Aradia Women's Health Center's
Women's Health Matters, #24
Thursday, July 28, 2020

This Issue's Topics

• Supreme Court Nominee: Feminist for Life?
• Is the Birth Control Patch Safe?
• Our Truths, Nuestras Verdades
• 4,000 Women in the U.S. Will Die From Cervical Cancer This Year, Although Every Death is Preventable

Supreme Court Nominee: Feminist for Life?

Supreme Court Justice nominee, John Roberts, may be "the stealth candidate", as our own Marcy Bloom was quoted as saying in Nicole Brodeur's July 21st column. However, there is nothing "stealthy" about his ties to the aggressively anti-choice organization, Feminists for Life. As a board member from 1995 - 1999, a legal consultant and major donor, his wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts clearly holds a strong anti- choice stance. Although his connection is indirect, and Roberts has been quoted as saying that "Roe v. Wade is the settled law of the land", a "slip-up" may hold the key to his real view on abortion rights.

Last week, in an LA times article, Roberts essentially admitted that his personal and religious beliefs could very well get in the way of his ability to serve on the Supreme Court.

Although no Senate Democrat has announced plans to officially oppose Roberts' nomination, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday that he would vote against Roberts if the judge seemed likely to pursue an "activist" philosophy.

Is the Birth Control Patch Safe?
What You Need to Know Before You Make a Decision...

On Monday, July 25th, ten women sued Ortho- Evra (makers of the patch) claiming that the method is "defectively designed" and "unreasonably dangerous."

The Associated Press uncovered information, and the suit outlines, that the patch causes strokes and blood clots.

A spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, however, sent CNN the following statement that was included in a recent article: "The FDA is continuing to actively monitor the adverse event reports for the Ortho Evra hormone patch, but believes the evidence indicates the product is safe and effective. If consumers or patients have questions about the risks of blood clots associated with the product, they should talk to their health care provider. The risks of using this product are similar to the risks of using birth control pills, including an increased risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. The data is not precise enough to tell whether there is an increased incidence (with the patch)."

Are You Concerned?

Aradia Women's Health Center continues to sell the birth control patch as a hormonal contraceptive advising women of the risks put forth by the manufacturer. If you have ANY questions or concerns about this, or any other birth control method, please do not hesitate to call our supportive phone counselors and make an appointment for a birth control consult!

We're here to empower, educate and inform and want to hear your thoughts, concerns and feedback!

Women Sue Birth Control Patch Maker  

Our Truths, Nuestras Verdades is a new on- line and print bilingual zine produced in collaboration with the Abortion Conversation Project by a diverse group of women who are reproductive rights activists, social workers, counselors, feminists, writers and artists. The theme of the first issue is "stigma" ("estigma" in Spanish).  

The zine aims to help break the silence that many men and women face, providing a forum for them to share their stories about abortion, and to affirm their decisions and experiences.

Marcy Bloom and Amie Newman, Executive Director and Communications Manager, consecutively, at Aradia, are on the Board of Directors for this brand- new zine and hope that the zine makes it into the hands of women around the country. The zine is being distributed to clinics, organizations and bookstores around the country. If you, or someone you know, would like a copy or would like to submit a story, article, poem, art or photograph for the upcoming issue (in Spanish or English), visit the web site (below) for submissions information!

Order, preview or submit to Our Truths, Nuestras Verdades!

4,000 Women in the U.S. Will Die From Cervical Cancer This Year, Although Every Death is Preventable
"People are dying who should not die..."

Almost two years ago, Aradia recognized the dangerous effects that health care disparities among low-income women, as well as women with cultural and linguistic barriers, are having on the ability to diagnose and treat cervical cancer.

In 2004 we received a grant from Premera Blue Cross to fund a Latina Cervical Cancer Education Project and created an informational brochure in Spanish, "Cuidar de su salud: El examen ginecológico anual" as a way to educate our Spanish-speaking clients as well as the general Spanish-speaking community about the importance of pap smears and annual exams in the prevention of cervical cancer.

A new report from the National Cancer Institute confirms this danger. The report digs into the reasons behind why so many women are unnecessarily being diagnosed too late, which includes poverty, age, and cultural factors.

Dr. Stephen McPhee of the University of California weighed in: “Cervical cancer shouldn’t be a cause of death anymore...Yet here we are in 2005 dealing with a problem that should have been fixed 25 years ago. It’s a bad reflection on the U.S. health-delivery system.”

"Patient Navigator systems" might be the answer.

A $25 million federal program will allow communities to recruit volunteers, average women who speak their patients' language and can engender trust, and who will push Pap testing and help a woman diagnosed with cervical cancer navigate the system.

Dr. McPhee pioneered a very successful program in Santa Clara, CA that, among other things, trained volunteer "lay health workers" to educate their friends and neighbors about Paps. Hmmm, "lay health workers" as educators? Aradia is always on the cutting edge...

Doctors Gear Up to Fight Cervical Cancer