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FLO KENNEDY andIRENE DAVALL: ForeverActivists•lorynce KennedyWith Volume V, On the Issues ispleased to welcome two contributingeditors: Florynce Kennedy and IreneDavall, long-time activists in both thecivil rights and women's movements.In 1971, they were instrumental infounding the Feminist Party, anational but informal organizationstill in existence, that works forwomen's equality and choice by institutinglegislative action and politicalaction in behalf of candidates. Thefirst candidate to be supported bythe party was Shirley Chisholm. FloKennedy, an attorney, was also oneof the original founders of NOW, butabandoned it soon after when shedecided it was geared too much towhite, middle-class women. In 1969,she gave up her law practice to "kickmore ass" by lecturing and writing.Her book, Abortion Rap (regrettablyout-of-print) was a comprehensivecompilation of information on theabortion issue, including the testimoniesof women who were forced toface illegal and unsafe abortions. Noone can adequately describe Flo Kennedyon paper—this straight-talking,clear-thinking dynamo has to beexperienced in the flesh for the fullflavor of her earthiness and zest tobe appreciated.Irene Davall, Flo's longtimefriend and comrade-in-arms, hasbeen an activist in the women'smovement since 1962. In the 70sshe wrote a syndicated column, "TheLiberated Woman" and had twoCable TV shows in New York focusingon women's issues. A strong prochoiceactivist, Irene has workedinternationally for women's right tochoose and she and Flo have beenworking for many years on thedecriminalization of prostitution.In 1972, as members of theFeminist Party, Flo and Irene filed acomplaint with the Internal RevenueService demanding removal of thetax exempt status of the RomanCatholic Church and affiliated organizations,charging them with illegalpolitical lobbying and campaign activityin connection with abortion legislation.They were never told whathappened to the complaint, althoughthey tried on numerous occasions tofind out.What follows is an interviewOn the Issues conducted withFLO KENNEDY in May.Issues: You read Merle's editorial onWomen and Power (On The Issues,Vol. IV). Do you think women areafraid of power, both in themselvesand in other women?Flo: Women are not afraid of power,they're afraid of the oppressor.Cause the oppressor is very ruthlesswith people in power fromoppressed groups. Also, women tendto do things that are safe. Andwhat's safe does not put you in aposition of power. Women are growingall the time, but they're doingtermite-type stuff, which means youchew the porch until it falls downand then they step out on the porchand... But, we're expanding ourinterests. Feminists called me tocome out against apartheid and wewent over and spoke out at theSouth African Consulate. In otherwords, women are pushing theirway into areas that are not just"women's issues"... in fact, so muchso that Nairobi put out the wordthrough the Heritage Foundationthat [at the World Conference of theU.N. Decade For Women] it's a "nono" to talk about women's issuesother than crotch issues. Women arenot going to be encouraged to talkabout South Africa, apartheid, Ethiopia,certainly not the Arab/Israeliscene and so there again, women arebeing silenced. The next move is thedollar power move and that's got tobe the feminists'.Issues: You were one of the pioneersof the women's movement. Do youthink there is anything real happeningin the movement today?Flo: See, what you must understandis there's a lot happening, but you'llnever know it because as long as weallow media, at our expense, to gotheir own merry way and ignore ourkind of women, we wouldn't knowcontinued on pg. 18THE MORALLITMUS TEST FORFEDERAL JUDGESBy Senator Bob PackwoodTwelve years have passed sincethe historic Roe v. Wade decision thataffirmed a woman's right to reproductivefreedom. These years havebeen far from tranquil; pro-choiceadvocates have had to continue tofight to guarantee the right tochoose. And that battle continues.I am quite certain that no one—on either side of the reproductivefreedom issue—could have anticipatedthe legislative and judicial skirmisheswhich have occurred sincethe Supreme Court decided Roe v.Wade in January, 1973. The decisionwas hailed by women's rights advocates,who thought that theSupreme Court of the land had spokendefinitively. The anti-choicemovement at that time was widespreadbut not cohesive; the Roedecision led the splintered anti-choicemovement to coalesce immediately.Opponents to reproductivefreedom moved quickly to push forlegislation which would effectivelyoverturn Roe. This effort continuestoday, with the ever-present antiabortion"riders" being proposed foralmost any available vehicle. If Congressis considering a budget orappropriations bill, anti-choice legislatorswill seek to attach language prohibitingthe use of federal funds toperform abortion or to provide abortionscounseling. Proposed Constitutionalamendments that would grantthe rights of "personhood" tofetuses have been introduced inevery Congress since 1973.As you know, it hasn't beenjust in the legislative arena that theanti-choice movement has made itspresence felt. Who can forget thejubilation of the right-to-life movecontmuedon pg. 17

A CONVERSATION:The Rev. Beatrice Blairand Merle HoffmanRev. Beatrice BlairMerlr HoffmanMH: Were you the first female Episcopalpriest?BB: I was in the first group. Therewere some before me, but when 1went into the seminary, women hadnot yet been allowed to be ordainedpriests.MH: Does the Episcopal religion havenuns?BB: Yes.MH: What was it in your makeupthat made you decide to become apriest as opposed to a nun?BB: That's really kind of in the realmof mystery. I had a "call". Nobodywrote me a letter and said, DearBea. You're to be a priest, signed"God". You have to be called by Godand by your community.MH: Do you think that there's somethingthat would psychologically differentiatea woman who wakes upand says "I'm not called to be a nun,I'm called to be a priest".BB: When the feminist movementwent underground—in the '50s, itwent into the family planning and reproductiverights movements.MargaretSanger said "If you can't control yourbody, there's no point".MH: That's the bottom line.BB: As the feminist movementbecame powerful, everything aboutit just reverberated in me. I was afeminist for a long time, not knowingthat there was such a word.MH: Were you a feminist first and areligious second or do you thinkfeminism has an intrinsic spiritualityin it?BB: Any movement that has to dowith human feelings, the freeing ofthe human spirit as a human responsibility—itsgrowth, fulfillment isspiritual. For example, the blackmovement in the '60s had a deeplyspiritual meaning and 1 think it's notsurprising that much of the leadershipcame out of the black church. Alot is being done now. Women areassuming more and more powerfulroles in the church.MH: Are they looking to make God"He" into a "She"? I know some ofthe earliest religions were matriarchal.Are we going to move back tohaving God as a woman?BB: I think we're going to moveahead to having God as neither maleor female to being both male andfemale. I don't think of God asFather, I think of God as Creator, asbeyond sex, and in the German OldTestament, wisdom is always "she".But, first you have to stop callingpeople "men".MH: You mean redo the language?"herstory" instead of "history"?BB: You have to start changing yourGod language and stop calling God"Him." If you go back, our translationsof the Bible are more sexistthan the originals.MH: When 1 debated Falwell and heasked me "How would you feel,when you meet your God, with theblood of thousands of babies on yourhands." and I said "When I meet Her.I'll be very proud", he absolutelyfreaked out because the concept ofGod being a woman was just toounbelievable for him to accept. Howrealistic do you think it is to changethe concept of the greatest powerin the world, to a non-gender personna?BB: It may not happen overnight,but if the Church wants to keepattracting people, they have to stopusing this language because it turnspeople off.MH: But the Pope says that even if itis unpopular, the Church has toreflect absolute unchanging truths.BB: I don't know where he gets thisabsolute unchanging truth businessfrom. It wasn't until the late 1800sthat they promulgated this idea thatyou've got a person from themoment of conception. I really wonderwhere he gets off—a celibatemale—making these judgments.MH: The issue of abortion nowrevolves around viability. The questionis, does a woman still have aright to a late abortion if the medicalprofession can keep that fetus alive(even below 24 weeks)?BB: With fetuses of 24 weeks theirchances are pretty poor and the outlookfor their lives tends to show allkinds of damage. I wonder about thecontinuedon pg. 16THE SAFESTCONTRACEPTIVE:Saying "No!"By Kathryn E. McGoldrick, M.D.There has been in the past yeara wave of biographies that focuspublic awareness on women whosecontributions to American culturehave been overlooked or ignored.These biographies offer female perspectiveson events previously seenthrough male eyes.An example of a woman'simpulse to humanize a political—andcertainly controversial—situation isprovided by Luella Klein. MD, thefirst woman president of the AmericanCollege of Obstetricians andGynecologist (AGOG). Since she worksdaily with pregnant adolescents atAtlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital(where she is director of the HighRisk Maternal and Infant Care Project),Dr. Klein is deeply concernedabout prevention of teenage pregnancy.There are 2,200 teen deliveriesannually at Grady and in herACOG inaugural address. Dr. Kleinstated that "barring teenagepatients from obtaining birth controlservices by using restrictive regulationsand practices and restrictingfunding to public family programs...under the fiction of promoting thefamily will not reduce sexual activityamong teens; it will only increaseunwanted pregnancy among themost vulnerable and least equippedto deal with it."Let's briefly examine the multiplereasons why teenage pregnancyis so tragic, both in personal andsocioeconomic terms. Physiciansknow that adolescent pregnancy representsa devastating crisis to youngwomen. Physiologically, the adjustmentsof pregnancy are superimposedon those of pubescence.

Psychologically and intellectually, thepregnant adolescent is still developing,and it is thus agonizingly difficultfor her to meet both theemotional and physiological demandsof pregnancy. Indeed, the gravid adolescentfaces the challenging tasksof learning to relate to an unbornchild and becoming a parent. Thesechallenges are superimposed on theyoung girl's struggle to become herown person intellectually, socially,and emotionally.Moreover, the offspring ofteenage pregnancies are often handicappedby intellectual, educational,and social deficiencies. Economicdependency and child abuse plaguethis unfortunate group of youngsters.Additionally, teenagers havebeen shown to produce smallerbabies than more mature womenand to have babies with a higherincidence of congenital malformations,neurological deficits, andgreater perinatal mortality. Itappears that the most significantmedical risks are for those pregnantadolescents 16 years of age andunder. However, studies clearly indicatethat comprehensive prenatalcare improves these outcomes.Indeed, nutritional education andsupplemental foods, especially protein,are most advantageous in thisage group. And yet, pregnant teenagersmay not seek prenatal carebecause of insufficient intellectualand emotional development; itis as if they do not understandthat present action affects futureoutcome.The economic impact on societyis great. In 1976, more than 4.6 billionwas paid to households of teenagemothers; more than a third ofthese girls were not high schoolgraduates. Certainly, to functioneffectively economically as an adultin a computerized age demands awell-educated mind and, tragically,teenage mothers obtain less educationthan their contemporaries andtend to be restricted to low status,dead-end jobs. Hence, future economicadvances to pregnant teens aswell as to society in general are lost,perhaps irrevocably.Most would agree that preventionof adolescent pregnancy is adesirable public policy. Yet, in theUnited States the actual number ofpregnant teens is increasing. Andalthough the overall rate of teenagepregnancy is decreasing, in one verycontinued on pg. 15SEND USA LADY PHYSICIAN:Women Doctors in America,A student at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania comforted by her "best friend." Circa 1895-96(Archives & Special Collections, Women in Medicine, Medical College of PA)By Ruth J. AbramBy the end of the 19th century,over 7,000 American women werepracticing medicine, accounting foras much as 19 percent of all physiciansin states such as Boston andMichigan. Thriving in private practices,members—even officers—ofstate and local medical societies,teachers in medical and nursingschools, founders and directors ofhospitals, and active, respectedmembers of families and communities,these Victorian physiciansthought—with good reason—thatthe battle for women in the medicalprofession was won. But, by thetime Suffrage was effected, it waspainfully clear that the battle wouldhave to be waged again. The numberand percentage of women physiciansslipped into a decline which wouldnot be stemmed until the 1950s norreversed until the 1970s. In Bostonin 1974, women were eight percentof the physician population. In theUnited States today, women compriseapproximately 15 percent ofphysicians and projections are:approximately 25 percent by 1990.1985 marks the end of the U.N.declared Decade on Woman in whichevery nation was asked to examinethe barriers still remaining to women'sfull participation in every aspectof national life. Send Us A LadyPhysician is offered in response tothat mandate.Funded, in part, by a grantfrom the National Endowment forthe Humanities, the Exhibit is jointlysponsored by the American MedicalWomen's Association; The MedicalCollege of Pennsylvania (founded in1850, the first regular medical schoolfor women in the world); The NewYork Infirmary/Beekman DowntownHospital (established in 1853 by DoctorsElizabeth and Emily Blackwell,the first hospital in the world runentirely by women), and New YorkUniversity, Department of History.Send Us a Lady Physician:Women Doctors in America, 1835-1920 is a multimedia traveling showwhich explores and interprets thedramatic history of women's entryinto American medicine, their successin the late 19th century andtheir difficulty maintaining a footholdin the newly scientific professionof the 20th century. The exhibitexplores a critical question: Howdoes any group outsjde the dominantculture first achieve and thensustain hard won social, political andeconomic gains?After opening on September18, 1985 at the Historical Society ofPennsylvania, the exhibit begins athree-year national tour. Thousandswill be led to a serious examinationof the strategies 19th centurywomen employed to gain inroadsinto the male establishment. Chiefamong these strategies was the useof Victorian notion of "VirtuousWomanhood" which held thatwomen were morally superior beingswho, in the case of medicine, wouldoffer especially nurturant qualitiesand uplift the profession.Divided into three sections, theexhibit begins with a presentation ofstudent life at the Woman's MedicalCollege of Pennsylvania. We hear theinspiring words of a graduationcontinued on pg. 11

