Monday, June 3, 2019
Monday, February 4, 2019
Did N.Y. just put pregnant women at greater risk? The Reproductive Health Act is a dangerous step back
Did N.Y. just put pregnant women at greater risk?
The Reproductive Health Act is a dangerous step back ...
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-ny-just-put-pregnant-women-at-greater-risk-20190128-story.html
Gov.
Andrew M. Cuomo, Cuomo, right, signs Reproductive Health Act
Legislation during a ceremony, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. (Darren McGee /
AP)
Despite
current trends of abortion being more restricted and dramatically
declining in the country at large, New York state has doubled down on
the procedure by finally passing the Reproductive Health Act (RHA). This
Gov. Cuomo-led abortion expansion takes place in a state which already
had the highest abortion rate in the county. New York City, remarkably,
ends one out three prenatal human lives via abortion.
Much
has been made of the new law’s controversial expansion of late-term
abortion access — controversial because, as Secular Pro-Life has shown,
abortions in the second and third trimester, though rare, are most often
elective and generally not medically necessary.
Less
attention, however, has been given to fact that the RHA takes concern
for the prenatal child completely out of the criminal code.
It
has always been difficult for abortion activists to explain how they
can consider a fetus a mere object to be killed and discarded in an
abortion context — while in other legal contexts she can be considered a
human being who is killed via homicide. Indeed, many U.S. states have explicit laws against fetal homicide.
New
York no longer has this contradiction in its own law, but the RHA has
removed it at the cost of common sense. Intellectually honest people
know that when a pregnant woman is killed, something different has
happened than when a woman who is not pregnant is killed. Both
situations are incredibly tragic, but in the former situation, two human
beings are killed, not one.
According
to CNN.com, California faced a similar lack of common sense back in
1969. An eight-months pregnant Teresa Keeler saw her ex-husband block
her car on a narrow mountain road and ask if she was pregnant by a new
partner. When she refused to answer, he forcibly took her out of her car
and literally stomped the baby to death. Prosecutors charged him with
the murder of her baby girl, but the state Supreme Court threw out the
charge, claiming that she was not a human being and only someone born
alive could be killed.
The
public simply wouldn’t have it. Common sense told them what this man
had done and they forced the state legislature to change California law
to reflect this common sense. This change would pave the way for a 2003
case in which Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife Laci.
He was charged with double homicide, a charge which made him eligible for the death penalty. As a pro-lifer, I do not support capital punishment for him or anyone else, but Peterson is on death row today only because California had the common sense to call his act what it was: the killing of two human beings.
He was charged with double homicide, a charge which made him eligible for the death penalty. As a pro-lifer, I do not support capital punishment for him or anyone else, but Peterson is on death row today only because California had the common sense to call his act what it was: the killing of two human beings.
The
disturbing relationship between pregnancy and violence is persistent,
and one of many reasons both pro-life feminists and reproductive justice
activists believe it is often a mistake to speak as if women are
genuinely “choosing” abortion at all. Indeed, there is a strong correlation between women who seek abortions and those who are facing violence from an intimate partner.
Even more disturbingly, a study in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health
found that 43% of deaths of pregnant women over eight years in
Washington, D.C. were homicides. As reported in Women’s Health magazine,
pregnant women are more likely to suffer violent trauma — and are twice
as likely to die after trauma — than are women who are not pregnant.
And these terrible numbers may even be higher given irregular reporting
requirements and the fact that 77% of maternal deaths take place before
20 weeks gestation, a time when a fetal death certificate is not
required.
Overall, homicide is now the second-leading cause of injury-related death for pregnant women in the United States. Punishing assailants in such cases for attacking two human beings is the least we can do to protect these vulnerable women.
But
when confronted with a choice between refusing to punish illegal
abortion in the criminal code and giving women this added protection
from violence, the governor of New York chose to the former. Given his
history on these issues, this should not be surprising. Back in 2013,
Cuomo let the Women’s Equality Act fail because pro-lifers in the state
Senate would not support its abortion expansion — though they were happy
to pass the other parts of the legislation.
The
governor revealed much about his motives and priorities when he let
wonderful things like pay equity and reduced pregnancy discrimination
fail because he didn’t get expansion of late-term abortion. Indeed,
during the last several years he has had something close to an obsession
with expanding abortion — even telling those who disagree with him on
the issue that they are not welcome in New York.
