Access in the U.S. and Australia

United States Yellow Pages online lists 1830 abortion clinics in the United States The state with the most clinics is Florida at 192 and the state with the least is North Dakota at 1 The District of Columbia is included in this count and has 7 clinics http://www.yellowpages.com/nationwide/category_search/Abortion-Services?search_terms=abortion+clinics&search_mode=all Geographical access to abortion is limited on a practical level: 87 percent of U.S. counties have no abortion provider. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_the_United_States Another issue with accessibility is funding. In the U.S. there is no universal health care, or national funding for abortion. This means that a woman without health insurance must pay anywhere from $200 to $1000 out of pocket depending on the circumstances of her abortion, and a woman with health insurance is at the mercy of her provider. Aside from physical availability of clinics, there is the issue of access to the entrance. Anti-choice protesting has been a long standing tradition outside abortion clinics. Most clinics that perform abortions experience picketing at least 20 times a year: in 2005, 13,416 incidents of disruptive picketing were reported. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-life Abortion related violence is another big issue with murder, attempted murder, assault, and threats against abortion providers, anthrax threats, arson, bombing, and property crime. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion-related_violence In response, the "Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act" was passed at the federal level making it an offense to use intimidation or physical force in order to prevent a person from entering a facility which provides reproductive healthcare or a place of worship. "Bubble zones" are also created, which limit how close protesters can get to the clinic- distance varies by state. There are two types: fixed and floating. Fixed zones apply to the facility itself, and floating apply to objects in transit, such as people or cars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_protection_of_access_to_abortion Australia Yellow Pages online lists 109 abortion clinics in Australia- Marie Stopes International services locations all over the country and was listed multiple times, but did not have a clinic in every state. Therefore there was a discrepancy. The actual number of clinics is 118 according to Yellow Pages AU. New South Wales had the most clinics at 52 and Northern Territory had the least at zero though Marie Stopes International services Northern Territory but may not be located in the area. http://www.yellowpages.com.au/search/postSearchEntry.do;jsessionid=BA33BA434F03A8AEC4CEA62DB811B188.yp304_22124?clueType=0&clue=Pregnancy+Termination+Services&locationClue=&x=42&y=16 Because Australia has universal health care, women get a reimbursement of 75-85% depending on the procedure done. http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/search.cfm?q=35643%2C35639+and+35640&sopt=S Currently, there is no "buffer zone" legislation in Australia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_protection_of_access_to_abortion There has been one reported incident of abortion-related violence in Australia. A security guard at a clinic in Melbourne was shot in the face and killed by a man who was later charged and sentenced to life in prison. The incident occured in 2001. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion-related_violence

Legalities in Australia

Abortion in Australia remains a subject of state law rather than national law In every state, abortion is legal to protect the life and health of the woman, though each state has a different definition There is no law anywhere in Australia that requires the notification or consent of a woman's partner. There is no enforced waiting period for an abortion. Except in Western Australia, a minor does not require parental consent or notification Abortion Laws in Australia

Legend

Blue: Legal on request
Green: Legal for rape, maternal life, health, mental health, socioeconomic factors, and/or fetal defects
Brown: Legal for or illegal with exception for rape, maternal life, health, fetal defects, and/or mental health
Red: Illegal with exception for maternal life, health, and/or mental health

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Australia)

Some legalities in the U.S.

Parental Consent Laws in the U.S. (2006)

Legend

Pink- No parental notification or consent laws
Purple- One parent must be informed beforehand
Light Blue- Both parents must be informed beforehand
Medium Blue- One parent must consent beforehand
Dark Blue- Both parents must consent beforehand
Light Gray- Parental notification law currently enjoined
Dark Gray-Parental consent law currently enjoined

Mandatory Waiting period Laws in the U.S. (2006)

Legend

Off-White-No mandatory waiting period

Blue-Waiting period of less than 24 hours

Red- Waiting period of 24 hours or more

Gray-Waiting period law currently enjoined

Informed Consent Laws in the U.S. (2006)

Legend

Light Blue- No mandatory counselling

Medium Blue- Counselling in person, by phone, mail, and/or other

Dark Blue-Counselling in person only

Gray-Counselling law enjoined

Information required (in counselling or literature)
Filled circle: Fetal development
Triangle: Medical risks of abortion and/or continued pregnancy
Filled square: Mental risks of abortion
Star: Abortion alternatives, ex., adoption and prenatal care
Diamond: Nature of type of abortion that is to be performed
Parallel lines ("="): Breast cancer listed as risk
Empty circle: Availability of ultrasound
Empty square: Fetal pain

(Since you can't see very well, I'll just let you know Texas

has parallel lines, a filled circle, a triangle, and a star.

