The history of reproductive rights and women’s rights in this country are closely linked but yet I find many of the wonderful feminist activist I have meet who are a decade or so younger then me are not aware of the history. You are carrying on the fight of many brave and wonderful women before you.
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The X Case: 21 years ago, 2 referendums, 1 supreme court ruling still no Law.
Last year the Journal.ie did a timeline of the events surrounding the X Case you can find it here: http://www.thejournal.ie/twenty-years-on-a-timeline-of-the-x-case-347359-Feb2012/
Today is the 4th of February 2013, here is what happened 21 years ago:
4 February 1992: The victim and her parents decide to travel to the UK to undergo an abortion. The family informed the Gardaí of their decision and asked whether the foetus could be tested after it was aborted to provide proof of the paternity of the accused in the rape case.
The Gardaí then asked the Director of Public Prosecutions whether such evidence would be admissible in court. The DPP liaised with the Attorney General Harry Whelehan.
The parents of the 14 year old child, were talking her to the UK for the good of her health and life and were trying to make sure the man who had raped her would not go unpunished.
That was 21 years ago and we have had 2 referendums and 1 Supreme court ruling and X Case has not been legislated for and there is still no law.
The current government have legislating for X in their program for government but again we are seeing more delay tactics.
Cabinet update on abortion law delayed | Irish Examiner.
Dr Reilly has said he hopes the measures will become law by July.
Bríd’s blessings on Imbloc Eve
This evening marks the last night of winter and tomorrow is the first day of spring and St Bríd’s day. While she may have been given the heave ho by the Vaticon she is still considered and Irish saint and people’s connection to her continues the same way their connection to the goddess who bears the same name does.
One of the things I like to do to mark this time of year is to go to the Vigil
between the wells just outside Kildare town. Both wells are lit but by candles
and there is singing and chanting at the first well and then a procession to the next.
It is fun and lead by the nuns of the Brigantine order who come out from behind their walls for the 3 days of Feile Bríd but I have found it very inclusive to anyone.
Both Goddess and Saint are to my mind feminist role models. From the Goddess who worked the forge and was one of the weapon smiths to the Thúatha dé Danann to the young woman who defied her father, stood up to chieftains and did her best to provide care to those in her community.
So which ever Bríd you hold dear,
may her blessings be upon you and your household this Imboc Eve.
10 Myth-Busting Facts About Medical Abortions
10 Myth-Busting Facts About Medical Abortions.
Eleven years ago, you only had one safe and legal option if you wanted an abortion–a surgical procedure. But in 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finally approved the use of Mifeprex (RU-486) for medical abortions. Since then, nearly 1.4 million women have used the approved medication to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Still, myths and misunderstandings exist about the procedure–so here are some facts about medical (also called medication or non-surgical) abortion:
1. A women in the earliest stage of pregnancy, whose last menstrual period began 49 days ago or less, is eligible for a medical abortion.
2. A medical abortion is a combination of two medications: The pill Mifeprex™ (mifepristone) is taken first, then two days later misoprostol is taken. According to the manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, Mifeprex™ blocks the hormone progesterone so that the pregnancy cannot continue, the lining of the uterus softens and breaks down, and bleeding begins. Misoprostol (a prostaglandin) causes the uterus to contract and push the embryo out of the uterus.
3. About 95 percent to 98 percent of women who use mifepristone/misoprostol will have a complete abortionl. For the remaining 2-5 percent who are either still pregnant, have an incomplete abortion, or have excessive bleeding, a suction procedure is required.
4. There is a three step regimen for a medical abortion. The first two are taking the pills; Step Three, two weeks later, is an examination to confirm that the abortion is complete. If it is not, more time may be needed or a surgical abortion should be scheduled.
5. Some women prefer surgical abortions. While safe, a medical abortion is not a day at the beach–there is bleeding, often heavier than a menstrual period, and other side effects that can be more difficult than a surgical procedure. Some women experience gastrointestinal discomfort (cramps, nausea and diarrhea) and dizziness, weakness, chills and headaches. However, most women who have had medical abortions feel it was a good choice for them because it affords them privacy and they are able to terminate the pregnancy in the earliest stages.