Men
often get criticized for being publicly skeptical of abortion rights —
the implication being that they ought to stay out of the debate and
leave it to women. Interestingly, however, men like Cuomo get almost no
criticism for being publicly in favor of abortion rights — even when significantly more women than men support legal restrictions on late-term abortion.
A
powerful man (aided by some women and facing the opposition of others)
has finally pushed through his preferred views on what abortion law
should be in New York. Like Roe v. Wade before it, the RHA actually
serves the interests of men, not women.
Tragically, New York women are less safe from violence now than they were before the passage of the Reproductive Health Act.
Tragically, New York women are less safe from violence now than they were before the passage of the Reproductive Health Act.
Monday, August 13, 2018
6 Surprising Facts About the Female Egg Everyone Should Know
6 Surprising Facts About the Female Egg Everyone Should Know
https://natural-fertility-info.com/facts-about-the-female-egg.html
We always hear about how interesting men’s sperm are – how quick, agile and strong they are, able to traverse the long journey to the egg, but how much do we know about the other genetic half of a child – the female egg?
In writing this article, I came across some really interesting information about human eggs that I think we should all know! Read on to learn some of the most fascinating facts about human eggs, and the intricate processes of ovulation and conception.
But recent research has been turning this theory on its head. Scientists have discovered a new type of stem-cell in the human ovary that may point to the possibility of new eggs continually being formed throughout a woman’s reproductive years. Since men are constantly making new sperm (about 1,500 every second!), it shouldn’t be such a stretch to consider that women may be producing new eggs throughout their lives as well. Further research will be able to confirm this new theory, and continue expanding our view of women’s fertility.
Though the egg has a lifespan of less than a day, sperm can stay alive inside a woman’s uterus and fallopian tubes anywhere from 1 to 5 days. This means that sex up to 5 days prior to ovulation can actually result in pregnancy! The lifespan of the sperm is dependent on the sperm’s health, but also on the woman’s cervical fluid, which can nourish the sperm during its wait.
The egg appears to give preference to sperm with intact DNA, producing a compound that softens the outer layer of the egg to allow specific sperm to enter. These studies also suggest that the egg may even actively bind sperm to its surface, thereby not giving the sperm any choice in the matter, trapping the sperm it has chosen. Once a sperm has made its way in, the outer layer of the egg hardens, which prevents entry to any other suitors.
It is important to note that whenever double ovulation occurs, it happens as part of a single ovulatory event – the eggs will be released within a 24 hour period. Once ovulation occurs, there is a big hormonal shift that takes place, progesterone production is revved up, and the release of any future eggs is halted. Therefore, it is not possible for a woman to ovulate on Monday, and ovulate again on Saturday.
About the Author:
Kathryn Cardinal is an herbalist and Fertility Awareness teacher. She is passionate about working with women to help them reconnect to their sacred womb wisdom and achieve radiant health naturally. Kathryn’s work focuses on holistic hormonal health, natural contraception, and conscious conception. More information can be found on her website, www.springmoonfertility.com
References
https://natural-fertility-info.com/facts-about-the-female-egg.html
We always hear about how interesting men’s sperm are – how quick, agile and strong they are, able to traverse the long journey to the egg, but how much do we know about the other genetic half of a child – the female egg?
In writing this article, I came across some really interesting information about human eggs that I think we should all know! Read on to learn some of the most fascinating facts about human eggs, and the intricate processes of ovulation and conception.
1. Women May Be Making New Eggs Throughout Their Lives
For a long time, biology books have stated that a woman is born with a finite number of eggs – that the production of a woman’s eggs happens entirely in-utero, and ceases before birth. It is usually reported that a woman has 7 million immature eggs when she is in her mother’s womb, and that this number drops to 700,000 by the time she reaches puberty.But recent research has been turning this theory on its head. Scientists have discovered a new type of stem-cell in the human ovary that may point to the possibility of new eggs continually being formed throughout a woman’s reproductive years. Since men are constantly making new sperm (about 1,500 every second!), it shouldn’t be such a stretch to consider that women may be producing new eggs throughout their lives as well. Further research will be able to confirm this new theory, and continue expanding our view of women’s fertility.
