.

The 33-year-old Herron died on April 17, 1998, after Dr. JohnBiskind tore a two-inch hole in her uterus during the abortion.Paramedics were called more than three hours after medicalassistants noticed the excessive bleeding. Herron was deadwhen the ambulance arrived.

According to court testimony, a clinic administrator knewone week in advance that there were no registered nursesavailable during the time of Herron’s abortion. Instead, theclinic’s recovery room was staffed by inexperienced medicalassistants. When Herron's excessive bleeding continued and herblood pressure dropped, one of the clinic’s medical assistantstestified that it was “above anything I could deal with.” Biskindwas notified of his patient’s condition and checked on her inthe recovery room where he complained of a lack of qualifiednursing staff. After restarting Herron’s IV of blood-clottingmedication, Biskind left the facility knowing that there was noregistered nurse on duty.

Biskind’s negligent and dangerous practices were notunknown to state officials. Another woman under Biskind’s carehad already died after an abortion. Biskind was issued a “letterof censure” by the state medical board, yet was allowed tocontinue practicing medicine. Following Herron’s death,Biskind continued to practice and attempted an abortion on anearly full-term baby, fracturing the woman’s pelvis. Yet themedical board did not revoke his license until word of theHerron case reached the public.

Herron’s father, Mike Gibbs, questioned the medical board’sslow reaction to Biskind’s malpractice, saying, “You have towonder what they were thinking. Did they realize what theywere doing?”

Nearly three years after LouAnne Herron’s death, Biskindwas convicted of manslaughter and the clinic’s administratorwas convicted of negligent homicide.

The Arizona RepublicAug. 21, 2000, Feb. 6, 2001, Feb. 8, 2001, Feb. 9, 2001, Feb. 20, 2001.

to thel e t t e r s

to thel e t t e r s

d i t o rd i t o rEEHope for Students

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26

It got me again tonight. It had been a while andtook me by surprise, but it was bad. Grief. Agonizing,overwhelming grief. A pain so enormous it took mybreath away, making it impossible to cry. Would Inever get over it? Wasn’t 25 years long enough to prayI could have my baby back?

I don’t even know when I got pregnant. I don’tremember the discussions that must have takenplace between my mother and me. What I doremember is being taken to the finest hospital, rolledinto the most sophisticated operating room, havingmy baby killed by one of the top doctors in the city. I also remember waking up and hearing womencrying and screaming, including myself. I rememberindescribable pain, blood—more blood than I hadever seen.

Several days later, I remember being rushed in themiddle of the night to an emergency room. I washemorrhaging and fading in and out of consciousnessfrom a raging fever. My medical records say that I wasin the hospital for 6 days, underwent 2 D&C’s, andwas rolled back into the O.R. a final time for acomplete hysterectomy. I don’t know what stoppedthe surgeon, but he saved my life and my ability tohave children. I had been saved from a septictherapeutic abortion. I was 15 years old.

Since those horrible days in 1973, this has neveronce been spoken of. I grew up to become aprofessional with a loving husband and sevenbeautiful, healthy children. A miracle indeedconsidering those are not the odds for someone likeme. I also know that keeping my shame and guiltsilent is killing my baby over and over again. Yes, itwas a baby, not a tissue, a mass, a “condition” thatneeded correcting. She was alive and real and would be 25 years old if I had given her theopportunity to live.

My ignorance, fear, and youth were used againstus. If anyone had told me of the secret shame, fear,pain, and lifelong regret, my baby would be alivetoday. If anyone had told me about the potential life-threatening or fatal medical complications, mybaby would be alive today. If anyone had told me thetruth, my baby would be alive today.

VoicesO F W O M E N W H O M O U R N

Voices

Reprinted with permission from Rachel’s Vineyard

For more information about Rachel’s Vineyard, pleasecontact: Rachel’s Vineyard, P.O. Box 195, Bridgeport, PA 19405, 1-877-HOPE-4-ME

COLLEGE OUTREACH PROGRAMSerrin Foster’s April 25 lecture at Stanford University in California, “The Feminist CaseAgainst Abortion,” made the top story of the Stanford Daily on the following day. To seefor yourself what Stanford students read, go to www.feministsforlife.org and click on “hottopics” for a link to the Stanford Daily.

If you would like to arrange for an FFL speaker on campus, or need a kit for a pro-lifestudent group, or materials in time for club sign-up day, please contact national coordinator Anna Schenck at the FFL national office at 202-737-FFLA (3352), or e-mailcop@feministsforlife.org.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people canchange the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

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__ Remarkable Pro-Life MenSpring 2001

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__ Human Commodities for SaleSummer 2000

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__ Embracing All Life: From Conception Until Its Natural End Winter 1999-2000

__ What Will She Face?: Back on Campus Fall 1999

__ Is Life Always Worth Living?: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Summer 1999

__ Victory Over Violence: Rape, Incest and Domestic ViolenceFall 1998

__ Work vs. Family: The Struggle to Balance Career & FamilySummer 1998

__ The Bitter Price of Choice: The Aftermath of AbortionSpring 1998

__ She’ll Ask. Don’t Tell: Women’s Right To KnowWinter 1997-98

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Every 36 seconds in America a woman lays her body down,forced to choose abortion out of a lack of practical resourcesand emotional support.

Abortion is a reflection that society has failed women.

We deserve better.

Patricia HeatonEmmy Award Winning ActorFeminists for Life Honorary Chair

There is a better way.

refuse to choose

If you refuse to choose between women and children, join us!