Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    
    I'd love to have Norplant make the cover of Ms. magazine with rave
    reviews and get a national endorsement from Molly Yard, followed by a
    rash of buying.
    
    I'd like to see this signal a new age in birth control research and
    development as money-hungry companies dive after women's dollars,
    competing with each other to develop a drug which offers all the
    benie's and none of the side-effects of Norplant at half the cost.
    
    I'd like to hear the Pope grant a concession that Norplant-like
    implants are an acceptable alternative for women who would otherwise
    die from pregnancy. Followed by a series of incredible misinterp-
    retations on the part of the media, taking YEARS to correct, that
    encouraged Catholic women to think that the pope had Okay'ed BC for all
    women, freeing them from their pre-ordained "consumation" responsibilities.
    
    I'd like to see a grass-roots movement from women lobbying for an
    increase in government spending on birth-control research. I'd like to
    see the US government sign a contract with ONE drug-producing company
    to make contraceptives freely available to poor women, with a partial
    criteria for acceptance of that one company being approval by NOW. I'd
    like to see drug-producing companies really slug it out for that
    contract, knowing that cost was a secondary factor compared to reducing
    risks and side-effects.
    
    I personally love the idea of a birth control method that's so
    absolutely goof-proof that you don't even remember its there. Nothing
    to take, nothing to insert, nothing to "interrupt the moment".
    
    Okay, so I'm dreaming... anybody else?
                                                                  

    Perfect birth-control method...
    
    o no side effects
    
    o available for men and women
    
    o "permanent" but reversible - that is, installed/activated once,
    	to remain in place/active until explicitly removed/disabled.
    
    o cheap - although if it's as perfect as all this, it'd be worth a 
    	good price!
    
    o Oh, yeah. And must not interfere with a full and satisfactory 
    	sexual relationship. [Without that last clause, I think I've
    	just described "abstinence"... well, for the hetero crowd,
    	anyway! ;-)]
    
    -b

    I'm thrilled about Norplant as stated in the Norplant note.
    
    However, my dream method would be a once-per-year shot that I'd get
    when going in for my smears.  OK, give it a 14-month duration to allow
    for procrastination and/or scheduling conflicts.
    
    It should have no side-effects.  It should be reversible with another
    shot for those that decided that _now_, not 1 - 13 months from now, is
    the time to start a family.
    
    There's a part of me that says that 3 - 5 year dosages should be made
    available at menarche, so that fear of pregnancy is no longer the
    motivator in the young in their choices.  H*ll, it's not working so hot
    anyway -- and it certainly isn't a substitute for common sense and a
    personal moral ethic in making one's choices.
    
      Annie
    
    I'd like to see

    everything in .2, except the women's version gets rid of PMS and cramps
    as a beneficial side effect.
    
    -Jody
    

    
    Yeah, yeah, I LIKE it!
    
    Can't you see the ads now:
    
    Imagine: no more cramps, no more PMS, EVER.
    
    I'd buy it. H*ll, I can think of scores of people who'd line up to buy
    it FOR me! 

    A simple, outpatient laparotomy where a simple "crimp" is placed on the
    tubes or a silicone plug placed in them.  No drugs, no cycle interference, 
    no spontaneity interruption, no reinforcement at regular intervals.  
    If/when desired, another laparotomy, (scarring is practically nil, 
    general anesthesia not required), can simply remove it.
    
    Already in use is a valve kind of thing for men, coined the "golden
    faucet" some years ago, where, once in place, a simple outpatient 
    procedure can turn it on or turn it off.  Sperm cells make up such a 
    small portion of the total volume of semen that no change whatsoever is
    noticed.
    
    Then I'd like to see a world where these things become akin to rites of 
    passage for young people, a world where pregnancy is a conscious choice 
    and not a default, a world that can face up to the realities of human
    sexuality and not reduce it to a varied collection of dirty jokes for 
    boys.  

    We're allowed to be as fantastic as we want?
    
    Read a book recently called "Dream Snake" (great book, BTW.)  In it,
    birth control is achieved through mind control of one's own body,
    perfected through biofeedback training given to *all* kids, each and
    everyone one, in the standard course of public schooling.
    
    It isn't all that far-fetched, either...they have found many so-called
    involuntary bodily functions that can be controlled through
    biofeedback...why not ovulation and sperm production?
    
    No drugs, no operations, no tampering, no side-effects, and I bet you
    even the Catholic church would even accept it (it is sort of an
    advanced form of the "rhythm" method.)
    
