UMass Amherst Views on Stupak
Most students I talked to were not aware of the details of the Stupak Amendment, but had heard a rumor of restrictions being passed on abortion. Well, if the vote in the Senate doesn’t change the measure, the rumors will be true: there will be a ban on abortion coverage.
According to sophomore social thought and political economy major Maria Geueke, “A woman should have the same access to resources and be able to afford abortion.” Geueke found the recent legislation “ridiculous.”
Nancy L. Cohen of the Huffington Post also sees Stupak as preposterous. Cohen believes “the main thrust of the measure is to condemn women for being sexually active.” She gives a good break down of why women need reproductive services in her 10 Reasons Why the Stupak-Pitts Amendment Has to Go.
The most telling statistic being “80% of Americans think abortion should be legal in some circumstances.” So if the majority of Americans approve of some abortion rights, than why shouldn’t there be insurance coverage of reproductive services that are essential in some circumstances?
Senior sociology major, Laura Mason said, “I think that in America health care is viewed as a business where as in other countries it is seen as a social right.”
There is a business aspect, but also a strong religious aspect. The Catholic Bishops showed their lobbying force in the House, as well as the Blue Dog Democrats by getting Stupak passed last minute.
“Religion shouldn’t be forced on anyone, everyone should have the right to freedom,” said philosophy senior John Maynes. Maynes sees the legislation as step towards prohibiting Roe vs. Wade.
In Newsweek, reporter Eleanor Clift does not see the legislation as permanent. There is still hope in the Senate bill. Access to abortion coverage needs to improve, not be further restricted.
Women’s Health Groups in Amherst
Amherst is a community full of college students. In this environment, I think it is crucial for young women to be educated on health care issues.
I have learned a lot about the importance of female health by attending some of the events organized at UMass by Vox: Students for Choice. This student government organization promotes reproductive health and rights on campus. In the spring of 2008, I attended a “pharmacy sting” where we went to Walmart to see if they carried emergency contraception, which they did.
In Massachusetts, pharmacies are required to carry emergency contraception, an anomaly in states like Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Dakota that have laws or regulations that deny patients emergency contraception based on the pharmacists’ personal beliefs.
If you are interested in learning more about the importance of female rights, please attend Vox’s meetings on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union room 407.
Another group at UMass involved in providing women’s health education and bringing awareness to other issues including race, ethnicity, and oppression is the Everywoman’s Center. There will be a talk on “Women and Cancer in Our Communities: How to Save Your Own Life,” on Tuesday Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Campus Center room 905. Female panelists with professions in health care will discuss the importance of attaining early prevention of cancer and how families should deal with a loved one getting cancer.
The UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences has a Center for Research and Education in Women’s Health (CREWH). The CREWH seeks to improve the health of women by doing scientific research and informing other colleges and communities on women’s health issues.
In addition to groups affiliated with UMass, the town of Amherst provides Tapestry Health, a health clinic that provides completely confidential and affordable health care to women. This is a good option for female students, who do not want to go to University Health Services.
Women Need Health Care…More!
UMass economics professor, Nancy Folbre, wrote the column “Health Care Reform is a Woman’s Issue” in The New York Times; she argues that women need more health coverage than men because of pregnancy care and managing health care for their families.
The cost of health care for young women is higher than for men. Women need maternity care that requires intense medical care that obviously does not apply to men. In the long run, most women in households take responsibility for their children’s health. Personally, it was always my mother fretting over a minor cold I had and insisting to take me to the doctor.
Folbre gives a good account of the financial structure of health care in a typical household. She references the report by the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, stating that 64 million women do not have proper health insurance, and 1.7 million women have lost health insurance due to job losses—71% of which were due a husband’s job loss.
This vulnerability puts women in a very tough place. They are charged more for coverage, and yet they can’t help that they need to go to the doctor more often than men. Some women are reliant on their husband’s financial stability to receive health insurance; imagine getting divorced and losing health insurance—two blows. Many women will continue to lose coverage and care if the health care system does not improve.
One woman that is getting her voice heard on the importance of female health care is First Lady Michelle Obama. Reader’s Digest reporter Neil Merlino describes her recent speech at the White House, which focused on the need for the current health care system to be reformed of “gender bias” so that there can be “true equality.” Michelle has a background in health since she worked in the University of Chicago Medical Center. I really respect Michelle Obama and her effort to stress the need for female health reform.
Medi-Gal 