Some idiot on XOJane spreads (promotes?) misinformation.

Oct 14

Some idiot on XOJane spreads (promotes?) misinformation. →

“2) Birth control pills. NO. They will make me fat; they will make me “spot” (another thing I squeamishly just DON’T LIKE TALKING ABOUT; don’t worry, though, everyone else who works here does); they will give me acne; and quite frankly, they will NOT prevent me from getting pregnant! I know this because IT HAPPENED TO ME™. No, I didn’t take my pills right; I forget things like this unless they are FUN pills, or what I BELIEVE, delusionally, to be a “fun” pill at the time; anyway, the point is, unless a pill gets me speedy or doped up as all hell I will NOT remember to take it, and then I will get pregnant! I JUST WILL. (IHTM™.) 3) The Depo-Provera Shot. Uh-huh. Same concept as the pills, if you get my drift. Egads, but it’s true. 4) Condoms. Nope! As if. I don’t know. I don’t sleep with that many people and so I just don’t do condoms! ARG I HATE TALKING ABOUT MY SEX LIFE; LET’S END THIS.”

Shit like this makes me VIRULENTLY angry because this is the product of our failure to educate people on sex and birth control.

When I was in college and involved with the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, we brought these teen volunteers from Planned Parenthood to campus to host an information table called “Spring Break Safety” to get everyone ready to go for their/our spring break escapades, and they basically taught everyone 3-5 years older than they were everything we should have always known about birth control. They were amazing.

If you’re an ignorant and irresponsible person who plans to write an article about birth control anyway, talk to literally anyone who has volunteered or worked for Planned Parenthood and s/he will gladly inform you that yes, having sex while taking the birth control pill incorrectly CAN get you pregnant (no fucking way!) and no, “not having sex with that many people” is not a reason to shun condoms and that Plan B is called Plan B for a reason.

The delightful Katie Heaney brought this to my attention this morning and I haven’t been able to focus on anything else because I’m seeing red. I can’t believe Jane Pratt allowed this irresponsible drivel to be posted on her site. AND! She is throwing down in the comments and getting bitchy defending it! I don’t read xojane because I find its tone weird and off-putting, but printing some kind of incoherent manifesto about how there should be more Plan B pills in stock because blah blah I don’t want to take birth control or use condoms is just terrifyingly stupid. Yesterday, I got my standard battery of blood work and STD tests done at the health center, as I do every 6 months to a year when I get things checked out, so taking care of oneself and being a GROWN ASS WOMAN (tm) about your sexual health and health in general is on my mind right now. I’m not as sexually irresponsible as this gal, but still it freaks me out that young women could be this misinformed and flippant about their bodies.

I guess the one good thing that comes out of this is the discussion around these issues, but I’m still really disappointed that a lady site published this.

The Hairpin 4 eva.

18 notes | Reblogged: (via)

7 months ago Source: katieheaney