In Terminal Illness:Will You HaveThe Right To Decide?Levinson"The right to die" has becomeunfortunate shorthand for a fundamentalconcept: the right of eachpatient to determine the course ofher or his own medical treatment.As little as 15 years ago, practicallyno one in America—layperson orprofessional—considered such aright. Now, thanks in large part tohorrifying instances of enforcedmedical treatment that have beenwell publicized, it is safe to say thatalmost every thinking adult is awarethat today's medicine may be aslikely to prolong the physical andemotional ordeals of the dying processas to cure illness or alleviatesuffering.Technology may have outstrippedthe community's shared andexplicitly stated moral code, but weargue that the Constitution clearlyguarantees you the right to refuseunwanted medical treatment. Implicitly,you also have the right, bymeans of such prior written instructionsas the Living Will, to determinethe course of treatment in case youare rendered comatose or otherwiseunable to state your wishes directly.In other words, legislation is notnecessary to establish your right; itexists.Yet we see Claire Conroy, an 84-year-old, terminally ill, nursing homepatient "with no cognitive abilities",given forced nutrition in New Jersey.In California, we see 70-year-old WilliamBartling, dying from five diseases,physically restrained andforced to remain on a respirator,although he and his wife articulatelyexplain that each understands theconsequences of his decision to beremoved from the device. Sadly, similarcases are occurring even as this isbeing written. Perhaps more to thepoint, many readers of this magazinemay have had experience with casesof this sort.What is the answer? We believethat the public, if educated, will seethe futility of much of today's"advanced" medical treatment anddemand that physicians and hospitaladministrators act more rationally intreatment of the terminally ill.Already, more and more people aredetermined to commit their treatmentwishes to paper. Increasingly,patients and members of their familieshave shown that they are notwilling to accept unquestioningly thetreatment decisions of paternalisticor otherwise unresponsive physicians.But the fact remains thatmany patients are not yet educatedor emboldened, too many physiciansare implacably committed to treatmentfor the sake of treatment, toomany attorneys are interfering (forwhatever reasons, altruistic or lessso) in medical decision making, andtoo many justices are uninformedabout the issues. Given the immediateattitudinal climate, you are bestadvised, quite simply, to look out foryourself.On the issue of whether or notthere is a difference between thetreatment accorded men andwomen, the wry but honest replyhas to be: "No. Either is just as likelyto find treatment wishes ignored."After dealing with several cases aweek for almost a decade, I have theimpression that it's usually not sexthat matters so much as the intrinsicallyvulnerable status of "patient".It would appear that in this realm ofhuman activity, at least, both sexesare equal: equally liable to becomevictims of the experts and appendagesof the demanding machine.On the other hand, women maybe more likely to encounter enforcedor unnecessarily protracted treatment,simply because they livelonger and, in general, tend to diefrom lingering illnesses. For example,heart attacks may carry off a sizeableportion of the male populationin a single dramatic episode. Womenare somewhat more likely to findthemselves bedridden for years, perhapsin a nursing home. They aremore likely to spend their last yearsin some stage of senility, unable toarticulate, much less enforce, theirwishes about medical treatment. AsDoris Portwood, author of Commoncontinued on pg. 21LOVE & DEATHON 86I am overhearing a phone conversation—thetone of the speakeris intimate—concerned—lovingparental...long complicated wordsare being spelled out—R ETI N ITIS-CHE MO THERAPY—LYMPH-AD E N 0 PAT H Y—repeated againand again.The voice on the other side ofthe phone was BOBBY'S—and he hadmissed his appointment "Is yourlover with you now—does he knowyou will probably have to be goinginto the hospital?" The question isasked gently but firmly. The speakeris a nurse practitioner named Gary.His bright red curly hair, plaid shirt,glasses and jeans place him justabout anywhere. His name tag andstethoscope around his neck —thephone at his ear—the place I amstanding in—place him on ward 86at San Francisco General Hospital—the Oncology Unit—The AIDS Ward.I knew I wanted to go to SanFrancisco General a year ago—AIDShad been in the papers. The issuewas argued politically, medically andphilosophically. Susan Sontag used itas a focus of social critique. Illnessas a metaphor—it had shades of themedieval black plague—it was controversial—dangerous—andit wasprofound—The profundity touched me onemorning when I was dressing andlistening to the radio. It was aninterview with a Shanti counseloron the AIDS ward. She was sayingsomething extraordinary—somethingthat made me pause in mydaily ritual—something aboutthe fact that working with AIDSpatients made her realize that if shewould choose her own death—shewould want to know she was dying—for one year, she would want toexperience the clarity, the restructuringof priorities—the immediate'placement of things important andnot so important that she had beenwitness to by working with some ofher AIDS patients.And then of course there wasthe sexuality issue—the fact that alarge majority of the AIDS patientswere male homosexuals—an easytarget for the right wing idealogues—Falwell's proof that God was punishingour society for its decadence.Not only was abortion a blight vis-

ited on the sinner but now the Deityhad something even worse in theoffing—The "GAY PLAGUE."And then there was Calvin—myhairdresser. The strangeness hadgone on for about a year—I would becalled and told that he could notmake appointments or would haveto be late. He started to look thinnerand thinner. I would question him—he just said he wasn't feeling wellsomestomach problems or something.Then one day as 1 was sittingin his chair, while he went throughhis programatic cosmetic rituals—Ilooked up into the mirror and caughthis eye—and again asked him whatwas wrong—He didn't answer verbally—buthe answered—1 knew atthat moment that he had AIDS and Ialso knew that he was dying.Gary put the phone down—hehad been on it for almost 15 minutes—"You know that was Bobby —he'sincredible—30 years old—AND HEHAS FOUR FATAL ILLNESSES—anyone of which can kill him but he'sstill going strong. He'll have to comeinto the hospital for about a weekthis time." I looked at Gary—downthe hall which could have been anyward of any hospital anywhere inthis country—but it was different. Ihad felt the anticipation when I gotinto the taxi at Berkeley. It wasabout an hour's ride through the Bayarea over the Bridge into the City.The driver left me off at the frontentrance of the hospital."Where is ward 86?" Theattendant smiled broadly. "You knowyou're about the 50th person thatasked me today—but I'll do it onemore time." So he gave me directions—I had to go through the gatesmarked Family Planning Clinic—animmediate connection for me—theninto the elevator—press "86" Thedoors opened onto more conversation.TWo men seated at phone desks—similar medical words—phrases"no—you can't catch it by being inthe same room—yes we do havecommunity support systems"—intense, involved, caring.They were expecting me. Yesthey would let Dr. Kaplan know thatI was here. I sat down in front ofthem—In a strange way I felt comfortable—safe—thatI could trustthese people.Dr. Kaplan came out to greetme. I was referred to him through acontact in New York—he would bemy guide—my connection to thecontinued on pg. 20Combating ViolenceAgainst WomenThrough forums and conferences,women are exchanging informationon the many forms violenceagainst women can take and how tocombat it. Following are a few of theevents that have happened, or arescheduled. In February, Merle spokeat the Cafe Nexus in New York Cityon anti-choice violence, the future ofabortion rights in the United Statesand the media distortion of prochoiceissues. The forum wasarranged by Women's QuarterlyReview, a new feminist publication,and was attended by an enthusiasticand activist audience.In November:The First Annual Nursing ConferenceOn Violence Against Women will beheld at the University of Massachusetts,Amherst November 1-3. TheContraceptivesand the MediaIn May, CHOICES received informationfrom the Center for PopulationOptions which urged support topress for contraceptive advertisingin the electronic media and includedguidelines which have been endorsedby a number of organizationsinvolved in family planning and/orwomen's health issues. Unfortunately,the FDA has issued a moratoriumon prescriptive contraceptiveadvertising, thereby limiting theadvertising to over-the-countercontraceptives (OTCs). Although weare certainly very favorable towardcontraceptive advertising in all themedia, we must express certainconcerns:If only the OTC market is dealtwith, how can comparisons betweenproducts be made in an adequate,factual fashion? The public is beingonly partially educated. We agreethat this is better than censorship ofgoal is to provide a forum for nursesand other health care providersinvolved in the area of woman abuseto meet, share knowledge and ideas,and gain support for their work.Merle Hoffman will be a presenter atthe conference. Contact JudyWardlaw, Division of Continuing Education,University of Mass., AmherstMA 01003; tel: 413/545-0312.The 70th Annual Conference of theAmerican Medical Women's Association:"Violence: Dx and Rx" will beheld in San Francisco November 5-9.Merle will be conducting a workshopon clinic violence and the effects onwomen on November 6. For informationon the conference contact: LeaScialo, American Medical Women'sAssociation, 465 Grand Street., NewYork. NY 10002; tel: 212/533-5104.COall kinds of contraceptive information,but it could ultimately producenegative results if a "halo effect"surrounding OTCs is created byadvertising that the benefits, especiallyeffectiveness, are comparableto prescription contraceptives. It hasbeen evident through our work withhundreds of thousands of younggirls and women who have come toCHOICES since 1971 that misinformationcan, at times, be dangerous asno information at all.We would like CPO and other endorsingorganizations to consider theseissues, both by expanding the guidelinesand by becoming activelyinvolved in efforts to end the FDAmoratorium on prescriptive contraceptiveadvertising. It is only thenthat the female consuming publicwill be given adequate informationwith which to make their ownchoices.CD

The NY Pro-Choice Coalition "The sense of kinship and mutual obligation has been born."— Helen Campbell(1890) (I tor): Dolores Aharino, CHOICES; Meryl Schneider, SOW-N.YC, Donna Ruscavage,CHOICES; Ruth Imbesi, RCAR; Cami Errante, Women's Quarterly Review. Photo by: Anne WalsheNETWORKINGThe N.Y. Pro-ChoiceCoalitionThey might not know it, butanti-choice forces have done moregood than harm to the pro-choicemovement! Escalating clinic violence,the abusive harassment of womenseeking to obtain abortions, PresidentReagan's embracement of theanti-choice philosophy—all haveserved to ignite, activate andstrengthen the pro-choice troops.We're bonding, we're marching,we're demonstrating, we're testifyingand we're solidifying all levels ofour movement—a truly united front.The beginnings of the NewYork Pro-Choice Coalition, initiatedby Merle Hoffman, grew out of thesuccessful New York City January22nd march commemorating thelegalization of abortion, co-sponsoredACTIVISM!Silent No MoreNationally sponsored byNARAL, on May 21, women—andsome men—from every state in theUnion gathered on the Mall in Washingtonto speak of their personalexperiences with abortion, and toread letters from hundreds ofwomen relating their own experiences.According to Andrea Balis, therepresentative from NYS-NARAL,everyone involved was deeplymoved, tears running down theircheeks. Horror stories unfolded fromthe days before abortion was madelegal: women raped by abortionists;by CHOICES and NYS-NARAL. SinceMarch 7th, representatives of NOW-NYC, NYS-NARAL. Planned Parenthood-NYC,New York Catholics for aFree Choice, CARASA, N.Y. ReligiousCoalition for Abortion Rights, editorsof women's issue publications, interestedindividuals, and, of course,several of CHOICES' staff have beenmeeting at Merle's apartment toexchange ideas, network, appriseeach other of new developments,discuss future strategies and to supporteach other in planned events.These meetings have promotedgreater understanding of the pointsof view of different organizationsand a better knowledge of how wecan assist one another to achieve ourmutual goals: ensuring the continuedlegal existence of reproductive choicefor all women and securing ourequality.The challenge was raised andpro-choice forces have risen to meet it!abortions performed in filthykitchens; abortionists who weredrunk; no anesthesia.. .Those whohad considered their experienceswith legal abortion as emotionalwere overwhelmed by what womenhad suffered in the not-so-distantpast. A man told of the death of his16-year-old sister at the hands of anillegal abortionist. Gang-raped andtold by the family priest that shemust bear the child, the youngwoman was determined to terminatethe pregnancy. She bled todeath on the abortionist's table. Bypresenting the viewpoint of a malelosing someone he dearly loved, the"Once MoreInto The Breach..."Great principles demand greatsacrifice. American women, in theirstruggle for equality, continue tomake the decision of abortion fortheir very survival. They are acutelyaware of the price of their decision.If the price is termed high by some(1.5 million abortions per year), it isone that is necessary and one thatwomen will continue to pay. Thestruggle for equality is a battlegroundthat exists for all women forall time.The recent attack on women'sConstitutional liberties, this timefrom the Justice Department, was ahighly politically-timed announcement—thesame day the countrywas informed of the diagnosis ofReagan's cancer. The Reagan Administrationhas asked the SupremeCourt to overturn Roe v. Wade and"return the law to the condition inwhich it was before the case wasdecided": each state would controlwhether or not a woman could havean abortion and, if abortion is permittedat all, under what circumstances.In many states, abortion ondemand would be eliminated entirely.This means that women willreturn to the condition that theywere in prior to the landmark decisionof 1973, risking their lives inback alleys for their right to survive.It is clear that women's equality hasto "a priori" include the right toabortion. Anti-choice forces haveattacked with multiple strategicmoves from legal manipulation toovert violence against clinics to tryto withdraw from women this funconlinuedon pg. 19brother indicated by his presence—by his speaking of the pain andanguish of those left behind—thatchoice affects everyone, not onlywomen. His testimony and the testimoniesof all the women emphasizedwhy abortion must be kept legal.The atmosphere was charged withenergy which has to be harnessed ina positive way for future action.That action began on May 22when the participants in the speakoutlobbied for choice. According toAndrea Balis: "Letter writing made apersonal choice political."Media coverage was comprehensive.

