Honest conversations about abortion.Thank you to Ruth Conniff Ruth Conniff is an American journalist and the political editor of The Progressive. Publications she has written for include The Progressive and The Nation. for her recent article "Making Women Feel Bad" (April issue). She nailed it right on the head. I am tired of being a political pawn of the Christian right The term "Christian Right" is used by scholars and journalists, to refer to a spectrum of right-wing Christian political and social movements and organizations characterized by their strong support of conservative social and political values. and the "pro-life" militia. They have no interest in actually helping women lead meaningful and productive lives. They are concerned only about our eggs and what might happen to them. We can't have an open and honest conversation about pregnancy and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted diseases Infections that are acquired and transmitted by sexual contact. Although virtually any infection may be transmitted during intimate contact, the term sexually transmitted disease is restricted to conditions that are largely (STD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing) Long distance dialing outside of the U.S. that does not require operator intervention. STD prefix codes are required and billing is based on call units, which are a fixed amount of money in the currency of that country. ) without admitting that people--especially teenagers--are having sex. (Gasp!) Why does Western Europe Western Europe The countries of western Europe, especially those that are allied with the United States and Canada in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (established 1949 and usually known as NATO). have a considerably lower STD and pregnancy rate among its teen population than the U.S.? Western Europeans don't have backward, puritanical hang-ups about sexuality like we do. They actually talk about sex and acknowledge that it is a natural part of growing up, without dismissing the gravity of making the decision to become sexually active. However, before teenagers become sexually active in Western Europe, they are well armed with science-based, factual information about birth control and STD prevention. In America, we give them a lecture on how they will get AIDS the first time they have sex, give them a Bible, and tell them to pray until they are married. The sooner we can start having an honest and accurate discussion about sex with our teens and ourselves, the stronger our message on pregnancy prevention and good sexual health will be. Tara J. Vasby Deerfield, Wisconsin Deerfield is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,971 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Deerfield. Geography Deerfield is located at (43.052305, -89. The editors welcome correspondence from readers on all topics, but prefer to publish letters that comment directly on material previously published in The Progressive. All letters may be edited for clarity and conciseness, and may appear either in the magazine or on its web page. Letters may be e-mailed to: editorial@progressive.org. Please include your city and state. |
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