6. Medical abortion is safer than pregnancy. Tragically, an average of more than two women die every day in the U.S. from pregnancy-related causes such as inadequate or non-existent prenatal care, according to a new report from Amnesty International [PDF]. Between 2000 and 2006, maternal deaths occurred in 6.5 per 100,000 pregnancies in the U.S [PDF]. In comparison, while 1.4 million women in the U.S. have chosen the medical abortion path since 2000, just eight women have died from sepsis, an inflammatory response to a bloodstream infection, after taking the pill. That’s about 1 in 168,000, comparable to the rate for early surgical abortion and miscarriage.
7. Medical abortion has been safely used by millions of women around the world. In the early 1990’s, the United Kingdom and Sweden approved its use, and it has been employed in France and China since 1988. It’s now licensed for use in 37 countries. However, the radical anti-choice lobby prevented the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from allowing it to be used in this country until the final months of President Clinton’s administration in September 2000.
8. A medical abortion is not the same as emergency contraception, which is often referred to as the morning-after pill or Plan B. Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy and can work for up to five days after unprotected sex; medical abortion terminates an early pregnancy.
9. Many abortion providers have started offering women the choice of a medical abortion, and some doctors and clinics that never provided surgical abortions now offer medical abortion services. This is good news for women. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer doctors are receiving training in surgical abortion procedures because medical schools aren’t teaching it, students aren’t asking for it and the anti-choice forces have scared many potential providers away. Until this changes, medical abortion at least opens up some opportunities for women where there were none before.
10. Doctors who provide reproductive health care should be willing to administer medical abortions. Does yours?
Women in Ireland are breaking the law to have medical abortions
Seizures of the abortion pill have been on going for the last 4 years in this country and women are ordering the medications and using them to end their pregnancies at home.
In doing this they face criminal charges for importing the medication with out a license and the charge of self preforming an abortion and that under the 1861 Offenses against the Person Act can carry a sentence of a life time in prison.
Claire ordered drugs online and had an abortion at home. This is her story… | Irish Examiner.
Her abortion will never appear on a list of official figures, but she does exist, it did happen and her story deserves to be told.
I get pretty concerned about this, I know that the abortion pill works well and a woman will haven an induced miscarriage over 1 to 3 days and it only works in the first 9 weeks of pregnancy but it still has risks and should only be taken and used with medical supervision which women in Ireland are not getting and if anything goes wrong it is difficult for women to get medical help.
Still this piece is brave and taboo breaking and it is wonderful to see that we are starting to hear the real stories of women, the choices they making and the risks they are having to take in a country which holds an embryo has the same rights as we do.
Planning the year to come
For me the first step to planning my year to come from a spiritual and craft point of view is to find out when certain events are due to happen.
Our way of craving up the year into months and weeks is an effort to put some shape on the year which makes sense in a linear way but, the solar system mocks our feeble attempts to do so.
It’s not just handy to know when the next 12 full moons will be but also when the solstices and equinoxes are for they often appear to move about the calendar,
but well the calendar attempts to use maths rounding down on the number of days it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun and so is flawed from the start.
For nearly 15 years I have used a small program to aid me, it’s sat in my toolbar
in many versions of windows and may it do so for another 15+ to come.
It is called Lunabar:
For thousands of years, people have observed, been fascinated by, and even worshipped the moon. Helping to bring the art of the almanack into the next millennium, Infra-Azure Labs (formerly Clysmic Software) presents Lunabar, the Digital Lunar Almanack.
The Lunabar application will put a lunar almanack in your taskbar. It accurately shows the current phase of the moon, the times of moonrise, moon southing, and moonset, and the zodiacal constellation and sign. The phase, constellation or zodiacal sign is shown in a tooltip window when your mouse hovers over the icon, and a full lunar almanack is just a click away. There are many graphical features, such as selectable fonts and “themes.” There is a full installation and uninstallation program and a help file.
Lunabar can display many full moon name ‘traditions.’ It can display moon phases in astronomical or astrological format, appealing to a wide range of users. There also are many popup features: moonlight hours window, position in constellation/sign.
Lunabar shows sunrise and sunset, the constellation and sign of the Sun, and the current Planetary Hour.For international users, Lunabar uses your Windows system’s settings for time zone, daylight savings time, and time display format. Also there’s full support for southern hemisphere users.
Lunabar is freeware, that means it is free to download, install and use and it has no ads or pop ups and has not time limit on the use of it.
You can find and install it from www.softpedia.com
which certifies that it is free from ads or add ons or nasty trackers or viruses.
Here is a button to take you directly to where you can get it.