ACTIVISMWitness forWomen's LivesOn Saturday June 8, in 13 citiesacross the nation, marches wereorganized by NOW to protest theCatholic hierarchy's increasingly stridentopposition to birth control andabortion. CHOICES. Catholics for aFree Choice. RCAR. NARAL and otherpro-choice organizations co-sponsoredand joined in the marches.Although hundreds of people participated,there was virtually no presscoverage in New York except by NBC-TV and ABC-TV News and WCBSNews Radio 88. We have been toldthat CNN covered the march inWashington, but, to date, have notheard if anything was aired.The New York march had beenscheduled to begin at the Archdioceseof NY on 55th and First Avenueand proceed to St. Patrick's Cathedralon 51st and Fifth Avenue. Oralpermission had been given by thepolice department to demonstrateoutside St. Patrick's as long as noamplification was used and weremained on the public sidewalk.Suddenly, as we reached 55th andFifth, we were met by a phalanx ofmotorcycle cops who literally beganto throw up barricades in front ofus. Several of us on the front linesjust missed being badly injuredsuchwas the violence with whichthe heavy wooden barricades werehurled. We were then informed that"for our own protection" we wouldnot be permitted on the same side ofthe street as the Cathedral. We protestedthat we had been given permission,that it was our right astaxpayers to walk on the sidewalk—and the response was that, if we did,we would all be arrested. Unable toreach our attorneys and aware thatwe didn't have enough money forbail, we at last decided to demonstrateacross the street from theCathedral. We were extremely visiblebecause the NY marchers adoptedMerle's idea of wearing red andblue—red for courage, blue forsteadfastness—and we did—fromhead to toe, clothes and ribbons.Despite the police, it was a successfulmarch, the speakers weremoving and eloquent and, best of all,a wedding party emerged from St.Patrick's and stood there watching—and listening. One of our speakersaddressed the bride, saying that shehoped the bride would always havechoices available.Although the day was rainy andovercast, more than 200 peopleturned out.And the media missed it all!Women UniteCross-CountryOne afternoon in April, Merlereceived a phone call inviting her toappear on the Sonia Friedman Show,a popular Detroit talk show, whichwould be aired on station WDIV-TV.She was told she would representthe pro-choice side against Rev. JerryFalwell's anti-choice stand. Merle hadsuccessfully debated Falwell twoyears prior and she very much welcomeda re-match!Early the next morning, callscame in from NOW-DETROIT ANDNOW-NYC, stating that NOW haddone some investigating and foundthat the program had a strong antichoicebias. In fact, Merle would notbe debating Falwell at all, but DianeTrombley, an anti-choice personMerle had just debated in Detroit inJanuary. She also learned thatFalwell would be given air time aloneand be introducing parts of the film"The Silent Scream", after which hewould be answering questions fromthe audience.Merle contacted the producerurging fairness and equal time andthat she be allowed to show PlannedParenthood's filmed rebuttal to "TheSilent Scream" so that the audiencewould be truly presented with bothsides of the issue. She also requestedthat she be allowed to debateFalwell as she was initially asked todo. " You have a chance to be on thesame stage with Jerry Falwell" wasthe producer's response. Merlestressed the issue was not one of apersonal ego trip but one of fairnessin media in presenting this mostimportant issue. Shortly thereafter,the producer called back, saying thatthey would find another pro-choiceperson to do the show.Immediate contact with NOWand other pro-choice people inDetroit produced a promised boycottand picket of the program. Unknownto them, Louise Tyrer, M.D., VicePresident of Medical Affairs. PlannedParenthood Federation of America,(not being aware of the previouspolitical problems), had accepted theproducers invitation and flew toDetroit to appear. The producers,fearing the same thing would happenwith Tyrer as it did with Merle,did not inform Tyrer of Merle'sissues with the programming, and inresponse to questioning calls fromNOW, offered "no comment".At this point, all pro-choicegroups united and informed WDIVthat unless a program was producedthat aired the issues with adequatefairness and equal time, everywoman in every organization wouldboycott the station, and that theywould get as many other women aspossible to join them. As a result ofthis pressure, WDIV committed toallow airing of an entire hour of thepro-choice side before airing theFalwell tape.Pro-choice people thankedMerle, stating that if she hadn'tpushed the issue of equal time andfairness, the Falwell tape would haveaired as scheduled and pro-choicevoices would have been muted.At this writing, the Falwelltape has not been aired.As an extra point of interest,the Sonia Friedman show is on TedTurner's CNN. When women worktogether, even Turner can be turnedaround.

10WE'VECOMEALONGWAY???In a feature article on animalrights, the New York Daily News Magazinepoints out that rather than consideranimal protection as somethinghumane and kindly, today's activistsconsider it an animal's right—and entitlement.Their belief in the sanctity ofnon-human life might make the activistssound like right-to-lifers, but. infact, they are mainly pro-choice feminists.Religious fundamentalists actuallyoppose animal rights. Following the dictatesof the Old Testament, they believethat animals have no souls and mankindhas been given dominion over them.Considering the slaughter, tortureand violence practiced on animals, andthe violence against, and subjugation ofwomen, it may be time to re-think mankind's"dominion"—or is the wordspelled d-o-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-n?The London Daily Telegraphreported that two teenage girls, one ofwhom was being sexually abused by herfather, committed suicide after beingdenied contraceptive pills because theylacked parental consent. Three AppealCourt judges restricted doctors' rightsto prescribe the pills to under-age girlsunless the parents were first informed.The judges ruled that a Health Departmentcircular advising doctors that theycould give contraceptive advice or contraceptiveswithout parental knowledgewas illegal.It seems that not only illegal abortionsbut lack of access to preventivemeasures can be fatal to women. Interestingdata for those of the new rightwho would deny sex education in theschools and push for parental consentfor contraceptives.As reported in The Journal ofAbnormal Psychology: New Research byDrs. April Fallon and Paul Rozm of theUniversity of Pennsylvania shows thatboth men and women tend to be unrealisticabout how others perceive theirbodies, but men distort the perceptionpositively and women do so negatively.The study was based on measures ofnearly 500 women and men. Drs. Fallonand Rozin, as well as other experts,believe that, because men's ideals forwomen's bodies tend to be thinner thanmost women feel their bodies are, thismay account for higher rates amongwomen of bulimia and anorexia nervosa.which hinge on extremes of eating anddieting. About 90 percent of those whosuffer from those disorders are women.And women will continue to sufferuntil they accept their own identitiesinstead of those put forth bymedia, fashion, and by males in general.From Depthnews/Women's Feature:Virginity restoration is big businessin Bombay. Many patients areupper-crust Arab women, others areIndian women, mainly Muslims. Mostpatients are in the 21-26 age group, andmany of them have been deserted bytheir lovers. Future marriages would bejeopardized by a loss of virginity, whichturns the women into "damaged goods,'so hymenoplasty is performed to"patch" them up.In the old days, women used alumto "restore" virginity for similar reasons,and sheets were hung out stainedwith wine (if their blood didn't flowfreely enough.)Studies presented at a symposiumon the effects of violent pornography,at a meeting of the American PsychologicalAssociation, show that violenceagainst women—even non-sexual violence—inthe media leads many viewersto accept the attitudes of rapists. In onestudy, males viewing "slasher" moviesover a period of days found the moviesprogressively less upsetting and moreenjoyable. When asked to sit as themock jury of a rape case, the men oftenjudged the victim to be at fault. Interestingly,women who viewed the samemovies had a parallel reaction. Additionally,Dr. Neil Malamuth. a psychologist atthe University of California, said that ina series of tests on the effects ofgraphic, nonsexual violence againstwomen, 30 percent of the men weresexually aroused by the violence—somethingpsychologists previously thoughtwas unique to men who actually rapedwomen. According to Dr. John Briere, apsychologist at the University of Manitoba,"The most telling effect of scenesof violence toward women may be onour children, who are still forming theirsexual outlooks. We won't know foryears exactly what the effects of thatexposure will be. But it's unlikely to bevery healthy."Teenagers are the majority ofmovie audiences for "slasher" movies.Add to that cable TV. which is watchedby even younger children, and thepotential for future rapists and victimsis terrifying—a real life horror movie.But this trend will continue as long assex and violence brings in-the megabucks!What did women get out of thesexual revolution? Mainly sexuallytransmitteddiseases, according to physicians,health experts and departmentsof health throughout the country, and—due to the nature of women's physiology—mostof the STDs have moreserious consequences for them than formales. In fact, many of the malesremain entirely asymptomatic, passingthe diseases on to women throughsemen and/or saliva, while showing nooutward signs of infection. Among our"new" arrivals are chlamydia. a majorcause of infertility and pelvic inflammatorydisease in women; recent evidenceshows that women on the Pill are especiallyat risk. Last year. 3 to 4 millionnew cases were diagnosed. Genital herpesclaimed more than 300.000 newvictims. Veneral warts, which like herpes,have been linked to cervical canceraffect more than a million annually; andAIDS is spreading among heterosexuals.Now the papilloma virus, present incommon warts, is suspected in cervicalcancer also. The virus is passed onthrough semen, and, possibly saliva,from males who have warts, or whohave had a sexual partner who hasthem. (Sometimes the warts are internalin women, and they are unaware ofthem.) All together, physicians nowknow of at least 25 diseases spreadthrough sexual contact—and the numberkeeps growing. Epidemiologists estimateabout 27,000 new cases of STDsoccur daily, and that eventually 25 percentof all Americans between the agesof 15 and 55 will be infected. Althoughmultiple sex partners certainly increasethe risk, even one romantic encounterwith a person who has (or has had) justone other sexual partner is all that ittakes. The worst news is that, at thistime, many of the diseases areincurable.For conservatives, this makes agood case for old-fashioned monogamy.Radicals may consider celibacy!

An article in Business Week discussedthe testing of a new class of contraceptivesthat induce abortion by haltingpregnancies in the very early stages.Whether or not a woman is pregnant,the pills can be taken to regulate hermenstrual period. The pills are said tohave minimal side effects. Unlike prostc^iandins,(used as "the morningafter"pills), these are non-hormonalsteroids that block the action of progesterone,thus preventing the egg fromattaching to the uterine wall; or, if thedrug is taken later, it induces menstruationand the fertilized egg is discharged.According to the article, anti-choiceorganizations are certain to oppose thenew drugs as a form of abortion thatsimply sweeps the issue under the rug.Said former co-founder of NARAL andnow born-again right-to-lifer Dr.Bernard Nathanson: "We don't draw aline between surgery that aborts thefetus and methods that act on the fertilizedegg."Besides, the new methods mighthalt distribution of the propagandafilm. "The Silent Scream," making it, itsphilosophy, politics and producer, Dr.Bernard Nathanson. obsolete.Lady Physiciancontinuedfrom pg. 5speaker: "The woman of society istoo often its slave. You should bewise enough and shrewd enough tomake society serve you."Leaving graduation, visitorsmeet the members of the Class of1879 in their many professional andsocietal roles. How did these womenbecome so successful? Six pioneeringwomen tell visitors their stories intheir own words: How they, togetherwith "noble men" and "generouswomen", worked to break downsome barriers and side step others.We then enter an early 20thcentury laboratory and we confrontthe surprising decline in the numberand percentage of women physicians.What happened? Was the setbackdue to the collapse of the 19thcentury women's movement and itssupportive networks along with thedemise of women's medical colleges,which in turn diminished the numberof professional role models? Didthe change in the concept of medicine,from the healing art to the scientificsolution or the changingimage of the ideal physician fromhealer to scientist drive out womenwho continued to think of themselvescontinued on pg. 19CHOICES PEOPLE:Dolores AlvarinoWhenever a question arises in theinternal affairs of CHOICES, theresponse is "Ask Dolores." If Doloresdoesn't have the answer, she alwaysknows who does.Dolores Alvarino, Executive Assistantto Merle Hoffman, came to CHOICESafter 12 years in a managerial positionin the cosmetic industry. She wanted achallenging position—and she got it!"Working here is the most diversejob I've ever had." she said. "In one day Ican go through everything from highexecutive level decisions to stuffed toiletsand climate control. Most importantly,I've begun to develop othertalents, mainly because Merle is soencouraging. She says 'Go do it', whichhas been a very positive reinforcementto me."Although she has always been apersonal feminist, Dolores consideredherself apolitical until she came toCHOICES, saying that the only time shewas involved in a cause was when shemarched against the Vietnam War. Herfeminism has been strengthened hereand she has become much more of apolitical activist, although she is somewhatambivalent about the Women'sMovement. Dolores feels the movementhas put too much emphasis on achievementon an executive level and has hada tendency to be condescending towardwomen who choose to be (or who arethrough necessity) waitresses, housewives,secretaries, clerks, etc. ObservesDolores: "No work is demeaning, butthe treatment of women in many ofthose jobs is demeaning. Personally. Ienjoy secretarial work. It can be morechallenging than jobs with highertitles—and I've had both."Dolores is a strong individualist,and firmly against government interferencein people's lives."Since working at CHOICES, myconsciousness has been raised, not onlyon the abortion issue but on all issues offreedom of choice in this country. If 1choose not to wear a seat belt, chooseto have an abortion, if I choose tosmoke—it's my business. 1 get veryangry about government intrusionunder the guise of protecting citizens.As for me, I've always found it veryimportant to make it on my own: makemy own way, support myself, not relyon being protected by somebody elseparents,husband, or anyone."An excellent editor and writer,Dolores wrote a piece on the personalrights of a smoker. The following isexcerpted: "Come on people. Give us abreak. Those of us who wish to smokewill do so. no matter what you or thegovernment does to us. (Prohibitiondidn't work, did it?) It is, after all, mychoice...isn't that what this country isall about? 1 sometimes wonder. I resentlike hell the interference from BigBrother and all you little brothers andsisters too! It may be hazardous to myhealth, but it is my health, my body, mylife, my choice. You are taking thatchoice away from me and I don't like itat all! I protest! Puff! Puff! Puff!"Even those who disagree withsmoking may agree with Dolores' philosophy.Working at CHOICES has helpedDolores overcome her one phobia: doctorsand hospitals. She says that it tookher a long time before she went intothe patient area of the medical centerbecause she didn't want her "aversions"to be evident to the patients."Merle was wonderful. She let metake it very slow. And once I got toknow doctors on a personal level, 1 cameto see them differently. The 'PatientPower' philosophy helped a lot—theyare not gods but human beings—so Ibecame much less apprehensive. Aftersix months, 1 was able to be in the O.R.and found myself so concerned with thepatient that I forgot where I was. Afterwards,the doctors checked to see if Iwas all right too! You have to keep yoursense of humor here because you'redealing with such heavy issues. Thestaff is very supportive of patients andeach other."Dolores says she finds her workhere very rewarding because "AtCHOICES you can see things happen—you don't deal with bureaucracy. That'svery satisfying to someone like me wholikes to see results. And I feel here thatI'm always growing—and the growth isencouraged. I guess 1 still have someinteresting times ahead."Dolores Alvarino: strong, intelligent,efficient and individualistic, witha great sense of humor—and one ofCHOICES' very special people.11

