Two Canadian Women Die from Use of Contraceptive Patch; Sixteen More Suffer Blood Clots
This story reminds me of a reference Dr. Janet Smith made to the development of “The Pill” in her landmark speach made - where else? - here in the Holy Land of Ohio over a decade ago at the Josephinum called Contraception, Why Not?. As she pulls no punches in telling, in the efforts to divorce sex from procreation, and this isn’t much talked about, but a “pill” had been developped for men.Research on that ended when test subjects noticed minor reversible testicular shrinkage. Not wise to mess with a man’s nuts apparently. Tests continued on the women’s end of development even though three women died in test studies back in the 60s. Yes, women died, but at least their balls did not shrink!
From there I am reminded of the wisdom offered in the lyrics of the venerable Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre collaboration “Bitches Ain’t Shit” where Snoop (now a genteel family man with a cable reality TV show) offers “Bitches aint shit but hoes and tricks”…
Smaller balls are a no-go. Bitches (who aint nothing but hoes and tricks) dying is pretty much acceptable?
I would ask where feminist outrage is, but by now I know better.
Pray for the souls of these women and for the redemption of the west.
And if you happen to think your mother, sister, wife, daughter is more than “hoes and tricks” maybe pass this along.
David Bennett
Jennifer
asimplesinner
Fr. J.
Chad Toney
Jorge Flores
Jonathan B
carmelbennett
nicenehobbit
Jason S
jaybird68
papaz
February 12, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Uh, recovering from speechlessness.
Your post reminds me of several conversations with my sister-in-law who as an deaconate ordination gift gave me a copy of Smith’s “Contraception, Why Not?” some 12 years ago. It changed my thinking completely on the matter, having been uneducated thoroghly in this area by the Jesuits of Berkeley. I digress…
So my sis-in-law insistss that in another time in her life the pill left her defensive, irritable, and aggressive like a momma bear protecting her cub. Though this is not scientific, she believes that the pill has contributed to all kinds of social problems due to the emotional effects of tricking womens bodies into believing they are pregnant–all the time. Further, she wonders if many women who have been on the pill for so long can even remember who they were before the pill. Lots to ponder.
February 12, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I was feeling a bit cantankerous when I wrote that one and had second thoughts about the title this AM. But my third thoughts were to just leave it - I can’t really make my point boldly enough. “The pill” is not researched, tested, or sold with women’s health in mind.
At all.
Actually Father J, at the root of what your sister claims is a scientific study and paper demanding to be conducted and written!
One wonders who would fund it…
I have noted before the correlations and causation of gallons and gallons of synthetic hormone re-entering the eco-system after being expelled via urine. It has contaminated the water to the point where in a growing number of fish populations the synthetic estrogen has made the majority of fish female, with a sizeable minority of “inter-sexed” fish which have BOTH sets of plumbing, neither of which work.
And this has been a known quantity for decades. I recall reading about it being a problem in Sydney Harbor in the late 1980s! I hope and pray what comes out of my tap is better filtered!
Selling women (and the men who love them) on taking drugs to trick their body into thinking they are pregnant for 3-4 decades… I truly don’t believe that most married men who thought about this - really, really thought about this - would want that for their wives.
Really, a teenage boy looking to score had to have thought of that one.
“No baby, its ok, I will love you in the morning, you know I care about you, I will marry you one day, your body should have think its pregnant for decades, its good for your skin!”
What does the pill fix? How are women broken?
Another sore spot for me are the lies that teenage girls suffering menstraul irregularities should be put on it to “help with their periods” or “clear up their skin.” This is as insidious to me as offering cocaine to a student to study for an exam.
Another study worth doing is the correlation between women’s reproductive health and the American diet/exercise regimens that include processed foods and sedintary lifesyle. (says the man who ate Ramen noodles for lunch and is sitting at a computer!)
Anecdotally women from the “old country” have observed that some of the cramping and irregular cycles known to American women today were unheard of in other countries with better diets and more active exercise.
The irony that science actually begins to affirm “Rome’s foolishness” is not lost on me. The way in which Rome alone toes the line on this one with seeming “foolishness” in the face of ridicule when all others are retreating actually served to keep me Catholic… And then bring me back again years later.
It would seem a real feminist would be outraged that women have been objectified in this fashion and been sold on the idea of being drugged up to keep their bodies from working. It would seem they would also want to know why better natural preventitive measures aren’t explored to make women healtheri. Largely they don’t seem outraged at either.
Why is that?
February 12, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Thanks again Simple for your mention of the sterile fish. I was just talking to Fr. Jim Heyd of Priests for Life the other day and that topic came up. I was going to do some research on the question and post on it here, but it looks like you have already covered it.
Is this effect on fish stock widely known? Seems it needs further reportage.
This brings me to a question I have had for some time. Would it not serve the blog well to have the list of categories presented in the sidebar? I realize it is available through the dashboard but as a reader of other blogs, I often use those category list to do research or recall a post I have read in the past. Just a thought.
February 12, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I say go for it and write another post! Not like my three paragaphs were the definative voice and perspective on the matter.
As it stands now, the categories blogs are filed under appearing at the bottom of a post helps with finding related posts… So long as we agree on how things are related!
I agree about the benefits of adding a “categories” menu on the sidebar… That is above my paygrade to do on this blog as Dave B is the owner… And I know he is busy.
The new search feature added by DB recently when he updated the blogroll can be useful for that as well!
Which reminds me…
DAVE B: Great job with the new links and thanks for adding the search feature!
February 12, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Ah, the new search feature. I hadn’t noticed that. Silly me. Thanks, Dave.
February 13, 2008 at 2:49 am
My first reaction (after reading the title): Yikes!
My second reaction: Hey, cool Venn diagram.
My third reaction(after reading the post): Hmmmmmm… Glad my kids weren’t around when I read this.