For anyone who's interested.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_the_United_States

Terms

Access- the ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use; admittance, to make contact with or gain access to; be able to reach, approach, enter, etc. (dictionary.com) Essentially, having access to an abortion means that it is available to you in a relational, locational, and economical standpoint. There will be a center within your county, or at least within the next, someone willing to take the time to sit with you and explain the process and your options, and an economic ability to pay for the procedure. Legality- the state or quality of being in conformity with the law; lawfulness. attachment to or observance of law. (dictionary.com) We all know Roe v. Wade and the right to privacy statute occurred, but just because abortion is a legal action within the United States does not mean that it's availability is not limited, in some instances greatly. Rural- of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people;of or relating to the countryside as opposed to the city. (dictionary.com) Urban- characteristic of or accustomed to cities; citified; relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area. (dictionary.com) Universal Health care- Universal health care refers to government mandated programs intended to ensure that all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region have access to most types of health care. Patients may pay for some portion of their care directly, but most care is subsidized by taxpayers and/or by compulsory insurance... The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care) Transnational Feminist Theory- Looking at the lives of women across the world "without borders", the interactions within and between women of different cultures, and how various issues such as capitalism, globalism, the "other" sexuality, labor, and poverty affect women across the world differently. This theory avoids type-casting women through objectification. It recognizes that all women share a gender, but a "global sisterhood" is a false idea, and instead works to enhance aspects of other cultures through collaboration and education. (Adapted from FB, GRN, and syllabus) Cultural Relativism- The principle that ones beliefs and activities should be interpreted in terms of ones own culture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_relativism) -"...the term 'difference' assumes there is 'a norm' from which those who are labelled 'different' diverge, with the added implication that they should be assimilated into it, or aspire to be assimilated." (GRN p. 35) Classism- any form of prejudice or oppression against people as a result of their actual or perceived social class (especially in the form of lower or higher socioeconomic status). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classism) Ageism- stereotyping and prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageism) Sexism- commonly considered to be discrimination and/or hatred against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits, but can also refer to any and all systemic differentiations based on the sex of the individuals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexism) Racism- the belief that members of one race are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other races. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism) "Politics of Location"- "By the term 'politics of location, I refer to the historical, geographical, cultural, psychic, and imaginative boundaries that provide the ground for political definition and self-definition for contemporary U.S. feminists." (FB p. 106) Multicultural Feminism- "...the task of recognizing and undoing the ways in which we colonize and objectify our different histories and cultures, thus colluding with hegemonic processes of domination and rule... cannot assume the existence of a dialogue among feminists from different communities without specifying a just and ethical basis for such a dialogue... requires...that we 'become fluent in each other's histories'... and [seek] 'unlikely coalitions'... and clarify the ethics and meaning of dialogue. [The] most crucial [challenge] for a critical multicultural feminism is working out how to engage in ethical and caring dialogues (and revolutionary struggles) accross the divisions, conflicts, and individualist identity formations that interweave feminist communities in the United States." (FB p. 125)

Objectives

• Define terms that I will be using throughout the blog
  
• Access vs. Legality
  
• Discuss abortion availability in the U.S.in a general sense
  
• Abortion in rural areas of the U.S.
  
• Abortion in urban areas of the U.S.
  
• Abortion in Australia**, a country with universal health care, therefore universal access
  
• Throughout all, address TFT theory and analysis in terms of my framework of a legal but inaccessible entity

** Unfortunately, I had to change my other country of comparison because all of the information I could find on abortion laws was, you guessed it, in French. I should have realized it, and I was just epitomizing a typical American in my assumption that all the information I needed would be in a language I knew. My apologies to Jason, I know you were excited to hear about the issues in France, and others who were interested in my blog concept as well. However, I do feel I can do just as well with Australia, perhaps better so stay with me! Again, my apologies for the confusion!