2. A Human Egg is Remarkably Big
You might be surprised to find out that the human egg is one of the biggest cells in a woman’s body. It is about the size of a grain of sand and can actually be seen with the naked eye. To put this into perspective, an egg is about 4 times bigger than a skin cell, 26 times bigger than a red blood cell, and 16 times bigger than a sperm!3. An Egg Takes a Long Time to Mature
Most eggs are present within the ovary in an immature state from the time of a woman’s menarche. Some eggs will lie dormant for years or even decades before they begin to mature, while others will degenerate and never develop. For eggs to complete their journey to ovulation, they receive a signal to begin their final maturation process about 150 days before they would be released from the ovary. At the beginning of any given cycle, there are generally about 12 eggs that have started to grow, and as ovulation nears, preference is given to one of those eggs, as it receives the final push to maturity and is then released from the ovary.4. The Egg Has a Short Life After Ovulation
Once the egg has matured and is released from the ovary during ovulation, it goes into the fallopian tube where it lives for 12 to 24 hours. Conception is possible if sperm is already present in the fallopian tubes when the egg is released, or if a woman has sex while the egg is alive, causing sperm to swim up through the uterus and into the fallopian tube. Sperm can reach the egg in as little as 30 minutes. If conception is successful, the newly fertilized egg will travel out of the fallopian tube and implant into the uterus 6 to 10 days later. If the egg is not fertilized, it will simply dissolve and pass out with the menstrual flow.Though the egg has a lifespan of less than a day, sperm can stay alive inside a woman’s uterus and fallopian tubes anywhere from 1 to 5 days. This means that sex up to 5 days prior to ovulation can actually result in pregnancy! The lifespan of the sperm is dependent on the sperm’s health, but also on the woman’s cervical fluid, which can nourish the sperm during its wait.
5. The Egg is Quite Picky
When discussing fertilization, the egg is often portrayed as a passive player in the drama of conception, waiting patiently for the first sperm to arrive and burst in. But research has shown that the egg has a much bigger role than previously thought, and that she is in fact quite picky! Although we usually think of the sperm doing all the hard work of fertilization, penetrating the docile egg, it is now believed that the egg actually chooses who she lets in or not.The egg appears to give preference to sperm with intact DNA, producing a compound that softens the outer layer of the egg to allow specific sperm to enter. These studies also suggest that the egg may even actively bind sperm to its surface, thereby not giving the sperm any choice in the matter, trapping the sperm it has chosen. Once a sperm has made its way in, the outer layer of the egg hardens, which prevents entry to any other suitors.
6. Multiple Ovulation is More Common Than You Think
Multiple ovulation is the release of two or more mature eggs during a cycle. This is said to occur in up to 10% of all cycles, which means that the average woman releases two (or more) eggs at least once a year! When 2 eggs are released and both are fertilized, this produces fraternal twins. Identical twins are produced when a single embryo splits into two.It is important to note that whenever double ovulation occurs, it happens as part of a single ovulatory event – the eggs will be released within a 24 hour period. Once ovulation occurs, there is a big hormonal shift that takes place, progesterone production is revved up, and the release of any future eggs is halted. Therefore, it is not possible for a woman to ovulate on Monday, and ovulate again on Saturday.
About the Author:Kathryn Cardinal is an herbalist and Fertility Awareness teacher. She is passionate about working with women to help them reconnect to their sacred womb wisdom and achieve radiant health naturally. Kathryn’s work focuses on holistic hormonal health, natural contraception, and conscious conception. More information can be found on her website, www.springmoonfertility.com
References - White, Y., A.R. et al., (2012) Oocyte formation by mitotically active germ cells purified from ovaries of reproductive-age women. Nature Medicine 18, pp. 413-421. doi:10.1038/nm.2669
- Freedman, D.H. (1992) New Theory on How The Aggressive Egg Attracts Sperm. Discover Magazine. Retrieved from: http://discovermagazine.com/1992/jun/theaggressiveegg55
- Weschler, T. (2006) Taking Charge of your Fertility, 10th anniversary edition. Collins. New York, NY.
- Singer, K. (2004) The Garden of Fertility. Avery. New York, NY.
- Cell Size and Scale. Retrieved from: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/scale/
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