Our nation trembles with the possibilities of a new world.
But as much as health reform is on the tip of everybody’s tongue, go too deep into reproductive health issues and listening shuts down n particularly when it comes to the A word. Abortion continues to be separate from public health concerns.
We’re accustomed to the controversy of providing reproductive health care. We are used to taking the heat for the services we provide. And we’re not usually surprised when media attention is limited to clinic bombings or anti-abortion rhetoric. But recently, when we hosted “Off the Rack: A baring and daring fashion show,” even the seasoned among us were a little taken aback by our local media and their ability to roundly ignore our event that promoted healthy sexuality and prevention measures.
Blue Mountain Clinic and Students for Choice sponsored “Off the Rack” on May 2. The fashion show featured more than 40 outfits made from condoms and art bras made by local creative types and modeled by volunteers at the event. Overall, about 500 people were involved in this unique event. Despite numerous news releases, no one from our local media was present at the event and it received little coverage.
Coincidently, statistics released the week before the event reflected an increase in sexually transmitted infections in Montana. Our event was aimed at prevention and awareness. In 2006, the number of teens giving birth increased by
9 percent. Sexually transmitted infections in Montana increased by
14 percent in 2007.
We live in an era that continuously demonizes everything in one fashion or another, some of which our national media gladly cover. In huge numbers we watch on television as mere women are transformed into swans through plastic surgery, just waiting for that boob- or nose-job to reflect their true inner beauty. Yet, talk openly about healthy sexuality and watch how many people run from the affiliation. Even better, bring up abortion and watch the denial race begin.
We know that abortion rates are going down, and we are glad to know that fewer women have to face this challenging personal decision. Unfortunately, the rates are going up for women who are poor. Perhaps this is more the issue; poor women do not reflect the women we want to talk about, transform, see pictures of or glamorize.
With “Off the Rack,” we hoped to start the dialog about why women have abortions in the first place, and why there is a lack of contraceptive use and sexually transmitted infection protection among our teens. With an open forum, we hoped our event would help move the community conversation toward other important issues affecting women and their families such as paid maternity leave, child care, quality health care, economic and social support for mothers and children, and strong environmental policies that protect fetuses and children.
We need our community and local media to see the whole picture of our local health care crisis. This includes a full spectrum of reproductive health care including pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infection testing and prevention, pregnancy and prenatal care and, yes, it includes abortion and the reasons women seek it.
Part of the solution is to engage in real discussion about these issues and to put them squarely in the public health realm.
Anita Kuennen is executive director at Blue Mountain Clinic in Missoula.
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