Reproductive Justice and New Jersey

This blog will focus on reproductive justice issues in the state of New Jersey, and beyond. The term reproductive justice was coined by women of color, specifically the amazing women from SisterSong. The term is meant to be an expansion of the reproductive rights paradigm which focuses on the issues of birth control and abortion rights.
Reproductive Justice uses the experiences of women of color as the point of entry to discuss issues of reproductive rights and health. This shift in center more clearly puts into focus the ways that the interrelated systems of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation work to limit women's ability to gain and maintain control of their reproductive lives.
The reproductive justice framework facilitates a more nuanced discussion of issues such as access to abortion, health care, birthing, the right to reproductive health, eugenics, population control, and the many reproductive technologies that exist. I have great respect for the women who claimed the term Reproductive Justice and use it with care, especially as a white woman who has worked hard to understand the ways white privilege has affected her life and choices.

I look forward to an open dialogue about important issues in our community, and welcome comments both critical and affirming.


Friday, July 30, 2010

Vetoed Family Planning Bill Denies NJ Citizens their Human Rights.

Governor Christie
On July 23, 2010 Governor Christie vetoed New Jersey's Family Planning bill which gave 7.5 million dollars to clinics that provide family planning services. When we think about family planning services everyone's mind immediately goes to the dreaded "a" word. Abortion. In New Jersey however, NONE of these family planning dollars cover abortions. The family planning dollars support yearly examines, pap smears, testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and birth control.

This veto will disproportionately affect poor and young women and men who rely on family planning clinics for care. Also, this veto, which is being hailed by anti-choice advocates, will make abortion MORE needed in the state of NJ instead of less. Logic tells you that if women have LESS access to birth control, that there will be more unplanned pregnancies, leading to the demand for more pregnancies to be terminated. This however is the least of my concerns when it comes to this bill.

This bill denies New Jersey citizens their human right to medical care, including reproductive care. The effects of limiting comprehensive health care will ripple throughout our state. Without access to testing for HIV and other STI's there is a likelihood that the rates of infection will increase, without access to screenings for cervical cancer women will die needlessly due to the inability to detect the cancer early, women will find out later that they are pregnant leading to less affective prenatal care. The irony is that all of these situations will COST our state more in the long run. Family planning money now saves money later.

I urge you to ask your legislature to overturn the Governor's veto. The money actually exists in the budget to cover this cost-- the Governor has over-funded the state employee's prescription benefit plan. The fact that this money exists has been confirmed by non-partisan accountants.

Follow the link below to support women and men's human right to reproductive care:


http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/WHM_PPANJ_overridetheveto
Posted by Mandy Restivo at 12:05 PM

2 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 20, 2010 at 9:19 AM

    Did it. Thanks for the update, I had been so busy following Christie's numerous educational mishaps that I didn't know he had fumbled the ball AGAIN!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mandy RestivoAugust 25, 2010 at 6:35 PM

    So much to do, so little time.

    ReplyDelete

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