STRIP FROM THE WAIST DOWN (cont)

A display of plastic disposable speculums and tubes of vaginal jelly, wooden sticks and glass slides were spread on a table beside me. When he was about to insert the speculum, he coughed on me. I am sure people have coughed around me many times, but I was really grossed

out.

He inserted the speculum and fumbled around with it, trying to get at my cervix, the part of the uterus that extends into the vagina, in the right place. I'D REALLY RATHER DO IT MYSELF!

He wanted to take a Pap smear (routine cancer test) but my period was just ending and he couldn't get a clean specimen. He was about to ask me to come back. NOT A THIRD TRIP! I complained about how long it had taken me to get to the clinic and they could send over to another clinic to get the results of the smear 1 had taken a few months previously.

He relented and removed the speculum. The nurse presented him with a box of metal rings covered with rubber, each one a smaller size than the other. They were all resting on edge in individual slots. He chose one of the rings and put it in my vagina. He checked to see that the front of the ring was behind the pubic bone. He stressed the importance of this but didn't tell me exactly why-it is to keep the diaphragm from popping out. He felt this ring was the right size so the nurse got a corresponding size in a diaphragm. Her only function seemed to be to hand things to him. He showed the diaphragm to me and explained where and how much jelly to put in it and showed me how the sides should be squeezed together to facilitate insertion; then he inserted it. I was concerned that it would not cover my cervix because I have a retroverted (tilted) uterus, a common condition, and didn't

The Family Planning Clinic gave me the diaphragm ! had been working with right away and a supply of vaginal jelly which I could buy from them when I needed more at about half price. I later learned that the brand they gave

J

know what effect this might have on the efficiency of a diaphragm. It didn't feel comfortable and he was having trouble putting it behind the bone. So I said, "Maybe it's too big." He looked exas perated but agreed that it was too big. "The ring fit," he said to the nurse, "but now the diaphragm me, Koromex, may be dangerous because it con-

doesn't. Can we send it back to the factory?"

I had visions of a diaphragm factory. What would they do with a returned diaphragm, used? The nurse said she knew what to do-put it in the wastebasket, no doubt. He shrugged.

Then he put in a smaller diaphragm. This was it. I was comfortable right away. I felt relieved. A friend had told me about her experience with getting a diaphragm that was too large. "It took me and my boyfriend to put it in. We thought we would just have to adjust." She finally got the right size after a month of misery. Seems the drug store where she had taken her prescription had given her the wrong size,

I put my finger in my vagina and felt the diaphragm. It was behind the bone but NOT covering the cervix. The doctor expressed doubt but checked and said yes, I was right. He put it in again. I checked it. It was right this time. Then he took the diaphragm out and asked me to stand with one foot on a stool. It had wheels on it and kept rolling around so I backed it against the table. WHO THINKS OF THESE POSITIONS? I put it in. It didn't cover the cervix. Before I could try putting it in again, I had to take it out which was trickier than I had thought. After several tries I hooked my finger over the rim of the diaphragm behind the pubic bone and out it came. I put it in again, pressing down with the diaphragm as he suggested to make sure the diaphragm was under the cervix. This worked.

tains mercury which could be absorbed through the vaginal walls. I asked if I would have to go through the whole procedure again if I lost my diaphragm or for some reason needed to replace it. They said I could buy another one from them for $5.

If I hadn't known enough about my anatomy to know that the diaphragm should cover the cervix, and known how to check it myself, the diaphragm would have been totally useless to me. This would have been a difficult and embarrassing experience but now I felt confident in questioning the doctor. Because I insisted that I be allowed to participate in the procedure, I felt they had worked with me instead of on me.

Planned Parenthood of Cleveland. The woman is charged on a sliding scale according to income (example: divorced single woman with an income of $100 a month would be charged $10). First visit includes Pap smear, pelvic examination, breast examination and gonorrhea test.

A sitting diaphram is given to the patient (this has a hole in it and is not contraceptive) in her size to practice with for 1 week; if the patient is comfortable with the device she is given a regulation diaphram.

