The American Academy of Pediatrics Endorses Female Genital Mutilation?!

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a policy statement that basically endorses female genital mutilation;  suggesting the law should “enable pediatricians to reach out to families by offering a ritual nick” such as “pricking or incising the clitoral skin to satisfy cultural requirements.”

I could rant about this, but I think my friend Rebecca’s photographic response when she was sent the link via chat sums up my feelings quite nicely:

Posted by:

Rachel Bishop

Today’s Crime Stories: Theft, Murder, and. . .Midwifery?

St. Vincent’s hospital in Greenwich Village was one of the few hospitals in NYC that was willing to support midwives who do home births. But now it’s closing, and that means about half of the midwives in New York will either have to stop practicing, or practice illegally.

This is happening because of a stupid law that says midwives need to have a “Written Practice Agreement” from a doctor in order to perform a delivery at home. Then if there’s a problem with the birth, that’s the hospital they go to. This law is totally unnecessary, because midwives obviously have a backup hospital in mind when they deliver a baby at home. Just like you know what hospital you might need to go to before you go skydiving. But for some reason, the law insists on treating childbirth like it’s an illness, not a natural part of human life that most often doesn’t require any time in a hospital.

Why was St. Vincent’s one of the only hospitals with doctors who are willing to sign such an agreement? There’s a huge stigma in the medical community against supporting midwives. Why’s there stigma? No reason except misogyny and greed. The medical profession is in the pocket of the pharmaceutical companies, who are rather keen on making sure pregnant women are pumped as full of drugs as possible during childbirth, even when those drugs are dangerous and unnecessary.

We talk a lot about giving women control of their own bodies when it comes to abortion, but what about when they’re actually having a child?  It’s incredibly important to take action now so home birth in NYC doesn’t essentially become a crime. Take action here and protect women’s choice in childbirth!

Posted by:

Rachel Bishop

Obama’s Deal: How Obama Won Health Care

Check out this interesting documentary from Frontline about the Obama administration’s effort to win health care. It’s a lil sappy, but it’s really eye opening.

Posted by:

The Editor

Health care reform bill 101: What Does It Mean For Young People of Color?

By now we know that President Obama’s health care reform bill means that people already struggling to pay their bills and those not able to afford to buy insurance will have coverage in the long run. We know that kids with pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain insurance within six months, and adults in 2014. But what does it mean for young people of color and how will it affect our communities in the short term and the long run? After all, the issue of racial and ethnic health disparities has oppressed America’s health care system for years. So, will young people of color be affected by this change?

The answer is yes! In fact, we will benefit the most from this legislation.

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Krysten Hughes

Gina Yashere on Health care

This is too funny.

Posted by:

The Editor

Wiretap: Youth Is Not A Pre-Existing Condition

The barriers to entry for health insurance are so high that many youth simply go without. It’s not that we don’t want it: we’re perfectly aware we’re not invincible. We’re just priced out of the market. I suppose that’s why you never see any “Blue Cross means Bitchin’ Coverage!” ads, targeted at a younger demographic.

A recent study by the AFL-CIO found that a whopping 31 percent of young workers are uninsured. Moreover, young blue-collar workers are uninsured 40 percent of the time. The key barrier to entry for health care? You guessed it — cost.

Check out the rest of this piece about young people and health care by 99Problems.org’s very own Steve Romain in Wiretap!

Posted by:

Sam Patton

I Don’t Understand The Health Care Plan

So the other day, League alum Dennis “Kinjani” Edwards forwarded me this insightful blog. He, like me, would like people to spend more time actually explaining Obama’s health care plan. Seems like the sensational rhetoric isn’t working for him. More from Kinjani below.

We’ve all seen the epic debates on CNN, Fox, and every major news network about President Obama’s proposed healthcare reform plan. We’ve heard arguments both exhorting and condemning the idea and when I flip through the channels on my TV, if I ever hear the words or see headlines that have anything to do with health care, my ears perk. To say the least, I’m no expert and with the little knowledge that I’ve been able to gather from all I’ve seen and heard over the years about healthcare but I can say that I agree with our President that there needs to be some change in our healthcare system and it would be great if quality healthcare was available to everyone and not just the wealthiest Americans. Lately I’ve been having some trouble. See, I want to support our President. And surely, his proposal that will mark the beginning of a new era in United States economy and politics but I have just one major problem.

After watching all the news and the press conferences and town hall meetings about healthcare reform, I still don’t know what it is. I heard a lot about what this new healthcare plan will not be but I really am not grasping what it actually will be.

Here’s some of what I’ve been able to gather from the press:

There are approximately 52 million Americans who have no health coverage. That means that if they get sick and they need an operation they will have to pay for the cost out of pocket or they will not receive treatment. Arguments against Obama’s plan say that if his healthcare agenda does pass that there still will be another 17 million people who fall through the cracks. 17 million people will still remain uninsured. Again, I’m no expert but I’d rather something be done and then perfected rather than do nothing and we’re left stuck with a huge disparity. Quite frankly, 17 million sounds much better 52.

Many people who are satisfied with their healthcare plan are worried that if Obama’s healthcare agenda passes that they will lose the plan that they like and will have all of their healthcare decisions made by the government i.e. their doctor, prescriptions, etc.

From what I gather, Obama says that none of this I true. He claims that if you like your insurance you will be able to keep it and that the government is not trying to monopolize the healthcare industry. Who has the answers?

Like I said, I agree that there has long been a need for change but maybe our President can be a little clearer when it comes to explaining the details.

Posted by:

Biko Baker

Barney Frank is a BAMF.

At a town hall meeting last night, Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) was confronted by a crowd of crazies, comparing health care reform to Nazi policy.

Let’s just sit back and watch his response.

Oh, do you hear that? That’s the sound of someone getting OWNED.
And that smell? That’s the smell of progress.

I’ve gotta say – there’s nobody in the world that I admire more than Barney Frank right now. The media isn’t calling these people out and Barney’s just telling it like it is. It’s the political equivalent of a diss track. More people need to stand up and call all these propagated lies on what they really are: pure, unadulterated bull.

Posted by:

Steve Romain