    D!

    D! I like that.

    I have no idea what it is.  It works for either men or women, is
    completely reliable in preventing conception, prevents or immunizes
    against STDs, and - very important here - is completely reversable at
    will, by the man or woman, without direct medical intervention.
    
    well, you said dream, right?
    
    Sara
    

    Dreamsnake, referred to in .7, is by Vonda N. McIntyre (at least, I
    think it's an N).
    
    But don't try this method at home.
    
    	Andrew.

    1.  To PERMANENTLY get rid of cramps, shakes, chills, etc. a woman only
        needs to ask her surgeon to perform a presecalneurestomy.  This is
        done under general anesthesia.  During surgery, the main nerve to
        the uterus is severed.  No more pain.  Also one of the side
        effects, or so I was told, is NO LABOR PAIN!!
    
    2.  As far as a birth control method that you don't have to think about
        and doesn't interfere with "the moment", that sounds like tubal
        ligation to me.  I had it done when my doctor gave me the ultimatum
        that based on my age, she would no longer give me a prescription
        for the Pill.  As I was, and still am, single with no marriage
        plans in sight, I opted for tubal ligation.  If I get married and
        WE decided to have children, there is always adoption, especially
        older children.
    
    My nickles worth
    
    L
    

    Actually,  I had that surgery.  It got rid of the shooting pains I used
    to have, but did *nothing* for the cramps.  sigh
    
    E Grace

    Well I had one baby, that took care of the cramps, and then had
    my tubes tied at 30 that took care of birth control.
    
    So in the years that i've been sexually active, i've had 11 where
    I had to worry about bc and 16 where i did not...
    
    I think that's good odds.
    
    bj

    
    	re: .13 (Bonnie Reinke)
    
    	> So in the years that i've been sexually active, i've had
        > 11 where I had to worry about bc and 16 where i did not...
    
    	11 + 16 = 27 kids !!!!     Bonnie!!!
    
    	What kind of birth control were you using when you had 11 kids?
    
    						nancy b.

    I had to do a double take on that one, too, Nancy
    
    -Mary

    the antecedent was *years* not kids! :-)

    and besides all you guys and gyns know I've adopted most of
    my family anyway

    :-) X 10

    bj

	Recently I read that eggs attract sperm (Scintific American or
Discover.)  Imagine each sex wears a ring (or some such attachment) with
an 'attract' and a 'repel' switch.  This way both must agree to reproduce.



		Living in a dream world.    Kbear

    
    
    	Mine is simple....it would be nice if my BC pills wouldn't
    	go up in price every month!  This time it jumped $1.30 and it's
    	costing me almost $20 for the darned things!  I would also
    	be nice if this was one of the 'medications' covered under
    	my medical insurance!  harumph!
    
    	JJ
    

    
    Imagine my suprise when I went to pick up mine and as a yanked out the
    Visa preparing for the $17 bill, and they only charged me $9!
    Seems that my prescription plan now covers oral contraceptives.
    
    Too good to be true?
    
    Yup.  They will only allow two months supply on one prescription.  My
    gyn has to call in the prescription again every other month.  And when
    I go to the pharmacy I'm only allowed to purchase a one month supply.
    
    Seems they're trying to get everyone to "mail order" drugs.
    No thanks, I'll go to the pharmacist.
    
    Lisa

    re: Lisa
    
    It's cheaper for them if you do go the mail order route.  They get a
    special rate from the pharmaceutical company.  But, this is the first
    I've heard of any of our insurance co's covering birth control.  Is
    this a new trend?  
    
    I certainly hope so.
    
    Candy

> this is the first I've heard of any of our insurance co's covering birth
> control.  Is this a new trend?

TakeCare, an HMO choice out here in California covers birth control pills like
any other prescription drug, you used to pay a $5 co-payment, now I believe they
are completely covered. I used to be with TakeCare, now I'm an "opt out" since
I'm covered under Janice's company's insurance at no charge to us. Her insurance
unfortunately DOES NOT cover birth control! Grrr. It's still cheaper this way
but I don't have to like it. Especially at $150 to be fitted for a cervical cap.

	-- Charels

    Matthew Thornton thru Hichcock or whatever it is theses days covers
    birth control pills. Regular $5 co-payment. They started doing this
    last year.
    
    Tamzen

    
    
    	sigh....when will JH catch up?
    
    	JJ