FEEDBACKOn the Issues Volume IVreceived literallyhundreds of responses, and we wish we couldprint them all. We are overwhelmed andgrateful — and very touched. Many of theresponses brought tears to our eyes — those whosaid "I thought I was alone out there until Ireceived your publication"; those who helpeddefray our expenses by becoming Choices' People;those who sent the names of friends to beput on our mailing list; those who sent dollarbills through the mail because they didn't havecheckbooks or much money but wanted to dosomething; those from our sister publicationswho want to reprint pieces and exchangepublications with us so we may all stay intouch and network throughout the country;and, perhaps most of all, those who wrote "Iam on a limited income. I wish I could helpdefray expenses, but I can't at this time"—toall of you our thanks. The outpouring of love,the very personal expressions of warmth, gratitudeand solidarity gives us all hope for abetter future."Yours is one of the best publications now beingpublished that addresses women's concerns. Believeme, I'm not easily impressed because I read andwrite loads on comparable subjects myself. Alv areais exclusively employment; more specifically, gettingahead on the job. That's why I so enjoyed MerleHoffman's piece on women and power. I'm lookingfor the elusive light at the end of the tunnel — thepoint when ordinary women grasp what it takes totake control of their lives. . . I am appalled to watchthe majority of young women going backwards fasterthan the exceptional few move ahead. Anything wecan do (and I think you 're doing a lot) to reverse thattide is much needed. Keep it up."Betty HarridanNew York, NY"Congratulations on a fine publication. And tkankifor sharing it with us. . . How do you do it?"Sharon ParkerNational Institute for Women of ColorWashington, DC12"Please take my name off your mailing list. Abortionis murder—choice should be made before pregnancy— not after. Women should respect themselvesfirst instead of jumping in and out of strange beds."Lillian M. SanFUlipoJersey City, NJ"Thankyou for On the Issues, which 1 found veryinformative. The article "In Memory of Two Alices"was rather poignant and very well written. I appreciateyour educating readers about Alice Paul's contributionto the progress of women, especially duringthis year of 1985, which is her centennial birthday."Elizabeth L. Chillkk, PresidentNational Woman's ParlyWashington, DC"I have been receiving your publication for a year orso now and I was very pleased to see the article byVirginia Apuzzo on lesbian health care issues. [It]was sensitively and carefully written to bring issuesto light that lesbians face in health care delivery systemsacross our country. Homophobia is so widespreadthat it is difficult to sort out the areas inwhich we live and work. Thank you for includinglesbians in your coverage of health care."Anita C HillMinistry Associate, WingspanSt. Paul-Reformation Lutheran ChurchSt. Paul, MN"As a concerned human being I heartily applaudyour work. Merle Hoffman's cover article should berequired reading for every American not in the malewhite millionaires'club. Perhaps even a few enlightenedmembers of that elite would find it beneficial "Jeffry C. ShaferCanton, OH"I just read On the Issues and found it very informative.Thank you for all you do to advance women'shealth care.Sr. Deborah J. Barrett, SFCCCatholic Women for Reproductive RightsChicago, IL"As a teacher of severely handicapped children, I ammore aware than most of the realities that areendured by mothers who have not been able to exercise'an informed choice' In 18 years of teaching, nonght-to-lijers that I am aware of have ever visitedour programs. Their view of'life'is narrow andcreated out of Biblical flummery without basis infact 1 "Jane E. StoneCastro Valley, CA"I am very impressed with the scope and philosophyof your excellent publication. Four years ago I wasseriously injured by a drunk driver and have consequentlybeen forced into the role of career patient.Due to my consumer attitude toward health care,which leads me to question and challenge medicalpractices, I have been unpopular with many of thedoctors. And I suspect that my complaints often havebeen dismissed as neurosis because I am a youngfemale. I am convinced that a man would have beentaken more seriously by the predominantly malemedical establishment. Congratulations to yourmedical staff and publication for promoting good,humane health care, which is truly a blessing to theperson on the receiving end."Signd MacdonaldOakland, NJ"Your articles are terrific in the way they combinesensitivity to women's health care with strength. Asa female who had to discover 'Patient Power'on myown after being victimized by an orthopedic surgeryteam, your publication had special meaning. Whenyou know others are fighting for quality health careit is much eauer to ask for the health care you need.People are beginning to stand up and fight for controlover their own bodies and health care. It i especiallyimportant now to be determined not to give munder the increasing pressure from the politicalright. Keep up the good work!"Sara BollonWilliamstown, MA"Volume IV is an excellent compilation of thoroughlyinvestigated issues of concern to us. I personallyfound your cover article to be extremely well done andmost thought provoking. Thanks for sharing H withour agency."Gloria A. FlowersPlanned Parenthood- World PopulationLos Angeles, CA"Your publication is thoughtful, informative andencouraged me to regain my fighting spirit whenfrustration, disappointment and fear (of womenlosing abortion rights, as only one example) seemedto dominate my thoughts recently. I devoured everyword. In addition, '12 Tenets of Patient Power'expanded my understanding of what our ownresponsibilities and rights are in obtaining qualityhealth care from a medical establishment that by andlarge, is reluctant to 'surrender' to us "Mary HamiltonMiles, I A"My wife and I particularly valued your analysis ofthe 1984 election. Some years ago we concluded thatAmerican society was moving into a condition ofexpanded freedoms and choices, but that the understandingand institutional support necessary to thefull engagement [of them] have yet to be fully developed.The Feminist Movement is a perfect example.We feel that we need some new inventions and proposean EMO (EducationalMaintenance Organization)to do for life learning what the HMO hasdone for the health care business. CHOICESsounds like the kind of setting that already housesmuch of the new paradigm."Judi Stoyle & Herman Ntebuhr, Jr.Flourtown, PA"Congratulations on surviving, on being effective, oncontinual work for women's rights, on being inspiringand strong. Please continue to actively supportwomen's rights. We need you 1 "Ann Forfreedom, PublisherThe Wise WomanOakland, GA"Your article on depression is my story also — astrong, powerful, passionate woman in a male culture.I could write pages and pages in response to

your entire issue. I knowthere are many of us outthere and you are helpingus come together. Together,we do have a choice and we can make changes."Martha GlennonBement, IL"Thank you for On the Issues. It is splendid. Wehave begun a Women's studies Resource Center on alimited scale — with no budget — so we would appreciatecontinuing to receive your publication. There isno Women's Center on our campus and our officefunctions as a place where women can go who needresources or ideas.Maggie Mc'Fadden, Associate ProfessorAppalachian State UniversityBoone, NC"I drew strength, courage and conviction from readingyour publication cover to cover for the first lime,and took heart for being a woman. I wanted tothank you more than I can say for your supportThank you! !!"Sony a LugoNew York, NY"As a pro-choicer living in a pro-life city, it's gettingharder and harder to express my views. It's nice tohear from others with the same opinion I have; andthat also respects the views of others as I do, even if Idon't agree."Lauren A. CohenN. Dartmouth, MA"I'm the Director of Women s Issues for the AmericanJewish Committee, New York Chapter and Iwant to use your fine publication for my work here"Betty ReiserNew York, NY"Thank you for the copy of On the Issues. The articlesby Merle Hoffman, Virginia Apuzzo and AlexandraSymonds are right on! I will pass my copy onto members of two women's support groups to whichI belong: 'Women in the Ministry', which inlcudesclergy, a law student, clinical social worker, etc.,and a support group in a retirement communitywhere feminist issues are of major concern as wegradually raise the consciousness of other retiredpersons, both men and women. Thank you for thework you are doing"Lois C. SeifertClaremont, CA"I suffered from clinical depression for 18 years. Iwelcome seeing information about this confusingdisease; however, I must comment on Dr. Symonds'article. While cultural demands may contribute tothe higher incidence of depression in women, recentresearch indicates that brain chemistry imbalancehas far more to do with causing depression thanpsychological stress. I did not improve until a psychiatristfound the medication which corrected myfaulty brain chemistry. I needed the emotional supportof my psychiatrist to help me through the longprocess of finding the effective medication, but noamount of psychological therapy will change thechemical processes of the brain."Yvonne M. KelchamCape Girardeau, MOEditor's Note: Dr. Symonds said in herarticle: "Treatment of depression shouldbe a combination of psychotherapy and,when indicated, medications, (underscoreours.)... Medication alone is not enough... New medications have accomplished agreat deal in relieving the extreme sufferingof severe depression. But all depressedpeople need psychotherapy as well.""Ijust received On the Issues. I was pleased to seethat you 're not afraid to print anti-choice letters.These have spurred me to write. I was a patient atCHOICES last year. When I went there, I wassurprised and even annoyed at photos of babies andchildren who had been delivered through your services.I noticed that at least two of your staff werepregnant. That also annoyed me. The counselorwho spoke with me asked me questions and gave meinformation to make sure I was aware of the implicationsof my decision, and to make me realize that Ihad to take responsibility for my life. She was directand sensitive. Previously, I had seen pregnancy as afailure or an enticing escape. Either way, 1 didn'tthink of it as a choice but rather an imposition oneeither accepted or rejected. Suddenly, my decisionwas not so clear. I recognized the seriousness of thechoices I was facing. There is gain and loss on eachside. I determined to take responsibility for the choiceI made. When I left CHOICES, I decided thatfrom that moment on, pregnancy would always be amatter of my choice, not chance, and determined toappreciate and develop my own life so that when Idecide to have a child, I will have satisfied andaccomplished all the goals which were the reasons formy postponing motherhood. Thank you so much.CHOICES truly lives up to its name.COMING ATTRACTIONS:NAOMI CHASE, author of A Child isBeing Beaten, on Massachusetts 1 phenomenallysuccessful Employmentand Training Choices Program —anexclusive interview...DR. RICHARDMORGAN. International Coordinator ofName Withheld By RequestBronx, NYMobilization for Animals, makes a connectionbetween animal rights andthose of women and children...Blackwomen's health issues...the effects ofdiagnostic technology on a woman'sright to choose...and morel"We would like to convey our considerable outrage atthe ethnic stereotyping in the editorial cartoon onpage 18, Volume IV of On the IssuesAdvocacy of a particular position should never be anexcuse for this sort of offensive caricaturing, particularlywhen the cartoon's shrill message vitiates thetemperate and reasoned tone that characterizes therest of your excellent publication.In addition to its insensitive nature, the cartoon is\imply not correct in suggesting that the OrthodoxJewish community (represented by the gentlemanwith the long nose wearing the yellow star) sharesthe Catholic Church and Moral Majority's activistabsolutist position on the abortion issue. The Unionof Orthodox Jewish Congregations, the representativebody of the vast majority of North AmericanOrthodox synagogues, is on record as opposing anyConstitutional amendment concerning abortion.Most Orthodox Jews attempt to refrain from seekingto impose their own theological views on Americansof other faiths and creeds.May we suggest that to be truly pro-choice'is torespect the right of others to choose not to sanctionabortion for themselves without attacking theirmotives or religious beliefs."David Luchins Margy-Ruth DavisCo-Chair Co-ChairCommunal Relations CommissionUnion of Orthodox Jewish Congregationsof A mencaNew York, New YorkExcerpt from Merle Hoffman's response:"/ did not view the depiction of the Jew as anti-Semitic, perhaps because so often I have personallybeen on picket lines and in demonstrations and rallieswhere highly visible members of the Orthodoxsect, looking not dissimilar to the cartoon figure,were counter-demonstrating, holding signs that proclaimedabortion as murder and a sin.I am also aware that no religion is monolithic andthat in any organization there will be degrees ofagreement/disagreement with the established position.This is as true in the Jewish Orthodox religiouscommunity as in any other religiouscommunity. The anti-abortion, anti-woman's rightsmovement has support from all religious affiliations.The political momentum to overturn Roe v. Wade isnot limited to the push for a Constitutional amendment,but is reflected in litmus testing for FederalCourt Judgeships, State rulings on restrictive consentsprior to abortion, Medicaid cut-offs for poorwomen and, outside the law, direct violence againstabortion clinics themselves.I, in no way, intend any type of anti-Semitic inferenceby my publication of this cartoon. As a woman,psychologist, feminist, activist and Jew, my entirepolitical and spiritual direction is one which seeks toreduce the artificial stereotypic barriers that divide usrather than to increase them But, the fact remainsthat it is women who must bear the results of thelaws concerning their bodies, their children and theirreproductive freedom; laws that they had little, ifany, voice in creating."Tdo13

