abortionclinicdays

Fetal Tissue

Sometimes the crazy anti-abortion fringe is all over "a controversial issue" before we as abortion providers are ready to talk publicly about it. Well, not this time! I am willing to talk about fetal tissue, what happens to it, how we treat it, and how donation of fetal tissue could help science and mankind.

I just read an anti-abortion newsletter that was so ranting and inaccurate that it inspired me to respond. At the same time, we are exploring the donation of fetal tissue for research. This seems like such a positive thing, especially when there is a lockdown on support for embryonic stem cell research.

This anti-abortion person is claiming that there is no "public record of what happens to fetal cadavers", which is a fascinating re-framing of what all government regulations treat as "hazardous waste", as they do any human tissue, be it blood, tumors, parts removed by surgery etc. There are very strict guidelines about how all human tissue is handled, and medical waste is a very well regulated business, the Sopranos not withstanding. It is ultimately buried or burned. But of course, the real reason for the rant is that the anti's want to be able to harass the medical waste people, the operators of the incinerators, which are often hospitals, and of course US! And this moral outrage comes from the people who have literally stolen fetuses from pathology labs, clinics, etc. and paraded them around in shoe boxes, pawed through them on video, and generally exploited--not respected--fetuses.

In my clinic, we wash off the tissue and examine it. It is treated respectfully and put with the woman's first name into a container. We show it to patients if they ask to see it, and make sure they understand which part is the sac (later the placenta), which part the pregnancy if visible (after 9 weeks), and which part the lining of the uterus. People have been known to pray over it, write notes for inclusion, "baptize" it, etc etc. Some clinic staff have also been known to say a little prayer over it--thanking it for its sacrifice so that the woman could continue on the path she was on.

We are now exploring giving the option for women to donate fetal tissue to research efforts. This would be completely at the discretion of the woman, but typically women feel that "something good can come of this" and agree to it enthusiastically. The whole process is highly scrutinized and regulated by an IRB--Institutional Review Board whose job it is to look at the ethics of research and using human subjects. And by law no one can be compensated for participation--not the woman, not the clinic, doctor, or institution. It is simply illegal, and you can bet that the high profile practice of abortion would get a thorough looking over.

I am belaboring this point because this anti-abortion newsletter details the "selling of body parts" with outrageous price lists. They are reprising a story that has long been discredited. A pathology lab was infiltrated by an anti, to inform on the abortion industry, but instead created a set up of lies and sensational fabrications. One small point will show you how none of their accusations would even make sense: all samples sent to the lab by clinic like ours were packed in formalin, a very toxic preservative that destroys all research value.

But the good news is that, in certain situations, much good can come out of a fetal tissue research program. All the flap about embryonic stem cells from leftover in vitro fertilization is moot, since the decision has been made by the woman to terminate the pregnancy. Fetal stem cell lines are already showing promise in certain medical therapies. Ironically, because of the partial ban on stem cell research by the Bush Administration, other countries are forging ahead with the research, and American scientists are trying to associate themselves with scientists in other countries. The problem with this is that standards are different in other countries and there are not the stringent guidelines and protections that there are in this country. Another misguided Bush policy that creates a worse situation than it was trying to fix.

I am imagining how different the debate might be if the American public knew that incredible advances in science and medicine came because women were generous enough to think of others in the midst of their difficult time.
--bon

Give to your local abortion fund

My rant on getting a woman funds for her abortion has brought up the issue of why it is such a struggle to raise money for poor women's abortions. This has long been a hot button for me, and I can remember long long ago, like maybe 15 years ago, arguing with Patricia Ireland of NOW (who bless her heart was at least talking to a provider...) about how the pro choice movement should tithe a certain percent of their fundraising to women who cannot afford an abortion. My point was that groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood were, at the time, fundraising off the misery of the clinics who were under siege by the anti's. The LEAST they could do is give some back to women in need. Her point was that her group and others didn't fundraise for other organizations.

Getting funding from one of the--now== many funds requires that the clinic reduce their fee. (I think it is a requirement--maybe a moral one if not an actual one) Until there were funds, clinics would bear the burden of "charity cases." I know everyone thinks that abortion clinics make money hand over fist, but let me put it to you this way: my mother's illegal abortion in the 50's cost more than I currently charge. Medical inflation is skyrocketing and we are not immune to that, plus we have very high malpractice insurance and security costs, both because of the targeted harassment of the anti's. Abortion fees are artificially low.

We finally started our own fund, accepting donations, but also adding $5 to the fee for the fund. It cleared our psychic energy for more important things, and by passed those horrible clinic discussions where staff were trying to raise money for a particular patient. (This really happens, not in my clinic but I have heard of many clinics where it does.)

Last week one of my co-workers, reading about the millions being raised and spent to defeat Judge Alito for Supreme Court, said to me, "Think how many abortions that could fund...illegal or not." We smiled at our own wishful thinking and answered the next call from a desperate woman.

