Open Arms? The Truth About Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Note: During the 40 Days of protests at our Augusta health center, we are giving away a 4000 Years for Choice poster each week. Everyone who posts a comment on our blog during these six weeks will be entered into the weekly poster drawings.

As the 40 Days protests continue, I’ve been comparing this year’s picketers to those we had last year. So far, they seem to have toned down the rhetoric on their signage. (Of course, we’re only one week into the 40 days and things could change.)

The strategies may change but the players — and their aims — are the same. They stand at our gates, hoping to bully our clients into changing their minds about a very personal decision. Last year I wrote about the 40 Days signage spreading lies about abortion care.

This week, I’m writing about one particular sign that advertises Open Arms, a crisis pregnancy center (CPC) located in Augusta. It sounds nice, doesn’t it? Open Arms. Continue reading →

Posted on March 1, 2012 in Abortion Care | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Anti-Choice Protestors at the FPA — A Passerby Responds

Note: During the 40 Days of protests at our Augusta health center, our blog posts will focus on abortion care services. We are also giving away a 4000 Years for Choice poster each week. Everyone who posts a comment on our blog during these six weeks will be entered into the weekly poster drawings.

When I think about the impact of the protesters at our gates, I usually focus on patients and staff.  It never occurred to me that other community members might be affected… until I received the following comments in an email message. Continue reading →

Posted on February 22, 2012 in Abortion Care | Tagged | 6 Comments

Here We Go Again! Another 40 Days of Protests Begins…

4000 Years for Choice PosterTime goes by so quickly!

It’s been a whole year since we launched the FPA blog On the Front Lines to coincide with the annual 40 Days protest being held outside our front gate.

In the past year, readership of the blog has grown and that’s really nice.  But I had hoped for more of a conversation with and between our readers — yet our comment section is still pretty quiet. To help jump-start the conversations — and celebrate our blog anniversary — we’re giving away prizes to readers who comment during the coming weeks. Continue reading →

Posted on February 15, 2012 in Abortion Care | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Celebrating Love… And Protection

February 14th is right around the corner. And you know what that means!

It’s Valentine’s Day — an occasion to celebrate love and lovers.  Bring out the flowers, the chocolates and the condoms.

Why condoms? Continue reading →

Posted on February 2, 2012 in STDs, Sexual Health | Leave a comment

By Any Other Name — Redefining Rape

Earlier this month, the FBI made big news when it announced that the Uniform Crime Report’s (UCR) definition of rape will be revised to provide more comprehensive statistical reporting of rape in the United States.

The change has been a long time coming. The Women’s Law Project has been working with women’s rights groups around the country for 10 years to get the definition of rape changed.

Why is this change such an important development?
Continue reading →

Posted on January 27, 2012 in Family Planning Association of Maine | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Election 2012 — Why It’s Crucial for Choice & What You Can Do About It

If ever there was a time when the outcome of an election matters for Mainers who care about reproductive rights, this is it! For two major reasons.

This November, voters in Maine will be asked to make a choice for almost all of our elected officials  — President, U.S. Senators & Representatives and State Senators & Representatives. That’s right, our ballot will include all of those folks. That’s the first reason to get out and vote for choice this fall.

Here’s the second reason. Continue reading →

Posted on January 22, 2012 in Reproductive Rights | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Calling All Bloggers & Activists — Blog for Choice Day 2012

Election season has begun! The Iowa and New Hampshire primaries are behind us and in Maine, the Republican and Democratic caucuses are scheduled for later this winter.

Each year, election fatigue seems to set in earlier and earlier and the temptation to ignore it all grows stronger.  But this year, more than ever, tuning out is something we cannot afford to do. The 2012 election is a crucial one for pro-choice advocates and supporters. Continue reading →

Posted on January 12, 2012 in Reproductive Rights | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Year’s Resolutions? Trying Something Different

Warning: My inner dork is revealed at the end of this post.

In years past, I’ve tended to establish new year’s resolutions with three basic themes:

  • Eat Healthier
  • Exercise More
  • Be Nicer

Like many people I know, my inner struggles don’t seem to change that much from year to year. Unless we’ve had a major, life-changing experience we tend to keep battling our well-known demons.

This year, I’ve decided to try something new — something that boils down to “find the positive” and “be part of the solution.”

What does this have to do with family planning and reproductive rights? Funny you should ask. Continue reading →

Posted on January 5, 2012 in Family Planning, Reproductive Rights | Tagged | Leave a comment

Raindrops on Roses, Whiskers on Kittens

These are a few of my favorites blogs…

Writing a weekly blog takes commitment and guts in equal parts. You have to spend two or three times as much time reading and researching as you do writing. And you’ve got to believe you have something worth writing about, something people  want to read.

Writing On the Front Lines for the FPA is a piece of cake in terms of having plenty of interesting material. The work of providing reproductive health care and protecting reproductive rights in Maine is multi-layered and varied. Basically, it’s fabulous material for a writer.

Staying on top of the necessary reading and research — now, that’s another story. I’ll be the first to admit that some weeks it’s quite the challenge.

Luckily, there are some amazing people writing about reproductive rights and reproductive health care. I depend on my fellow bloggers for ideas and inspiration.

As my holiday gift to you, I’m sharing a sampling of my favorite blogs.  Enjoy! Continue reading →

Posted on December 22, 2011 in Abortion Care, Family Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You Above Average?

As a woman, do you consider yourself above average?

I mean, in terms of your reproductive life span? Don’t know what I’m talking about? That’s okay, I’ll explain later.

First I want to share some great news.  Continue reading →

Posted on December 7, 2011 in Birth Control, Family Planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment