Prologue: I’ve updated the Think Again Thursdays Update with my comments on Rachel Bereit’s letter to NFPers.
The organization that got its name from family planning has at least one franchise exec who’s actually aware of planning *and* families. Laura Wershler is evidently progressive and gutsy enough not only to promote NFP as a real family planning option, but to lament its constant sidelining by prejudicial, unprogressive and unscientific foes,
The continued popularity of the pill doesn’t indicate it is the best form of birth control for women, said Laura Wershler, executive director of Sexual Health Access Alberta in Calgary. Instead, she said, it indicates women don’t know enough about their options.
“What I see in our communities is an absolute failure to move beyond the idea that hormonal birth control is the be-all and end-all,” Wershler said. “What’s happening is we’re not developing support programs and advocacy for women looking for non-hormonal methods.”
Natural family-planning methods, or fertility-awareness methods, whereby a woman determines the fertile and non-fertile times of her monthly cycle, aren’t often taken seriously by physicians, she added.
“There’s this lack of knowledge and understanding within my own field,” Wershler said. “Women are going to sexual health clinics and being laughed off by the doctors and clinics for looking for alternatives.”
Alison Cross, of Canwest, a sort of Canadian Associated Press, wrote this fantastic article, “Women Look Behind the Pill,” which told the wider world what NFPers have known all along: the Pill, the Patch & Shot are not panaceas, and even can do a lot of harm. Women and families want something else, something better.
I was excited to see a FAM advocate I’d previously featured in a post, but couldn’t believe it when Wershler, whom I later found out is the Exec Director of what is apparently a Planned Parenthood franchise, said so many sane, sensible, scientific and frankly pro-woman things about NFP/FAM She wasn’t exactly signing off on Humanae Vitae, but that fact that she was so intelligent, well spoken and that she frankly advocated NFP/ FAM and chastised medical professionals, rocked one big Boo-ya for NFP/ FAM advocates.
I wonder if Rachel Bereit would be interested in applying to Wershler’s clinic? Better yet, what would Weshler’s response be?
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This is great news! I’m so happy to see this! Now if only she could start convincing the rest of her colleagues of the value of NFP, and then maybe they’d start to see the value of life…
Wow! This is great! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I was afraid people would think I was promoting Planned Parenthood. I’m glad you understand this is actually a good thing, a tiny foot in the door to hope.
I think this is very hopeful!
Thanks for sharing!
Kim
We know your beliefs and standpoints….of course we don’t think you are supporting Planned Parenthood! (And if anyone does…well, they haven’t read much of your blog!) We are just glad to see a glimmer of hope!!!
I think it is great to see someone in her position advocating NFP!
I think it just highlights the absurdity of about 99% of people who claim to be “pro-choice”. We’re saluting this woman as though she’s done something remarkable because she’s said that people who are “pro-choice” should support all choices. If “pro-choice” people were actually pro-choice, and not just “pro-the-pill”, “pro-abortion”, then her words would be unremarkable, because all choices would actually be honored, not just the ones that generate income for PP.
That said, as a woman in her job, working with the people she works with, she is brave to suggest that all choices actually be supported.
I hate to be cynical, but I see this differently. I believe this is a cunning attempt to be “open” and “understanding” and frankly to elicit responses such as what appears here (“great news,” “promising,” “hopeful”). If she is directly connected with Planned Parenthood, I don’t think it changes what the organization stands for, what it promotes, and what it (or she) will propose women do at the end of the day. Even if her comments are sincere and not a premeditated attempt to deceive, in the big scheme of things it won’t change the organization’s position one iota, and I would not let me guard down for a nano-second!
Sorry to be the gloomy gus on this one
(BTW, your blog is great!)
There’s nothing wrong with having a critical approach to an organization one differs with so deeply, Andy. Guess what? I wouldn’t let my guard down one bit, either. However, I’ve seen so many couples have conversions through NFP that I do think that as dark as the world is, this is a tiny, tiny ray of light, especially if they refer people to NFP rather than FAM. Glad you like my blog; it’s a regular CCL party here since most readers are CCL. You’re welcome back any time.