packed into under 200 pages. It's even harderto believe that anyone will ever have anythingto add to the topic. The book can beordered from Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co..2460 Kerper Blvd., PO Box 539. Dubuque.Iowa 52004-0539.Choice Books14My first reaction to Are You Still MyMother? Are You Still My Family? by Gloria GussBack (Warner Books. S7.95 paperback) wasdisbelief. Disbelief that so many enlightened,intelligent, otherwise liberal parents couldreact so strongly and so negatively to abeloved child telling them that she or he isgay. Therefore. I did some investigating onmy own. asking "enlightened, liberal" womenand men how they would react to discoveringthat one or more of their children is homosexual.1 rapidly discovered that Ms. Back isabsolutely on target. The reactions werestrong—and negative. Each individual, however,gave a different reason for the negativeresponse. The variety of answers were bestsummed up by a physician whom I hadalways considered avant garde in his sexualthinking. Yes. he said, he would be upsetbecause "People who share similar things aremore drawn together. A non-sharing of avery emotional, personal value is alienating."Are You Still My Mother? has manyvignettes about parents of gay people, andabout the children themselves. It also gives astep-by-step account of the six-session workshopsfor parents of gays (including materialsused) conducted in the New York City area byMs. Back, an M.S.W. and herself the motherof a gay son. There is an excellent section onwhat experts, including ministers, psychiatrists,social workers, etc.. have to say abouthomosexuality, much of which should be ofgreat help to a parent who is dealing with achild's "coming out." Another very importantsection. "What's A Parent to Do?" discusseshow to best protect your child, politically,philosophically and emotionally in a numberof different ways.This book is comprehensive and practical,as well as personal and moving. I wouldlike to see it used in all schools of social work,and I would like to see workshops, such asthose Ms. Back conducts, proliferatethroughout the country. We are all aware ofthe need for support groups, but these workshopsgo far beyond that The agendaincludes a historical perspective, philosophies,quizzes and reading materials, designed toincrease parental sensitivity and awareness,helping them to come to a realization thatone father expressed: "Most of the gays Ihave met. like my own son. are decent, lawabidinghuman beings: taxpayers; voters;and, aside from their sexual orientation, nodifferent in their desires and needs from thelikes of us. It is an honor to have my son inour family, and if 'family' is the strength ofour country. I'll hold mine high up in pride."The acceptance of his sons homosexualityprobably did not come to this fatherquickly or easily. This is a hard-won messagefrom parent to child that despite "differences"there is family support, unity, trustand love.Whether or not we have gay children,this book gives us a lot to think about.— Beverly LowyBreaking the Cycle of Child Abuse byChristine Comstock Herbruck (Winston Press.Minneapolis. MN, S4.95. paperback) describesthe work of Parents Anonymous, an organizationdesigned to supply help and support toabusive parents who are trying to break theirpatterns of child abuse. The work done by PAis certainly important. People should be madeaware of its existence and. possibly, set uptheir own chapters with hotlines throughoutthe country. However, this reviewer hadproblems with the book itself. Too manynames and case histories are thrown at thereader without a follow-up; one never knowsif, or how, the problem of abuse wasresolved. Another problem was the particulargroup highlighted. It seemed to be composedof middle-class women whose abusive patterns,for the most part, were verbal, emotionaland passive rather than physical. Noneof the women (there were few men whoattended) seemed in financial straits andtheir physical surroundings sounded comfortable.All abusive parents have emotionalproblems, but these women were not subjectedto the external pressures that povertycan bring. The book is episodic; one neverfeels involved with the core group of women— in fact, it's difficult to keep them straightand to remember who had what abusivecharacteristics.The author claims that 90 percent of abusivehomes can be made safe, but she doesn'tdocument this claim; and because there wasvery little case follow-up in the book itself, areader has no way of knowing how she cameto this conclusion. Nevertheless, the book isvaluable as a discussion of the work done byPA and informational on how to set up PAchapters. If the life of only one child is savedbecause a parent went for help. Ms. Herbruckhas done a real service by bringing PA to theattention of the public.Child Pornography by Shirley O'Brien(Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co.. Dubuque. Iowa.S9.95 paperback) is probably the best, mostcomprehensive book we've ever read on thissubject, and it should be read by every parent,teacher, or anyone interested in the welfareof children. Dr. O'Brien goes far beyondpornography and sexual abuse. She profilesthe victims, discusses the long-lasting effectson the child and why it is so difficult for parentsto deal with an eroticized child; interventionand treatment programs; and how totake action. Protective, preventive measuresare discussed in-depth. Most of all, she dealswith a sensational topic in an intelligent,informative, non-exploitive way. It is hard tobelieve that so much information can beLillian Wald of Henry Street by Beatrice Siegel(Macmillan Publishing $12.95)It never ceases to amaze me—theamount of women's history that has beensurpressed or just not available when I wasgrowing up and looking for role models. It isof note that as an educated woman and feministand as an adolescent who attended theHenry Street Settlement Music School. Iknew nothing of Lillian Wald. her life or herwork, until I read this book. That fact alonemakes it important.Lillian Wald is currently considered byscholars one of America's "most significantwomen and one of America's most importantsocial reformers." Beatrice Siegels workbrings Wald s world, her life and her significanceto women in the feminist and women'shealth movements very much alive.It was that turbulent time of the early20th century on the lower east side—streetsteeming with immigrants, radicals, intellectualsand reformers. Wald was not an immigrantbut came from an affluent Jewishfamily. As a medical missionary, she used hersocial and political connections to impactstrongly on the labor movements, peacemovements, reforms for women and childrenand —her greatest achievement—The HenryStreet Nurses' Settlement, on New York'slower east side.Historically and politically, this book isextraordinary for the reminder that the secondwave of feminism is almost repetitive ofthe first. Wald fought for city money to fightthe problems of infant mortality. What wasthe point of helping in the birth of a child ifshe did not help it grow? She fought againstchild labor and abuse, working with thefamous Mother Jones and Jane Addams.Wald envisioned a national researchcenter. "Ours is the only great nation whichdoes not know how many die each yearwithin its borders ". She arranged the firsthearings on the Care of Dependent Childrenand was mainly responsible for the FederalChildren's Bureau. She was one of the firstfounders of the Women's Trade Union. Theirplatform included demands for equal pay forequal work, eight hour work days and women'ssuffrage. Ninety years later, one of herdemands still has to become a reality.Backed in large part by the wealthyfinancier, Jacob Schiff. Wald founded theHenry Street Settlement and there lived witha group of intellectual, committed, educated,middle class, unmarried women. Wald's ownmiddle-class background oriented her alwaystowards the realization that life was notpurely survival but must incorporate somemeasure of joy—not only bread but rosestoo!As for Lillian Wald. the woman—forme she remained throughout this book, oddlyelusive. I had the strange impression that Iwas. at times, reading an extended resume.Wald is presented only by her accomplishmentsand mainly through the eyes of hercontemporaries. I never got to know how shedealt with the difficulties of being out ofstep and out of class, or of being a pioneer. In1915. Jane Addams wrote to Wald that "Youare a pioneer, as you know and must live up

to the parade". How did she indeed?She seemed to have no personalattachments or passions except her extendedfamily of the Henry Street Settlement. She issaid to have had "steadies" or "crushes"among the women in her inner circle, butthis is left completely unexplored. The writerseems to have been caught in Wald's mystiqueand in the end. we are presented withan extremely interesting historical documentbut one somewhat lacking the central figure.As a resource, as a teaching tool, thisbook is important. 1 would like to feel thatthe young women growing up today havepresented to them more realistic role modelsthan Elizabeth I or Joan of Arc as I was.— Merle HoffmanDefining theRevolution andthe Responsibilityfor ChangeWomen's Reality by Anne Wilson Schaef(Winston Press. $7.95 paperback)"He who controls the dictionary controls therevolution."—Kropotkin. This early anarchistleader and intellectual mentor of Emma Goldmanseems to crystallize the theoretical andintellectual direction of much of current feministscholars—that of re-defining acceptedreality—and in the case of Anne Schaef.offering a description of women's particularway of defining the world.Schaef. a practicing psychotherapist,presents us with a formula for viewingpresent reality (The Male System), a processto more fully understand it (ProcessTherapy), and an alternative way to view it(The Female System).According to Schaef. women cannot beviewed or treated in vacuums—they are theresult of powerful, external controls and definitions—knownas the White Male System.Any therapist who does not take intoaccount this political psychological reality(and see their patients within that framework)is. at best, ineffective and non-thoroughand at worst, counter-revolutionary.Schaef describes behaviors such as"goodness", "fairness" "following the rules"and "attention to details" as especiallyfemale coping mechanisms. She puts forth a"cavern" theory where all women house their"original sin of being born female." All of thepsychological coping mechanisms that sheaddresses have to do with filling up thosecaverns with an individual identity so thatwomen become more self-defined humanbeings.This goal of being self-defined bringsSchaef to offer up her perceptions of the"Female System".Schaef s efforts to re-define the worldaccording to Schaef (descriptions of the"Female System") seem to be grounded inher patient population—white middle-class.Relationships are viewed as the center ofwomens' universes and a"means of transcendingthe self as opposed to the "MaleSystem" where physical sex is seen as theonly vehicle for transcendence. Schaef is correctin addressing the fact that many womenare "damaged" sexually and few have a clearunderstanding of themselves as sexualbeings but does not take the further step ofuncovering or dealing with the ECONOMICAND SOCIAL SYSTEM that incorporates bothmen and women, defining and labeling themboth in terms of consumers of sexuality—asproducts rather than experiencers.Schaef views the "Male System" as static andclosed—and the "Female System" as one ofprocess. Yet, 1 believe the politics of thepower group are always in the process of redefiningreality. This is particularly observablein political theory and decision making.The world is not created—men are creatingit—defining and redefining it constantly. A"Women's Reality" does exist. I relate to it,and I am sure that intellectually and psychologicallymany women who read this bookwill say "Right. 1 know what she is talkingabout." For this reason, because it is importantto "evoke" as well as "provoke".Schaefs book, as well as others of this genre,is of importance and interest.They all should, however, be read asshe would have us view the "Male System",with acute awareness and critical thinking.If, in fact, women gain control of the "dictionary",what are they to do with it? Writingnew definitions is not enough—words arestatic; theories empty unless actively putinto the interactional social and politicalsystem.Here is the point where intellectualexercise and responsibility collide. Here is thejuncture where women must take activeresponsibility for their revolution.Once we (and here it must be stressed thatwe has to include the belief systems of blackwomen, poor women, gay women, chicanowomen, etc.) redefine, reorganize and trulycontrol the "dictionary" in terms of changingthe definitions of social, political, moral andtheological reality, we are truly powerful andwe must deal with the responsiblities of thatpower.Who will define a "Female System"—how will it be incorporated into reality—aslong as the ruling perceptual "Male System"is firmly in place? How will we teach it toourselves, our sisters, men? How much inputwill we allow from other systems—who willdecide?Is God dead—hiding—He a She?All profoundly important questions.Questions which all of us who purport to befeminists must address.Revolutions are not simple things. It isnot enough to change the palace guard. Theworld is not created—We are creating it.Our questioning early attempts at redefinitionsalready have begun to change it.We must take care not to exchange one ideologicalprison for another.In a chapter entitled "True. Truer. Truest",Schaef argues for levels of truth consciousnessand states that "persons at thehighest levels of truth are often lonelybecause the further one moves along, themore people one leaves behind."Perhaps in this statement can befound the problem and challenge of much ofthe current leadership of the feminist movement.If the "troops" are locked into lowerlevels of truth and reality consciousness,then the revolution is shallow and elitist.It is our responsibility to help, educateand lead women of all levels of consciousnessinto awareness—a long and arduous process.One that takes much patience and commitment.Not all women are in therapy. Not allhave access or ability to this type of intellectualenlightenment. Without direct politicaland organizational action on the part of theleadership of the movement with womenallwomen—the movement has a seriousflaw. Schaefs book ends with the words."And now let us begin". She has done herpart. It is now up to all of us to continue thework.—Merle HoffmandoSafest Contraceptivecontinued from pg >H|^^^^H^I^Hominous age group—10 to 14-yearolds—it continues to rise. In 1979.more than one-half million babieswere born to teenagers—approximately20 percent of all births thatyear. Annually, more than one millionadolescents conceive and carry theirpregnancies to term. A full 90percent of those delivering keep theirinfants rather than present themfor adoption.Adolescent sexual activity isincreasing. Reports suggest that byage 17 about half of males and onethirdof females have had sexualintercourse. Dr. Luella Klein and othershave shown that 20 percent ofpregnancies among teenagers occurin the first months after initiation ofsexual intercourse and about 50 percentbegin in the first six months ofsexual activity. This all adds up to ateenage birth rate that is phenomenallyhigh for a developed country.The U.S. birth rate for teens is threetimes as high as the Soviet Union'sand eight times as high as Japan's.New Jersey health officialsrecently released 1982 figures showingthat 13 cities in the state claimedmore out-of-wedlock births thanbirths to married couples; theystated that teenage pregnancy is"epidemic." These health officialsblamed lack of education and cutbacksto family planning services ascontributing to the burgeoning problem.(Family planning in New Jerseyhas lost $1 million in federal fundssince 1981.) Moreover, officialsemphasize that the purpose of sexeducation and family planning servicesis not to prepare youngsters tocontinued on pg. 1915

