Letters to the Editor

Abstinence not only solution

Dear Editor,

     I’d like to start by clarifying that there is no prostitution here on the GCSU campus. Ms. Liu seems to be  confused about the word illicit (adj.): not legally permitted or authorized; unlicensed; unlawful. While prostitution is a dangerous business for both parties, I doubt this is what our Health Services had in mind when introducing emergency contraceptives to our campus.
    I’d also like to call attention to the term “birth control,” as in “a means of preventing conception.” In no way has any pill, shot, sponge, IUD, patch or ring claimed to prevent the spread of STDs. However they effectively prevent PREGNANCY when used correctly. Condoms (both male and female) and dental dams DO in fact prevent STDs, and have nothing to do whatsoever with emergency contraception.  How sad is it that there are students on this campus who are still ignorant about the proper uses of birth and STD control! I will be the first to advocate abstinence if an individual is confused or unsure about protecting oneself sexually – but the only way to EVER be ready to enter into a sexual relationship (whether it is in our out of wedlock) is to have the facts.
    Speaking of facts, Ms. Liu seems convinced that birth control pills are synonymous with pain, suffering and death. While birth control methods affect each woman differently, “The most common side effects associated with emergency contraceptive use are nausea (in 30 to 50 percent of women taking it) and vomiting (in 15 to 25 percent)” (http://advocatesforyouth.org). There is no death, no cancer. Granted, there may be a few extreme cases, death has never been a common side effect of emergency contraceptives. There are many types of birth control for many types of women. It is your responsibility – no, it is your RIGHT – to speak with your doctor about which method is right for you.
     I also noticed that Ms. Liu’s “abstinence-only” advocacy was geared only towards women. Where, then, does that leave sexually active males? Matrimony is not some purification method which magically cleanses the mouth, blood and genitals of men. STDs on the whole are on the rise in both men AND women, therefore only one conclusion can be drawn about the likelihood of abstinence ever being a universally practiced method of sexual protection. So what would any of us gain by catering to that method by eliminating other means of birth and STD control?
     Ms. Liu also skipped over what I consider a HUGE issue with regard to emergency contraception – rape. Am I to infer that a woman (who may or may not abstain from sex – there are no statistics saying rapists tend to attack a woman with a certain set of beliefs over another) who is impregnated through an act of rape is expected to HAVE the child, even though there is a perfectly easy and minimally-invasive way to avoid it? Emergency contraceptives are effective if used within 72 hours of sexual contact. Would she have her sister, mother, aunt, cousin or friend refuse this method of birth control as a testament to the flawed statistics she broadcasts so steadfastly?
     And as for oxytocin – if she is willing to put more faith in the chemical reactions of the female body to sex over the intelligence and free will of an adult woman’s mind, then she should have NO ISSUE with introducing other chemicals into the body to counter what we women obviously cannot control. Women are not helpless slaves to sexualized romance. We have the WILL and FREEDOM, after generations of tireless fighting, to be able to have sex when, where, how and with whomever we please. Any safe method of birth and STD control that is available to the public which is conducive to this idea and lifestyle should be protected and advocated at all costs.
    If someone is trying to argue that birth control is about Women’s Rights , I say, ‘HELL YES IT IS!’ It is my CHOICE to have sex, abstain, control my uterus, vagina, body, mind, choices and beliefs totally and completely until the day I die.

Kim O’Toole,
president of
the Feminist Club

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 11 2008. Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry