AN EXPERIENCE IN

AWARENESS

You are invited into the following role reversal

exercise. Through each step, feel into and stay with your feelings; let them absorb you:

1. Consider reversing the generic term Man. Think of the future of Women, wbich, of course, includes

both women and men. Feel into that, sense its meaning to you as a woman—as a man.

2. Think of it always being that way, every day of your life. Feel the ever-presence of woman and feel the non-presence of man, Absorb what it tells you about the importance and value of being woman-of being man.

3. Recall that everything you have ever read all your life uses only female pronouns, she, her meaning both girls and boys, both women and men. Recall that most of the voices on radio and most of the

FEMINIST HEALTH

What She Wants interviewed Kathy Courtney and Jackie Stefko of the Feminist Women's Health Center from Detroit who toured the Preterm clinic, spoke to Cleveland Women's Counseling (CWC) and demonstrated self-examinations. at Case Western Reserve University here. Their purpose was to observe medical procedures in Cleveland's abortion clinics and meet with Cleveland women to discuss organizing feminist health clinics and feminist credit unions.

The Feminist Wornen's Health Certer operates on loans and donations from the Feminist Credit Union or Health Center users. With a philosophy that health care should stress preventive medicine, information and referrals to professionals are given. Physicians are available part time on special clinic days, however, Ms. Courtney stated that the Feminist Center views health care as a consumer item, and women should be informed as to the type and quality of health care they receive. The Center also believes that women paramedics should be allowed to participate in care, tests for VD, pregnancy and urinary and vaginal infections which can be administered as long as a doctor or nurse does the lab work. The services offered at the Detroit Health Center include instruction in self breast and vaginal and urinary infection screening, counseling for abortion and birth control, a referral service to professionals, and training programs in health careers or political activities. The Center also acts as a clearinghouse of information and it has a speakers bureau on women's issues.

Ms. Courtney and Ms. Stefko said they had a format of evaluation for abortion clinics and they checked off a list of required procedures for a qualified clinic. They emphasized medical techniques, saying that most women do not have the opportunity to observe proper technique, and that there are right and wrong ways of operating an abortion clinic. The Feminist Health Center

READERS

CLINIC

researched the clinics in Detroit and are responsible for a survey published in the Detroit Free Press. Constant day-by-day monitoring of the clinics was suggested. Any instance of poor health care should be reported.

Guidelines for a Safe Abortion Clinic

I. The cost should be realistic (approximately $150).

2. Your abortion should be a positive experience. The attitude at the clinic should be respect for you as a responsible person taking control of your own reproduction,

3. There should be counseling throughout the procedure. This woman should know more than you do about the procedure. She should present the information freely, in a clear, nondirective manner.

4. In early termination, there should be a proce. dure of aspiration with a flexible, plastic can. nula, minimal dilation, local anesthetic, preand post-operative medication, lab work, and counseling throughout the visit.

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faces on TV are women when important events are covered: on commercials, and on late talk shows. Recall that you have one male senator representing you in Washington.

4. Feel into the fact that women are the leaders, the power-centers, the prime-movers. Man, whose natural role is husband and father, fulfills himself through nurturing children and making the home a refuge for woman. This is only natural to balance the biological role of woman who devotes her whole body to the race during pregnancy: the most re. vered power known to Woman (and man, of course) 5. Then feel further into the obvious biological explanation for woman as the ideal: her genital construction. By design, female genitals are com pact and internal, protected by her body. Male genitals are so exposed that he must be protected from outside attack to assure the perpetuation of the race. His vulnerability obviously requires sheltering.

6. Thus, by nature, males are more passive than females and have a desire in sexual relations to be symbolically engulfed by the protective body of the woman. Males psychologically yearn for this protection, fully realizing their masculinity at this time, and feeling exposed and vulnerable at other times. A man experiences himself as "whole man" when thus engulfed.

7. If the male denies these feelings, he is unconaciously rejecting his masculinity. Therapy is thus indicated to help him adjust to his own nature. Of course, therapy is administered by a woman, who has the education and wisdom to facilitate openness leading to the male's growth and selfactualization.

8. To help him feel into his defensive emotionality he is invited to get in touch with the "child in him." He remembers his sister's jeering at his primitive genitals that "flap around foolishly." She can run, climb and ride horseback unencumbered. Obviously, since she is free to move, she is encouraged to develop her body and mind in preparation for her active responsibilities of adult womanhood. The male vulnerability needs female protection, so he is taught the les active, caring virtues of homemaking.

9. Because of his clitoris-envy, he learns to bind up bis genitals, and learns to feel ashamed and unclean because of his nocturnal emissions. Instead he is encouraged to dream of getting married, waiting for the time of his fulfillment-when "his woman" gives bim a girl-child to care for and carry on the family name. He knows that if it is a boy-child he has failed somehow but they can try again.

The author invites readers to send responses to P.O. Box 3382, Beverly Hill, CA 902 12.

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Politics of Rape; the victims' perspective

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Great Women Paper Dolls from Sapho and Golda Mier to

Bessie Smith

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