16Conversation continued from pg / • • • • •Baby Jane Doe case on Long Island. Ithink the parents have a right todecide and government has no businessgetting in there. They're notgoing to care for the child, or havethe financial burden,MH: Do parents have a right to say"do not give this child treatment?"BB: Oh, absolutely. Each set of parentshas the right to make that decisionthemselves. What right doesany government or person who isnot going to be involved, is not goingthrough the emotional suffering,and the physical and financial burdenhave to interfere?MH: What we're really talking aboutis that individuals have power overthemselves and their families asopposed to the State, that womenhave the right to have abortions, andparents have a right, after a child isborn if it's enormously damaged, tosay "Do not try to save it." You agreewith that?BB: Yes.MH: Are you an anarchist?BB: No.MH: What we're talking about is thelessening of government in all areasof moral choice.BB: Moral choice belongs to the individualand it's up to the church toteach this. That's our job.MH: Do you think there can bemorality without religion?BB: Of course.MH: Do you believe in absolute goodand evil?BB: Yes.MH: Then not in situational morality?BB: I believe in situational ethicsbecause I don't think that we alwaysknow what absolute good is. To me,God is good. God is love.MH: This is why I see abortion as avery moral decision, because it'smade—I've seen it often—out oflove for the family that exists, forthe children and for the woman herself.Now, explain to me the differencebetween peace and justice andhow you see the use of violence toachieve the concept of justice.BB: I think it makes a differencewhether you're living in an open ora closed society. This country is anopen society and I think to use violencein any way in this society isabsolutely wrong. For example, Ithink the bombings at the clinics andthe threats against clinic personnelare wrong. There are non-violentways of achieving goals. You can getpeople elected.MH: So, you don't buy the conceptthat anti-choicers are answering ahigher moral call by attacking clinics?BB: No, because they have non-violentways of responding to this call.If there are situations where it is anabsolutely closed society, where everybodydoesn't have the vote, whereyou can't speak freely—(for example.South Africa), then sometimes, ultimately,you have to resort to violence.But, there's a big conservativetrend in this country now and I thinkit's a backlash against some of theblack and women's liberation movements.The fundamentalist churchesare getting a lot of people and one ofthe reasons is that they promiseabsolute security. They say "do whatwe say, believe what we say andwe'll take care of you. We promiseyou salvation".MH: Yet, there are people who givethese preachers millions of dollars,and say that their lives are changed;that they are born again. This mayhave to do with the response tomaterialism, and the decadence ofthis society. They want to have valuesother than "Three's a Crowd"and "The Price is Right".BB: Right. I think our materialisticsociety really leaves people feelingvery empty. This great "sell" that allyou have to do is have a lot of goodsex, make a lot of money and youwill be happy. Well, you grow up alittle bit and you learn that isn'ttrue.MH: Maybe happiness itself is thefalse value.BB: It's not something you can pursue.It's a by-product.MH: I read a column by Russell Bakerwhich said "We make Gods out ofstars like Elizabeth Taylor and rockstars because we want to make Godsafter our own image. We're totallyordinary, so we make ordinary peopleGods." Are we so extraordinary thatwe can imagine that we're the ultimateexpression of God?BB: There's a reason for things. Oneof the reasons that we do have thissense of the spiritual is becausewe're given the capacity. Humanbeings are at the top of the evolutionaryladder, if we don't blow ourselvesup. I don't think this is theend. I hope to God that we can get alot better.MH: What bothers me about a lot ofpeople's thinking is the idea thatwe're already on the highest level ofthe evolutionary scale. That all "thebeasts of the field" are under ourcontrol. What we do with them isuse them as a resource, torturethem, etc. People should have morehumility and respect for other lifeforms.BB: The Bible uses a very interestingword...stewardship. We weren'tgiven control, we were given stewardship,which means that we'resupposed to take care—and I don'tthink we've taken very good care—of our environment, of life aroundus, in whatever form. I mean it'sreally appalling what we've done toGod's world in many ways.MH: Are you optimistic or do youthink it's possible that we will have anuclear war?BB: Of course, it's possible. I'm not acomplete Pollyanna. But, I'm veryhopeful. I think the women's movement,all the movements that movetoward freeing the human spirit helpus toward peace and away from thedemonic which is nuclear war andtowards a more highly spiritual life.MH: Any last thoughts?BB: The Episcopal Church is not theonly church that has women ministers.Most of the Protestantdenominations have had women asministers, and are in favor of legalabortion. So many people think thechurch is opposed to abortion. TheRoman Catholic Church is. and thefundamentalist churches are, butthe great mainstream of AmericanProtestant churches are in favor oflegal abortion.MH: Right. And, we're going to fightto keep it that way.BB: Damn right.The Rev. Beatrice Blair has served as ExecutiveDirector of National NARAL and as Chairof its Board. She presently chairs the Boardof New York State NARAL and the PolicyCouncil of New York Metropolitan ReligiousCoalition for Abortion Rights. An Episcopalpriest, she serves on the staff of St. MarksChurch-in-the-Bowery in New York City. Sheis mother of four and grandmother of five.

Moral LitmUS-PackWOOd continuedfrompg.ment after the 1980 election, whenthey claimed to have taken theWhite House and elected a largegroup of Senate candidates whoseprimary platform was opposition toabortion rights? These efforts toshape the Senate's philosophical orientationhave resulted in no real victoriesfor the anti-choice movement.A proposed Constitutional amend- •ment to overturn Roe fell far shortof the necessary two-thirds vote inJune, 1983: it even failed by a 49-50vote to gain a simple majority ofSenate.Now the anti-choice movementhas chosen a new battlefield. Whilethey have been successful during thepast 12 years in restricting fundingfor abortions in some instances, theyhave been stymied in their efforts toget a Constitutional amendmentreferred to the people for ratification.Now they have focused on theprocess of Senate confirmation ofjudicial appointments to the federalbench.On April 17, 1985 the SenateJudiciary Committee held a hearingon the nomination of Joseph H.Rodriquez to serve as a UnitedStates District Court judge in NewJersey. While the nomination hearingitself was not unusual, certainactions preceeding the hearing wereclearly objectionable.The anti-choice movement isdesperately attempting to stack theFederal courts with anti-choicejudges requiring all new judicial nominationsto meet a "right-to-life"litmustest. Recently, three anti-choiceSenators (Hatch, Denton and East)sent a multi-page questionnaire,under Senate Judiciary Committeeletterhead, to the nominee, Mr.Rodriguez, who has the support ofthe two Democratic Senators andthe Republican Governor from NewJersey.This "test" questionnaireupsets me for two reasons: 1) it's anovert attempt to manipulate judicialnominations, and 2) the questionswere put together by a handful ofSenators and, therefore, do notreflect the views of the entire SenateJudiciary Committee. The principalreason for holding judiciarynomination hearings is to give allSenators an equal opportunity to askspecific questions.Below is a list of a couple ofquestions that capture the overalltone of this political "ideological"test:QUESTION: "In Roe v. Wade, theSupreme Court determined thateven the 'viable' unborn humanfetus is not a 'person' as that term isused in the Fifth and FourteenthAmendments to the Constitution. Doyou believe that a 'viable' fetus is ahuman being? If so, do you agreewith the Court's finding that the'viable' fetus is not a 'person'? If so,on what basis can a valid Constitutionaldistinction be drawn betweena 'human being' and a 'person'?"QUESTION: "Is a child who isborn alive after an abortion a 'person'under the Fifth and FourteenthAmendments? Does the 'right to anabortion' that the Court createdwith its Roe decision have any applicationafter a child is born alive asthe result of an abortion?"As you can see, these questionsare designed to ensure that judgesmeet a pro-life standard litmus testin order to win approval by the Senate.Rodriguez' response to the questionsincluded the following:RESPONSE: "These questionsdirectly raise the issue of the correctnessof the Roe v. Wade decision.To engage in criticism of theSupreme Court could be interpretedto mean that I would be unable toimpartially determine a similar issuethat might be presented at a futuretime. There could also be a more seriousappearance of impropriety if itseems that I have pledged to takeparticular view of the law. An essentialingredient of justice is theappearance of justice. The called forresponse could affect that appearance...Adistrict judge is bound byoath to respect the authority of theSupreme Court and its interpretationof the Constitution."Senators should take specialnote of this well-articulated responsefrom Mr. Rodriguez. The Senate'srole is to "advise and give consent"to the President's nomination of acandidate for a federal judgeship.The Senate's decision to approve ordisapprove nominated individualsmust not be based on the candidate'spersonal views but on his orher ability to follow the law of theland as prescribed by the SupremeCourt.Nominated candidates shouldnot be subject to a pre-hearingscreening from a biased questionnaire.Not only is it wrong—it'sdownright dangerous. This is a goodexample of Senators overexercisingtheir political power to impose personalviews of morality on judicialnominations.I am happy to report that theSenate did confirm the nominationof Mr. Rodriguez and he will serve asa federal judge, But it is a shamethat the Honorable Joseph Rodriguezhad to go through such inappropriatemoral scrutiny before gettingto the bench.Republican Senator from OregonBob Packwood chairs the Senate FinanceCommittee . which is responsible for nationaltax policy. It also oversees major programssuch as Medicare. Medicaid, Social Security,trade and tariff regulation, employee benefitsand revenue sharing. In 1968. Packwoodwas elected to the U.S. Senate as the youngestmember of the 91st Congress. He is currentlyin his third Senate term. Because ofhis firm pro-choice stand, he has often beentargeted by the anti-choice movement. Hecomes up for re-election in 1986.Whose Life Is ItAnyway?"Most women make the decision ofabortion... out of love... for family, children...often a selfless decision."—FromAbortion: A Different Light, producedby Merle Hoffman in 1982.This 28-minute videotape exploresthe ethical, religious, political and sociologicalaspects of abortion with honestyand candor—even allowing equal timefor the anti-choicers to present theirside. Seven former abortion patients atCHOICES are "silent no more"—they telltheir stories movingly and honestly;pro-choice activists and attorneys areinterviewed in depth; there is a vigorousdebate between Merle Hoffman andMoral Majority leader Dan C. Fore; a 13-year-old girl rattles off anti-choice rhetoric,unthinkingly parroting what shehas been taught; and much more.This film puts the focus of theabortion issue back where it belongs—on women. It is the ethical rebuttal to"The Silent Scream" and a useful toolfor pro-choice activists to use in theircommunities. Available in Beta, VHS or3/4" cassettes. Purchase price: $350;rental: $75; in special cases of fledglingor struggling feminist organizations wewill waive the cost except for $25 tocover postage and handling.Contact: CHOICES, 97-77 QueensBoulevard, Forest Hills, N.Y. 11374.718/275-6020, Ext. 467.do17

18Forever Activists continued from pg. 3what was going on no matter howmuch was happening. One of the reasonswe're ignorant is because we'retreated like mushrooms...kept inthe dark, piled over with shit and wegrow fine. And we contributebecause we continually buy the productsthat run the media—networkespecially—with Procter and Gamble,General Foods and all that stuff.Issues: You think media excludeswomen from the power structure?Flo: Why would they include us inthe power structure when by leavingus out, they have one less crowd toworry about? Now, if they decide,because Jesse Helms is so antiwomenand anti-media, to recruit usto join them to fight the right wing,we might get some results...but,right now they treat us like enemies.Although we may soon be the onlyfriends they have, between onegroup and another, Ted Turner, JesseHelms and all these other entrepreneursand merger-makers, but it certainlywon't be because we werepolitically astute enough to press ourpoint at this moment.Issues: The women's movement hasbeen criticized for being a white,middle-class women's movementand, I think I can speak for all of us,we don't want it to be so. Somehow,we've failed to reach black women.Why haven't we been able to reach,not just black women, but women ofcolor in general?Flo: Because you're white. I thinkmore because you're white thanbecause the issues don't interestthem. In other words, I think they'remore suspicious of racism in whitepeople than they are of sexism in thecommunity in general and I think it'sdumb because I think I'm smarterthan most white people and I alsothink that's because I'm a lawyerand I'm very self-assured. No matterhow powerful and rich and anythingelse that black people are, theyreturn to a sense of powerlessnessand feeling victimized when theytalk to white people. They knowthat black people (black men especially)can be doing them in, but theydon't have the same sense of mistrustfor black people. Why shouldblacks trust whites? After all, blackpeople went into the labor movementand wound up getting trashedby unions that won't let 'em comein; and they are very accustomed tohelping people when they're tryingto be powerful politically and thenbeing left out and trashed. Thewomen's movement has been no different—nobetter—and in fact,worse, because women are very racistfrom the git go. Socialists thatdominated the labor movementwere a little smarter and were a littlemore understanding of racism ina philosophical way. But the womenin the feminist community were onlypoliticized as far as sexism went andnot politicized as far as racism orclasscism to the same extent. Howmany people work on your magazine?Issues: Six.Flo: How many black women do youhave?Issues: We have a lot of black womenat CHOICES, in every area and in allcapacities. We aren't really a magazinepublisher. CHOICES is a women'smedical center and we decided toput out On the Issues because webelieve in putting a large part of ourprofits back into the women's movement.Besides, we believe there isvery little right now in the way of areal feminist publication that dealswith a wide range of social, medicaland political issues from a feministperspective the way ours does.Flo: But you see, if you took a blackwoman working in the center andyou put her on the magazine, thenthat would be evidence that you'reinterested in black people. See, inother words, when it gets to the"goodies," they find they are invited,but they are not served.Issues: I'm not sure they'd consider ita "goodie."Flo: Well, but it's still an honor. Theyare on a masthead and they coulduse it sometime to get a job.Issues: We've never thought in termsof "white" or "black"—simply who isbest equipped to do the job.Flo: I think it's much more a questionof your not knowing enough blackpeople. They used to do that whenthey were hiring secretaries...they'dwant Lena Home at 65 words perminute, and if she left, that was theend of the black people. We tried itand it didn't work. See? But 1 thinkyou just don't know enough blackpeople and so, because you don'tknow people, you get white peoplethat you don't know to that extenteither. But you know more whitepeople and there are 10 times morewhite people than there are blackpeople. But nobody just comes offthe street... white or black. And,keep in mind, there are events thatblack people have that you don't getto, so that black people don't knowwhat you're up to and you don'tknow what they're up to.Don't forget you're goingagainst a very racist and scary andbrutal society which teaches blacksfaster than you can pay them. Peopleare very much afraid of authority.Most people believe their parentsare right. And that's why if Reagansays something, they think he's gota certain amount of right on his sideand they know he's got a certainamount of power. Their boss is probablywhite and everybody they'rescared of and mistrust are whitepeople. The more they see that blackpeople are already on board, themore they are reassured. Anotherthing—black women think you'reonly concerned about your ownissues. You're not saying anythingabout the New York Eight', or anythingthat black women are into.They want to see feminists come inwhere women are involved in theblack community, whether its abouta feminist issue or not. See, that'swhat they can understand and seegetting together with. So, they haveas much right to say "why aren't youwith them?" as you have to say"where are the black women?" I'vebeen hearing this from whitewomen ever since I started in the'60s. I still work with white womenbecause I think they're importantand I understand the pathology—butthere's no reason for black women tobe with you guys because you're notrelevant to them and you don't cometo them when the issues are simpleand simple numbers could make adifference. They're more sophisticatedand you need them worse thanthey need you. So, they don't believeyou're interested in them, and youdon't believe they're interested inyou—and you're both right. Neverthe twain shall meet.Issues: "Never" is a long time. Just inthe things we've discussed today wecan see where mistakes have beenmade and where avenues ofapproachment can be investigated.Flo: Ahh-huh."The New York Eight are four black womenand four black men with histories as majoractivists in the Black Liberation movement.In October, 1984. sometime after midnight,continued on pg. 19