A variety of brands of jellies are provided including Koromex (which they recommend). Anatomy information can be obtained if desired from models and diagrams.

RAPE CRISIS CENTER IN CRISIS

The Rape Crisis Center has everything but people. We have a place to be, two telephones, a little money-and a good chance to get morea good training program, community support, a growing rapport with hospitals and police, access to the fine resources of the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, legal advocates, and offers of help from many individuals and groups. Yet, we are not able to provide the services we set out to provide.

In order to be an effectively operating center, we must be able to staff a hotline (ideally, 24 hours a day, but for now, at least during the evening and night) seven days a week. We must also have advocates in as many communities as possible to accompany victims to hospitals and prepare them for whatever they might experience at the hospital and afterwards.

Often a rape victim has no one to turn to for help. In such cases, the victim tends to turn feelings of fear or anger inward, and is unable to regain equilibrium. If sympathetic help is im.mediately available, ill effects are almost always minimized.

We have to be able to give-through ourselves or through referrals--any aid or support that a rape victim might need. All volunteers will be trained to provide or find such aid and support. Now, all we need are the volunteers to train. We can be reached during the day through the Free Clinic at 721-4010, or at the Center numpage 10/What She Wants/July 1974

ber, 368-1331, at 6 to 9 p.m. on week nights. If you are able to give us a few hours a week, please call one of the above numbers. We are not a "professional" organization. The only credentials we require are the willingness and ability to give the support that a rape victim needs.

This is a necessary service in our community. We do have everything but people-but without people, we have nothing. Please help us to survive. Contributed by Lynn Hammond

FIND IT FASTEST

What She Wants Women for Awareness Women's Center at CWRU

r

321-1677

321-8585

368-2647

Cleveland Women's Counseling

321-8585

Sexism in Education (CI Hts-Un Hts) Medical Committee for Human Rights Patients (mental & emotional) Rights Org. Welfare Rights

381-0975

283-2220 368-0815

241-5926

Women's Self-Help Clinic

321-8215

Free Clinic East

721-4010

Cleveland Women Artist's Slide Registry

751-7309

Free Clinic West

961-2323

Women's Poetry Collective

321-4427

Near West Side People's Clinic

281-4242

Emergency Abortion Task Force

561-2760

The Circle (counseling)

261-9033

Preterm

368-1000

V.D. Clinic

249-4100

Cleveland Center for Reproductive Health National Health Care Services

421-8600

Suicide Prevention

229-4545

795-1900

Food Coop East (Sun & Mon nite)

721-3047

Concerned Women's Clinic

231-2622

Tremont Food Co-op

771.1202

Women's Law Fund

621-3443

Legal Aid Wast

961-6630

Cleveland Council of Union Women Women's Equity Action League

932-3361

Legal Aid East

861-6242

845-0440

American Civil Liberties Union

781-6276

NOW

283-5219

Jail Hot Line (Bail etc)

621-7135

Viragos (Gay Activists)

368-2649

Thomas Merton Community 771-2152

281-5833

Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice Planned Parenthood West Planned Parenthood East Spanish American Day Care Center Community Day Nursery on Harvard Cleve. State Univ. Day Care Center C.C.C. Day Care Center

371-4027

American Indian Center

ext. 15 771-7297

221-4000

Spanish American Drug Prevention Center

687-1373

721-4700

Black Unity House

451-7309

631-2135

283-6657

United Farm Workers Lettuce-Grape Boycott Indochina Education Project

696-2686

231-8234

ext. 441

667-4567 241-5966 371-0286 421-3673

241-7684

391-5553

231-8456

451-9538

631-4218

795-3210

368-1331

CWRU Student Co-op Day Nursery 721-0434 Liberty Day Care Center

Catholics for a Free Choice

Rape Crisis Center

Communist Party

Socialist Workers Party

Youth Against War and Faciam Prisoner Solidarity Committee University Christian Movement