I’m always amused by anti-choicers who think that “back in their day” everyone waited until marriage to have sex and never used birth control and mom didn’t want to work –blah blah blah.

The Guttmacher Institute, however, begs to differ

The vast majority of Americans have sex before marriage, including those who abstained from sex during their teenage years, according to “Trends in Premarital Sex in the United States, 1954–2003,” by Lawrence B. Finer, published in the January/February 2007 issue of Public Health Reports. Further, contrary to the public perception that premarital sex is much more common now than in the past, the study shows that even among women who were born in the 1940s, nearly nine in 10 had sex before marriage.

The new study uses data from several rounds of the federal National Survey of Family Growth to examine sexual behavior before marriage, and how it has changed over time. According to the analysis, by age 44, 99% of respondents had had sex, and 95% had done so before marriage. Even among those who abstained from sex until age 20 or older, 81% had had premarital sex by age 44.

“This is reality-check research. Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and has been for decades,” says study author Lawrence Finer, director of domestic research at the Guttmacher Institute. “The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal government’s funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12–29-year-olds. It would be more effective to provide young people with the skills and information they need to be safe once they become sexually active—which nearly everyone eventually will.”

WHAT?! You mean that sexuality is *gasp* NORMAL?!

And the other thing that gives me a kick is how these people whine about the menial federal funds Planned Parenthood gets to provide essential community services, when abstinence only programs are almost omnipresent!

When I read about how high school juniors at South Dakota’s boys’ state decided to revoke women’s right to vote and reduce “midgets’” vote to 1/2, I thought it had to be a joke.

Nope.

For those not familiar with the process, the American Legion picks promising representatives from various schools across the state. These boys meet for a week to participate in a mock version of the US government. ‘Congressmen’ can introduce bills, vote on them, etc.

Apparently, some of them felt that introducing sexist and discriminatory legislation was appropriate behavior. I suppose the thing that bothered me more is that it wasn’t just introduced — it passed!

But beyond that — where was the guidance from the counselors and American Legion members? I understand wanting them to experience the process, but obviously these young morons need guidance.

And would it really be disrupting the process to simply pause and redirect what they’re doing to show that such suggestions perpetuate discrimination and hatred, NOT the democratic process? I think by not doing so, the American Legion has allowed a grave disrespect towards one of the great institutions of the United States.

What do you think?

Anti-choice legislation is up for consideration in three states: California, Colorado, and (of course) South Dakota. According to FMF, CA’s deals with parental consent; CO is trying to give full personhood to something that isn’t a full person (the developing fetus), and in SD we’ve got that ol’ abortion ban.

In addition:

In Mississippi, a petition circulating to put the Ultimate Human Life Amendment on the ballot expired, but the initiative may be re-submitted.

Nationally, anti-abortion measures have been proposed but were defeated in Georgia, Montana, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington.

But according to Grace Hammond out of Jackson, Wyo., it is SD and it’s obsessive focus on ending a woman’s right to choice that is drawing exasperated “rolled eyes” from the rest of the country. I can imagine, as they see that SD is home to “pitiful wages, low standards of living, the “brain drain” and high rates of uninsured.” Not to mention SD has sixteen of the poorest counties in the country (out of 100).

These realities affect thousands — and while SD has one of the lowest abortion rates in the country (and some of the most restrictive laws), we are spending valuable time, effort, and funds on something that affects a relatively small number in our state.

What a load.

SD’s women friendly forces are teaming up to fight Initiated Measure 11, the second attempt at an almost total ban on abortion in our state.

I know everyone wants to help… so check this out from our friends at PP and Campaign for Healthy Families:

There are lots of opportunities over the next several weeks to get involved. Please give a couple of hours over the next two weeks so the Campaign gets off to a great start.

Sioux Falls Campaign Kick-off Canvass
Join us on Saturday, July 19th, from 10-2 for our Campaign Kick-off Canvass. We will be reaching out to voters, letting them know that they will be voting on another abortion ban this year, and asking them to vote No.

Can’t make the kick-off canvass? Planned Parenthood is taking several shifts throughout the two week project.

Sign up for one of the following canvass dates:

Sunday, July 20 – 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, July 29 – 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Can’t make it one of those days? There are plenty of other shifts that we’d be more than happy to have you help with.

All canvasses will begin at the Campaign Headquarters located at 1003 S. Grange (next to Black Sheep Coffee).

To sign-up please contact Shannon at 1-800-441-0417 or sstevens@ppmns.org

Rapid City Canvass: stay tuned for details!
——————————————————————

Campaign Office Warming – Tuesday, July 22 – 4:00 PM -7:00 PM
We have the office, we have the staff, and we have the greatest volunteers.

Now we just need some office supplies and the Campaign will be off and running. Please join us on the 22nd to take a tour of the Sioux Falls Campaign Office, meet the staff, and to hear more about the campaign.

To help us “warm” up our office please bring one of the following supplies if you can (new or used).
File folders
Manilla folders
Pens/Pencils
Markers
Ruber bands
Paper clips
Scissors
Notebooks/Legal Pads
Stapler/staples
Scotch/Masking Tape
Flip Chart
Trash bags
Hand Soap
Sticky Notes
Water/Soda
Coffee/filters
Large and small trash cans
6-8 Foot Tables (we will return in November)

To RSVP please contact Shannon at sstevens@ppmns.org or 1-800-441-0417

That women make important decisions (like when to have a child) based on several factors, including their economical status, according to a recent report out of St. Paul (AP).

While I firmly disagree with the anti-choicers, I do respect their right to hold whatever position they should choose.  So call me crazy if I’d like to be shown the same courtesy.

Well, apparently that’s too much to ask.  On Monday, The 8th Circuit Court of SD ruled in support of a 2005 law which

requires physicians to tell women seeking abortions that the procedure “will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being,” the AP/Google.com reports.

Since when do we require doctors to say specific phrases that they may or may not agree with – or – may or may not even be factual??

Now this isn’t set in stone… the decision “sends the case back to U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier in Rapid City, S.D., to determine whether the law is constitutional.

Schreier had issued a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the regulation pending a ruling on the challenge to the law filed by Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.  Planned Parenthood contends that the law violates doctors’ free speech rights and places an undue burden on women seeking abortions.”

PP’s Sarah Stoesz, president of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, was completely on the ball when she said that law will force physicians to read ideological language to women.

This has nothing to do with the betterment of the woman’s health and everything to do with the imposition of anti-choice opinion. Stoesz called the whole thing “unprecedented and extremely outrageous” (Brokaw, AP/Google.com, 6/27).

Agreed.

As a (side)note, of the 20 poorest counties in the US, 6 are in SD (5 are in the top ten).  So why we aren’t focusing on the already living is anyone’s guess. George Carlin has a theory though, and in honor of him,  here’s the link.