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September might be Women’s Health Month, but the Brown Bag Luncheons hosted by the University’s Women’s Center are a weekly event throughout the year.
Each week brings a new topic to the table, an experienced new presenter and a new opportunity to learn while snacking on Cheetos and Pepsi.
At the second meeting of the new semester held yesterday, the topic was ‘Controversial Contraceptives: Long-Acting Contraceptives and Racism within U.S. Welfare Reform,’ and was presented by ethnic studies graduate assistant Christina Gerken.
Gerken, after thoroughly examining the state of the current welfare system, gave a shocking account of repeated attempts made ‘to undermine women’s constitutionally protected right to privacy and reproductive freedom.’
The attempt to introduce a birth control drug called Norplant into the welfare system soon became the focus of the presentation.
Norplant is a relatively new, long-acting hormonal implant that can be inserted into a woman’s upper arm.
Once in place, the silicone capsules can prevent pregnancy for five to seven years.
But the implants are difficult to remove and the procedure is very expensive.
It was initially designed to reduce population growth in third-world countries during the 1950s. Recently some legislators seeking a ‘cure’ for poverty considered using it to prevent female welfare recipients from having children.
Gerken examined stereotypes, including the view that welfare recipients are lazy, undeserving African-American mothers and con-artists trying to hoodwink the system by having more children.
These stereotypes, Gerken said, led to several bills that would have forced some women to use Norplant, as well as a program that would offer cash bonuses to women on welfare to have the implant.
Several judges have also offered women a choice between jail-time or Norplant usage.
‘There are obviously class, race, and gender biases here,’ Gerken said.
Concluding, Gerken said that women have the universal and constitutionally-protected right to reproduce.
After the formal presentation, a lively discussion ensued, with topics ranging from male birth control, to flaws in the welfare system.
Christine Homan, junior, felt that the presentation was effective and informative, although she disagrees with the concept of birth control.
‘I wish more people were here to see and understand (this topic),’ Homan said, as there were only 12 people in attendance.
Brown Bag Luncheons are held every Wednesday from noon until 1:00 in the Women’s Center at 107 Hanna Hall. All you need to bring is a Snickers and an appetite for learning.