Why is funding abortion SUCH a tough sell? I think there is a somewhat legitimate position that says, "We want to organize, and fundraise, to change the system to do what it should do, not just help individual women." But to paraphrase Sonia Johnson, it's been about 20 years since the Hyde Amendment banned federal funding for abortion--I think we have given policy change enough time. It's not going to happen. In fact, a rather large grant was given a few years back to lobby for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment. How many abortions would that have paid for? Probably a better use of money.

But I think the bigger issue for most people is that they can't wrap their brain around the idea that an unintended pregnancy can happen to THEM. And as long as everyone keeps quiet about it, we can all think that these bad things happen to women who were careless, or promiscuous, or irresponsible. That somehow they brought it on themselves. And as long as people are defended against the very real possibility (37%) that they might need an abortion, then we can't make any headway at all. Funding someone else's abortion is where we have to confront the pitiful lack of health care access, sexism, anti choice politics, and the messiness of individual lives. Too many barriers between you and your checkbook.

Well, that's the short answer. But, you could all prove me wrong by donating to your local abortion fund this season. (go to www.nnaf.org)

--bon

random thoughts from the past week

this past week began for me with a viewing of THE LAST ABORTION CLINIC on frontline on pbs.  (btw, if any of you missed it you can check it out at frontline@pbs.org.)  the creators did a marvelous job of presenting the situation in mississippi, which indeed has only one abortion clinic left.  between impossible laws, harassment, shootings, etc, there is only one clinic left for arguably the poorest state in the US.  the state that is either dead last or next to last in education, opportunity, jobs that pay a living wage has just about cut off legal abortion for most of the residents of the state.  the organization of the anti abortion movement in that state, which includes elected officials, is hoping to close the doors of the remaining clinic. 

what was missing in the program was the voice of the women who have been affected by the other clinics closing.  what i wanted to hear was what have the women done who still needed an abortion?  did they try to self-abort?  are the hospitals seeing an increase in attempted illegal abortions?  are the welfare rolls and food stamp offices seeing more women who cannot earn enough to feed and support their families?  are more women and children homeless?   are women dying as a result of lack of access to abortion services?  because one thing that we know for sure is that women have always, from the beginning of recorded time, chosen abortion when they knew it was not the right time for a new life to enter into this world through their body.  and so it will always be.  it's a question of whether the women will have an abortion safely or not.  abortion cannot ever be ended because women will seek it one way or another if that is what they need.  the did it before roe vs wade and they will do it if roe is overturned by the next supreme court.

and then yesterday  i talked to a woman named rose.  her coping skills in life did not appear to be very good.  she seemed to have a hard time just getting through a day as she described her life to me.  her long time boy friend, who is also the father of her son, left as soon as he heard she was pregnant again.  rose is in her 20's but does not have marketable skills that would allow her to earn a  living for her and her son.  and the one person in her life who offers her some help is her mother, who is herself pushed beyond her ability to cope.  when we told rose that we were unable to help her with an abortion because her pregnancy was too far advanced, she lost what little composure she had and became hysterical.  i told her that she could still get an abortion somewhere else and offered to help her with the appointment.  i also suggested adoption to her because i knew right away that with no money or other resources, getting it together in time for an abortion did not look likely.  but she said that she could not risk continuing the pregnancy because she had tried mutliple ways and multiple times to self abort so she doubted that the pregnancy could be normal, and therefore, could be unadoptable.  i could tell that, without help, rose would not be able to manage so i called the hospital to try to get her an appointment there and another counselor and i began calling all of the national funds to see what we can come up with for rose.  of course, we refunded her money to her, but it was not quite enough for the service she requires while being all the money she and her mom have in the world.  she needs only $135 dollars, which is not much, but it makes the difference in whether she can have an abortion or will have a child that she will not be able to manage.  there are so many women like rose who manage to get most of the money together but just cannot get the last piece of it.  plus having to travel to receive services and paying for gas is increasingly prohibitive.

i know that bon has written here before about the various national funds that exist to help women get the last little bit of the money together for their abortion.  because many of the readers of this blog might like to write a check at this time of year as your holiday charity donation, i urge you to consider one or more of the funds listed below.  i promise you that your money will go a long way in helping the poorest of women to take a step that could save them and their families from hunger, even homelessness in the most dire sitations; constant worry, deprivation in other situations.  many women are forced to choose paying the rent or having an abortion, having food on the table or an abortion, or having christmas for their other kids or an abortion.  please do consider them as you write your holiday checks. 

here are some funds for you to consider:

THIRD WAVE                                     WRRAP   

511 w 25th street    #301                   15030 ventura blvd #19-624

new york, ny  10001                           sherman oaks, ca  91403

                      

link to research article

here is the link to the complete study as requested:

http:/bmjjournals.com/cgi/rapidpdf/bmj38623.532384.55v1.pdf

you may have to cut and paste it.

lou