Lady Physician continuedfrom pg. n\as nurturers? Did the new careers insocial work and teaching offer preferablealternatives? Was the risingcost of medical education coupledwith a dearth of scholarships forwomen responsible for the demise?Or, was it a matter of discriminationon the part of medical schools andmedical institutions? Was it the"new woman's" rejection of theolder generation's idealogy of "VirtuousWomanhood" which undercutthe rationale which once supportedwomen's advance in the professionbefore a new idealogy could replaceit? Did the new emphasis on the psychologicaldevelopment of the childconvince more women to devotethemselves exclusively to mothering?Did the flapper generation'srejection of Victorian Standards ofmodesty result in a dimunition ofthe demand for women physiciansamong women? Was the FlexnerReport on Medical Education, sponsoredby the Carnegie Foundation in1910 the final nail in the coffin?* Or,was it the shift in the power of medicalorganization from the state andlocal to the national level?Safest Contraceptive continued from pg. wibe sexually active, but rather toteach them to use contraceptiveswhen they do become active. Additionally,it has been emphasized thatfamily planning information alonewill not solve the problem of adolescentpregnancies. Teenagers firstmust be convinced they can attainsuch goals as completing their education and obtaining worthwhile jobs.And what else can we do? Weneed to find ways to let 10- and 12-year olds be children a little longer.We need to decide if publicized sexand violence and the intense commercializationof sex appeal areworth the costs. We need to openForever Activists continued from pg. ispolice and FBI agents simultaneously raidedsix houses in Manhattan. Queens and Brooklyn,arresting the Eight and charging themwith conspiring to rob armored cars and engineerjailbreaks. They were held three weekswithout bail on conspiracy charges although,according to their lawyers, no evidence hasbeen presented to show any crimes werecommitted.(This information is based on a report fromThe National Alliance.)EDITOR'S NOTE: Just before our press time, theNew York Eight were acquitted of plotting robberiesand jailbreaks, but convicted of some lesser chargesof possessing weapons and using false identification.The trial lasted over two months.These and other explanationswill be explored. It will be left to theaudience, and society, to decide andthus make use of this history toevaluate our current condition.Ruth J. Abram is president of Paraphrase.Inc.. a not-for-profit organization which producespublic programs based on history. Inaddition, she has written many publishedpieces on women's concerns and social issues.Ms. Abram was formerly executive directorof Women's Action Alliance; program director,ACLU Foundation; and Title VII coordinator.NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.• FOOTNOTE: The Abraham Flexner studyreported rampant inadequacies in medicaleducation and urged the coupling of medicaleducation with the university systems. Theresult was that medical education becamemuch more expensive and, since the majorityof young women entering medicine camefrom the lower middle classes, they couldn'tafford the cost.EDITOR'S NOTE: Additional funding is neededto finance this tour. Contributors of$50. 00 or morewill receive a copy of the Exhibition Catalog (to bepublished by W. W. Norton). Checks should bemade payable to Paraphrase, Inc. and mailed toSEND US A LADY PHYSICIAN, P.O. Box1717, New York, N.Y. 10009. Contributions aretax deductible to the amount allowed by law.channels of communication and helpparents and schools educate youngsterseffectively about responsiblesexuality. We need to teach love andcommitment. Above all, we need totry to give adolescents more hopefor a productive, interesting, and fulfilledlife. All this should help themput sex in perspective. And it shouldalso help them avoid the entrapmentof teenage parenthood. Lastly, thisold-fashioned writer would like toremind adolescents that there isnothing craven about resisting peerpressure and saying no to havingsex. "No" is a perfectly safe oralcontraceptive.Kathyrn E. McGoldrick. M.D. is Editor-in-Chiefof the Journal of the American Medical Wornen's Association (JAMWA) from which thisarticle has been reprinted. She is AssistantClinical Professor of Anesthesia at HarvardMedical School and Associate Anesthesiologist.Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.She has written numerous articles on medicalissues and ethics, and is well-known as a lectureron those and other topics. JAMWA ispublished bi-monthly and contains up-to-datearticles on women's health and on issuesaffecting women physicians. To subscribe:send check to AMWA, 465 Grand Street. NewYork, NY 10002; yearly subscription rates:$20. domestic; $25, foreign; $10, student.COInto The Breach continued from pg.damental principle. Women of thiscountry must be aware that "prolife"means anti-woman.Women must be allowed to continueto choose legal, safe abortionin a world that really allows themfew other choices. Every birth, ideally,should be planned. Every personshould be fed, clothed, house andloved. But, as we all know, this is notpossible; not now, not today. Maybetomorrow, if we work together. Weare living, after all, in reality land,not fantasy land and our reality is asociety which pretends to care aboutthe education, well-being, feedingand housing of women and children.But here, as in most political systemsthat don't practice what theypreach, the victims often bear theblame. So are women to be blamedfor ineffective birth control and lackof knowledge and education. So arewomen to be blamed for an economicstructure which forces theminto the workplace in order to putfood on their tables—forces them tomake choices where there are nochoices. So are women to be blamedfor male violence and coercion. Soare women to be punished forexpressing the powerful God-givensurge of survival—the ability to havebabies—something that her malecounterparts can never share. And,so are women ultimately to be blamedand punished for the necessity oftheir abortions and, in anti-choiceterms, for killing their own children.Any proposed "human life"amendment, any States rights legislation,any change from Roe v. Wadeis a DEATH AMENDMENT for womenin this country. Control of our ownbodies will be completely usurped bygovernment, and by the male medicalestablishment. Women are notjust the carriers of unborn children.Women are human beings. Citizens.With Rights. Women must be able toexercise these rights and protectthemselves from getting pregnant ifthey do not want to, and, if theirbirth control fails, they must be freeto act in their best interests,whether that be abortion, adoptionor having and keeping their children.The issue is choice...not compulsoryabortion. Not compulsory pregnancy.Choice.There can be no compromisewith an ideology of oppressionagainst women that cloaks itself in amoral ethic of concern for fetal life.continued on pg. 21 in

Love & Death continued from pg. 7world on 86.We started in his office—asmall partitioned cubicle. He told meabout his work—how being an oncologistgot him used to his patientsdying—sort of. How the researchdidn't have the answers—yet—howmuch the medical staff depended onthe support systems generated bythe gay community and the City ofSan Francisco—how on some days itwas horrible—when they had about60 patients in the last stages of thedisease coming in weekly for treatment—howhe had to deal with thedepression—the rage—the incredibleunbelievable reality of 30-year-oldmen dying—I asked him about medication—anti-depressants. They didn't usethem. After all. the reality was thatthey djd_have a fatal illness (50 percentof patients diagnosed with AIDSare terminal)—what could drugs dofor that? I asked about his owndepression. He said it was difficult.For Gary, dealing with the dyingAIDS patients helped him cope withhis own anxiety about getting AIDS.He felt that if in fact he was everdiagnosed with AIDS he could dealwith it easier because he wasinvolved in helping others do thesame. Maybe.Then there was his bike andthe hills of San Francisco—that washis therapy—the rides alone in thehills when there was one phone calltoo many—one Bobby too many-Kaplan asked me whether Iwanted to go into the in-patient area—the place where the final stages ofthis deadly drama get played out.I wanted to see it—to be there,so we walked through the green hospitalcorridors together until wereached the area-There were only 12 beds—outsideof each room a bright pinkposter entitled INFECTION PRECAU-TIONS, listed directions for staffdealing with the patients—a checkoffsystemMASK GOWN GLOVES PUNC-TURE PROOF NEEDLE BOX IN ROOMNO PREGNANT WOMEN—and thenthere was the room with the handwrittensign outside that read NOFLOWERSNo flowers—it was then I feltI wanted to cry.The literature rack told volumes.Brochures such as "Copingwith AIDS'! "Getting Your Affairs in20Order", "A Bridge of Love and Affirmation","When A Friend Has AIDS","Affection Not Rejection"—spoke tothe love and support of the staff forthese patients.All of the workers on this wardwere volunteers, and most of themwere gay. I asked whether theirbeing gay was the primary reasonfor their wanting to work on thisward? "Not the only reason—but it'simportant." The issue of this disease—AIDS—had galvanized the gaycommunity—had created networksof ancillary support systems thatreached out to the established medicalcommunity—surrounded it andsupported and changed the conventionalavenues of medical treatment.A visual flash—the end of a bed—a thin almost skeletal leg stickingout of the white bed sheets—spasmodicallytwitching—the door partlyopen—someone sitting at thebedside—And then I felt the rage—onelives one life making choiceschoicesthat challenge the establishedorder, struggling to self-actualize,to break free of barriers thatdon't fit-Acquired Immune DeficiencySyndrome is an impairmentof the body's ability tofight disease, leaving an individualsusceptible to illnesses thatthe healthy immune systemcould protect against—opportunisticinfections caused byorganisms that don't usuallycause disease. The two mostfrequently reported are an otherwiserare form of cancercalled Kaposi's Sarcoma and aprotozoan infection of thelungs called pneumocystiscarinii pneumonia. AIDS is nottransmitted by casual socialcontact. It is believed to becaused by a virus carried in thebody fluids and may be transmittedby intimate sexual contact,sharing of I.V. needles, orby blood products. Womenmake up about seven percentof the total AIDS cases in theU.S.; 12 percent in Canada andFrance; and possibly as high as40 percent in Africa. To date,there are no reported cases oftransmission between lesbians.Loving and touching and experiencing—planningfutures—payingbills—living in and out of the societalnorms—and one morning just likeany other morning, coffee, acigarette—the daily rituals that givecomfortable habitual structureminoranchors. Then one morningyour throat hurts—or you realizethat you've been tired too long—orthere's the feeling that the gland inyour neck is swollen. One morningafternoon—oranytime—your worldradically changes. And there is noreason. And yet there is.Gary told me that his experienceof working with dying patientsshowed him that "angry people dieangry and actualized people growmore".As if AIDS were an enormouschallenge—facing death—learning tocope—to reach the acceptance levelwas something that not all attained.Gary's rage would come at astrange time. It would come whenone of his patients finally came tothe point of acceptance—and wouldtell him "I'm ready—I'm not fightinganymore". It was then that Garywould take to his bike—take to thehills—As if their acceptance was hisfailure—And I thought of my beginningsat CHOICES. In the early '70s whenabortion had not been legalizednationally but was legal in New York.When there was still all the shame,guilt, fear and stigma. How the communityof women reached out—howthey referred, educated, counseledand supported the women—and howthe medical community let themdoit—In the case of AIDS where medicaltechnology has not been able todevelop a definitive test to diagnoseor cure the disease—physicians soused to playing God with all theanswers have to face the reality oflimited answers—here also, the medicalcommunity out of necessity hasstepped aside for love—for the communityof caring and another definitionof healing. A modality thatshould ideally be utilized in all medicalcare, not only for the issues thattrouble or frighten us.We came back to the outpatientward. Kaplan was called tothe phone—more instructionsmorebad news to give.A patient passed by supportedby a staff member—thin, walking

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There is no charge for On the Issues. Ifyou wish to help defray the costs ofpublication and mailing. $10.00 makesyou one of CHOICES' People. This entitlesyou to back issues (while the supplylasts); our booklet Birth Control:The Choice Is Yours; our yearly calendar;and any future publicationswithin the upcoming year.Birth Control: The Choice IsYours examines and evaluates allmethods, with special consideration toeffectiveness, personalities of individualusers and the best method foreach. $3.00 each (1-10 copies); $2.50each (10-25 copies); $2.00 each(over 25).• Enclosed is $10.00 to help defraycosts.• Enclosed isfor. copies of BirthControl: The Choice is YoursNAME.ADDRESS.(Please type or print)PHONE.ChoicesWomen's Medical Center, Inc.

haltingly—and I knew that I wasthere for a moment in time thatwould be repeated again and again.I didn't disturb Kaplan—theconnecting line was too important. Itouched\his shoulder as I left feelingspecialness of these people.Calvin died last week. He diedin San Francisco.Was he accepting—or was itmore of the "do not go gently intothat good night; Rage against thedying of the light..."Whatever...Did Calvin remember mycaring?The only thing I can think ofnow is that I hope wherever he wasthat they let him have flowers.—Merle Hoffmancontinuedfrom pg. 19\ooThe equality of women requires theirability to abort. This equality cannotbe compromised by medical technology,by legal or Constitutionalarguments and must not be compromisedby moral, religious or ethicalpronouncements. Freedom, libertyand equality must have no boundaries.The Civil War was fought tounite this country as one. Women'sfreedom and equality must not beallowed to exist on a state by statebasis. Any legislation that throwscontrol of these issues back to thestates is tantamount to states rights"Emancipation Proclamations" givingindividual states the power to decidewho should be free and who shouldnot be free. Just as blacks are free inall states, so must women be. Nowoman should have to travel fromone state to another to get adequatemedical care. In America, equalityand freedom must not be determinedby one's geographic location.Liberty and freedom to choose,like breathing, eating, walking andloving, are rights granted to us by ahigher authority. No government, nolegislative body, no religious pronouncementor philosophical treatise,no exploding bombs, noterrorists, nothing and no one mustever stop women from exercisingtheir Constitutional, biological andGod-given right to choose! —M.H.Terminal Illness continued from pg. 6Sense Suicide, has put it, women will"be more easily exploited becausethey're there.. .there for aboutanother eight years, on average."In addition, it is statisticallylikely that a woman will near deathwithout a mate or close contemporaryat her side. Generally speaking,the man with terminal illness willhave the support of his wife. Thetwo will discuss treatment optionsand the likely consequences. Moreoften than not, they will arrive at ashared decision. Difficult as it maybe, on many levels, the wife will, inmy experience, always accede to ahusband's decision to end or avoiddeath-prolonging treatment.Children and other relativesmight not always be so understanding.(As an interesting sidelight, it isusually the estranged or guilty child,perhaps living in another state, whoresists a parent's decision to curtailunnecessary treatment.) A woman,therefore, may find herself explainingher decision to loving relativeswho cannot really share her feelingsabout the situation. Or, she may, as amother, feel that she cannot ask herchildren to share the burden of atreatment decision that will result inher dying naturally. She may not, insum, have the peer support her husbandhad.What about the relationshipbetween the terminally ill womanand her physician? There are no statistics,but, because so many womenare older than men when deathapproaches, it seems to be true thatsome are less likely to question adoctor's treatment decision. Afterall, women in their 80s today grewup in the period when the medicalprofessional changed from a comforting,but fairly helpless, bedsidepresence to a miracle worker. Literally,during a lifetime as long as thecentury is old, medical research hasdiscovered penicillin, insulin and vaccinesfor many fatal illnesses. It wouldnot be strange if women of this andeven later generations were likely tobelieve that any new medical strategyis by definition, a good thing.Probably, as more and morepeople understand and experiencethe realities of medical technology,even these older women will be lesstrusting of the professional's decision.Currently, however, what mayseem like a characteristic of somewomen patients—a willingness toaccept without question—is probablythe characteristic of a generation.As we all have seen, attitudesof women in the older generationsare being influenced by the attitudesof younger women. We may soonhave daughters helping their mothersstand by the decision to resistunwanted treatment.But after discounting differencescaused by greater age, womenwill face the same problems as menaad to the same degree. As oneadministrator at a hospital in NewYork City has said, "When it comesto terminal illness and treatmentdecisions, there is absolutely no differencebetween men and women.Anyone can be unprepared."And that is the real point.Woman or man, each individualshould commit treatment decisionsto paper, then ensure that familyphysician, personal attorney andclose relatives or friends know preciselywhat is wanted.Remember, even with a LivingWill and a Durable Power of Attorney,the terminally ill patient todaymight encounter difficulties in wardingoff unwanted treatment, butpower is gradually moving towardthose patients who have made theirwishes explicit. Today, patients areindeed realizing that, just as theyhave taken charge of their lives, theymust take charge of their owndeaths. Today also, professionals arebeginning to understand that suchaction is an affirmation of a basicfreedom, as fundamental to thiscountry's law as any other right.So my advice is simple anddirect. First, sit down today andwrite your own advance directives.Next, discuss your decisions, as suggestedabove, with everyone whomight conceivably be concerned. Youhave the right to be free from invasive,painful or otherwise unwantedtreatment; you have, in other words,the right to a dignified and peacefuldeath.A. J. Levinson has been executive director ofConcern for Dying since 1976. She has spokenat national and international conferences, haspublished numerous pieces and is a frequentsource of information for the media on terminaldecision making. Concern for Dying is thelargest organization of its kind in the world,directing its energies to the recognition ofthe patient's role in treatment decision making.Those who want copies of the Living Willor Durable Power of Attorney, or who wantto share their experiences, can contact themat 250 West 57 St., New York. NY 10107.21

Hoffman-ISSUeS continued'frompg. 2In response to these consumerdemands, physicians are practicingmore and more defensive medicinemoreand more Cesareans, morestress testing, more sonography—creating newer and more complicatedtoys, driving the costs ofhealth care higher and higher, lesseningaccessibility—all resulting in akind of "Uterine Star Wars."Physicians are pressured tobecome even more and more Godlike—andGod help them if theydon't deliver! In New York, the malpracticerates for obstetrics havebeen driven so high by enormous settlementsthat many obstetriciansentertain the idea and even makethe decision to give up deliveringbabies. In an environment whereeveryone is concentrating on offensiveweaponry—rather than preventativeapproaches—there are losseson all sides—especially for women.It is a fact that a significantamount of the massive health caredollars spent in this country arespent for treatment of individuals inthe last months of life. In a contextof $400 billion dollars, this is a startlingfigure, especially when juxtaposedwith others like: In 1990, theblack infant mortality rate will be 14per 1,000. Only 79 percent of womenwill receive adequate prenatal careinstead of the 90 percent that hadbeen projected by the Public HealthService. According to 1985 Journalof Pediatrics statistics, the gapbetween black and white infant mortalityseems to be widening in thelast three years. While Administrationofficials claim there is no relationshipbetween relevant Federalprograms which have been cut andchanges in infant mortality, a NewYork Times editorial points out thatthe figures strongly suggest a link.Michigan, for example, has lost 25percent of its funding for maternaland child-health programs and theblack infant mortality rate hasstalled at 23.1. In parts of Detroit, ithas been as high as 33 per 1,000.Ironically, every dollar spent onprenatal care for women at risk ofbearing low-birth weight babies willsave more than $3 in specialized carelater. It has been stated and demonstratedtime and time again thatadequate pre-natal care will drasticallyreduce the amount of low-birthweight and problem deliveries. It hasalso been adequately demonstratedthat it is the poor women, the22minorities, that suffer most fromthe lack of ongoing pre-natal medicalattention. In the area of contraceptiveservices, a recent study byMargaret Terry Orr et. al. (FamilyPlanning Perspectives, Vol. 17, #2)reveals that only half of all privatephysicians will provide contraceptiveservices to Medicaid-eligible women,fewer than one third will provideobstetric care. Our society whichuses women and sex to sell all of itsproducts offensively, expends minimalfinancial resources on defense.And let's take a hard look atwhat is happening to Americanteenagers.A recent study by the AlanGuttmacher Institute revealed thefascinating comparative data thatteenage pregnancy rates in thiscountry are more than twice as highas they are in Canada, England andFrance; three times higher than theyare in Sweden and seven timeshigher than they are in the Netherlands.An analysis of the differencesin the systems revealed that it wasthe availability of confidential andfree or low-cost contraceptive servicescombined with realistic sex educationprograms in the schools alongwith concurrent liberalized abortionlaws that resulted in greater contraceptiveuse among teenagers. A salientpoint by Kajsa Sundstrom-Feigenburg,a Swedish gynecologist..."We didnot think it was a good thing forSwedish teenagers to begin theirsexual lives by having an abortion."Many of our country's teenagers,and we see quite a few at CHOICES,begin their sexual lives just this way.The results of female sexuality aresurgical invasions. Would we rather"teach them a lesson" than teachthem prevention?It is not uncommon for amother to call to make an appointmentfor her 12-year-old daughter'sabortion and demand that it be doneunder "local anesthesia" so that shecan "learn" from the pain of theexperience. This concept of adversarial,invasive conditioning—abortionto teach responsibility—does notexist only in the vacuum of maternalweaponry.It is a reflection of the largersociety (America as mother if youwill, as ultimate reinforcer) and themessages and the reinforcementsare crystal clear. The only real valuesare technology and consumerism —as defined and deified by the malepower establishment. Women's livesand health have become mere extensionsof this—they do not have valuein and of themselves, but as consumeritems. This concept of beinga perfect product operates not onlyfor ourselves but for our childrenas well.It thrusts us to diets, to exercise,to cosmetics and ultimately, totechnology, to achieve that elusivestate of consciousness and existenceknown as being "10," being perfect.In this sense, the women'smovement has not only been coopted,it has become part of maledominatedmainstream thinking. Akind of thinking that results in moreand more consumerism, more andmore technology, and less and lesstrue (female defined) liberation.It is time for women tochange the climate of the debate. Itis time for us to re-define and reorderour national priorities.Is it right that the majority ofour health care dollars go to dyingpatients in the last months of theirlives when children in their mother'swombs or in the first months oftheir lives are being neglected? Isn'tthe price for the medical boys playingwith their toys too high? Yes,DeVries is brilliant. Yes, a perfectartificial heart down the roadsometime, somewhere may be ofmajor benefit to the few (and theyinclude the research and medicalcommunities).The New York Times reportedon Friday, May 24, that the artificialheart had received a sweepingendorsement from a committee ofexperts appointed to study its potentialimpact on society. The reportcalled for greatly expanded Federalresearch to develop a fully implantablepermanent artificial heart. Toquote the study, "Such devices couldprovide a significant increase in lifespanwith an acceptable quality oflife for 17,000 to 35,000 patientsbelow age 70 annually."What does this say about ournational ethics and priorities?The benefit to the many mustbe weighed against the benefit tothe few. John Stuart Mill's doctrineof Utilitarianism demands that youtake an individual case and multiplyit for all the world and if it works foreveryone, it is an assumptive good.Virtue is based on utility and conductshould be directed towards promotingthe greatest happiness for the

greatest number of persons. Accordingto that criteria, artificial heartswould fall very low on the scale. Notevery person needs one and indeed,not everyone who may need one willwant one. But, on the other end ofthe spectrum, there are millions ofmothers and would-be mothers whoneed adequate prenatal care andeducation. There are millions of teenagerswho need, indeed, requireinformation and help to equip themselvesfor sexual survival in theonslaught of the culture and themedia. This is where the moneyshould be spent. We cannot, in fact,allow a military mentality to dominateour medical establishment. Theoffensive arsenal does not have to bepurely technological. Unlike the militaryindustrial complex, the medicalestablishment does not have an "evilempire" to blame for the massiveexpenditure of dollars. They are, infact, not elected and do not directlyanswer to any constituency.Women who are concernedabout power, who are in positions ofpower, must go beyond their ownself-interest to see that their havinga perfect baby, their being superwomenwith careers and families, isnot the ultimate positive result ofthe revolution! Just as the notion ofpower in the women's movementmust be one of the universal collectiverather than the individual personal,"Patient Power" must begin tomove from the individual patient'srelationship with her physician to abroader, more active political andclass consciousness. The power ofwomen as patients, and as medicalconsumers, cannot exist only withinthe limited confines of family or thehome.Women are the primary constituencyof the medical establishmentand must understand that until theyhave a major voice in how the moneyis being spent, how the research isbeing directed, what technologicalpriorities are being established, anduntil all women (those who wouldbe, and those who would choose notto be mothers) and their children aregiven the information they needfrom various sources, the preventativecare they need from physiciansand a government that acknowledgesthem as a priority—and a commitmentof DOLLARS—women maybe less than second class citizens..they are victims.PATIENT POWERIn the early 1970s, Merle Hoffman,founder/president of CHOICES,developed the concept of Patient Power,based on the principle that patients(mainly women) are consumers of medicaltreatment rather than passive (andoften victimized) recipients. As such,J1. Patient Power is the right to questionyour doctor.2. Patient Power is not being intimidatedby the medical establishment.3. Patient Power is making medicinework for you.4. Patient Power is knowledge of thepower of your own will to health.5. Patient Power is awareness of availablemedical choices.6. Patient Power is assertive questioningof the medical system.cr, 7 Athey are entitled to get what they payfor, know what they're getting, andunderstand all their options for treatment.The following "12 Tenets ofPatient Power" will help you understandthis philosophy and ultimately practiceit in your own medical care.7. Patient Power is knowing all youroptions.8. Patient Power is being informed ofyour rights and responsibilities.9. Patient Power is comparison shoppingfor doctors and drugs.10. Patient Power is being an informedconsumer.11. Patient Power is integrity andresponsiblity.12. Patient Power is a discipline of selfawareness.Now, listen carefully and take notes/. ©ketchup ISQ vegetable.@Highmilitary Spending reduces the naticna/ ,.^{%hereisNOunemp)oymentin America '

•ft•MM1 CD 1i Choices 1fIf1 H] CHOICES Women's Medical Center. Inc llip|&*^^^msmi!m&mm%®m8mm8!iS8®s8M> '••'••••••'• WSSSSC^^^v^w^^SSSSSKBgSBBSSStgBB/i || IHHH H Hl|ffl|i|ffl|lil(BRBWHB^^W88wnilnnBnBBBB8Wa^X,1 cfo1 Choices-1 We Offer Many!II •| Published as an informational and educational service of fe We are CHOICES, one of the most progressive and com-prehensive ambulatory women's health facilities in the97-77 Queens Boulevard. Forest Hills. New York 11374 mpHHp nation. Sinceourfounding in 1971 as an outpatient abor- •p tion center, we have become a role model in the field of! ON THE ISSUES STAFF:1g1§ ambulatory women's health and surgical care, and offer mMerle Hoffman Executive Editor MBeverly Lowy Managing Editor MAnneWalshe Associate Editor mII•I•;|l the following services: 1is »Pre- and Post-Natal Care 'Female Sterilization!jH•11• Dolores Alvarino Assistant to Executive Editor Mp • Full GYN Services • Full Laboratory Services j1Maureen Domingo Assistant to Managing Editor M§| 'Family Planning »VD Testing S Treatment jm•Florynce Kennedy Contributing Editors Mp •Walk-In Pregnancy Tests 'Workshops for the iIIrene Davall^ 'Abortion Community EPat Snibbe Art Director mp 'Diagnostic Sonography 'Counseling •Irene Upton Assistant Art Directors MI1H 'Vasectomies 'Project Outreach i;Stephen MarenaMArt Graphics Litho Printing mDawn Typographic Services Typesetting M9 :M A New York State Licenced Facility jIllIflliniBllMI•I|11 jjmChoicesWomen's Medical Center, Inc.97-77 Queens BoulevardForest Hills. New York 11374(718) 275-6020BULK RATEUS POSTAGEPAIDLong Island CityNew YorkPermit No. 378