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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1973)
THE BATTALION Wednesday, February 21, 1973 College Station, Texas Page 3 Texas House Considers Abortion Question AUSTIN <dP) — When puppy love ends in pregnancy, should the legislature share the blame because girls under 21 can’t get contraceptives without parental consent ? Should a physician fear a law suit if he sterilizes a man or woman without the spouse’s con sent? Who should decide whether a woman or girl will receive an abortion ? These three questions tied up the House Human Resources Committee for most of Tuesday, with witnesses on both sides of the emotionally laden issues. The committee heard three bills by Rep. Sarah Weddington, D-Austin, that would: —Give any woman 16 or older the right to decide for herself whether to have an abortion. Younger women would need a parent’s consent, unless they were married. Physicians who perform abortions would be ex empt from criminal or civil pen alties, except for negligence. —Allow minors to be exam ined for pregnancy and receive pre-natal care without parental consent. They also could be ex amined for and receive contra ceptive pills and devices without their parent’s knowledge. —Make physicians immune from lawsuits for sterilizing a man or woman without the con sent of his or her spouse. Virtually all the “pro” testi mony was on the last two bills, while the “anti” testimony con centrated on the abortion bill. Two women social workers who have counseled pregnant teen agers played down promiscuity as a cause of young people’s pregnancies or as a possible re sult of Ms. Weddington’s bills. “Most thought they were in volved in a meaningful relation ship with one person. . . . But it was superficial, and they dis covered it was superficial after they were three months preg nant,” said Barbara Cambridge, NOW Works To Liberate Men WASHINGTON — Betty Fried an, whose book on the "feminine mystique” sparked a liberation movement a decade ago, appealed to feminists Mon day to help men shed what she called stifling sex-role stereo types. Women must begin to help so ciety see men “not as instru ments, not as sex objects, not as breadwinners — but as human beings, our brothers,” Ms. Frie- dan told the National Organiza tion for Women convention. She said when her book was ready for publication 10 years ago she wondered if anybody would even read it. Now, she said, she realizes her trepidations and lack of confi dence were “part of a massive social and political problem. . . . We had the strength to do some thing about it and we have shak en the world.” “Now, with our hands still linked together,” she said, “we must turn around and face the world, that other half of the world which is men. . . . We must extend a hand for them to come toward us. . . . We are strong enough.” Ms. Friedan was a founder of NOW seven years ago. She ad vised the more than 2,000 wom en at the sixth annual conven tion to bring men into some of their work, such as ratification of the equal rights amendment, and also start dialogues “on what it really means to be equal.” In a day-long plenary session, NOW delegates debated propos als from the workshop on mat ters such as sexual choices, pros titution, women’s progress in la bor unions, discrimination against older women, credit discrimina tion and unfair rape laws. Lesbians were voted down in their attempt to win approval for establishing separate “spe cial interest” NOW chapters. director of social services of the University of Texas Southwest ern Medical School in Dallas. Rep. John Whitmire, D-Hous- ton, asked another witness whether allowing teen-age girls to obtain contraceptives from physicians would “increase peer pressure on 13-, 14- and 15-year- old girls” to have intercourse. “Possibly — but most of the girls we see think they are very much in love,” replied Mrs. Rosa lind Gruber of San Antonio, a psychiatric social worker. Dr. Jack A. Pritchard, profes sor of obstetrics at Southwest ern, said it was vital for single women under 21 to be able to get pre-natal examinations and care without parental involve ment. “An unwanted, uncared-for pregnancy may well be consid ered a veneral disease. Certainly the complications for the woman and the potential for complica tions for society imposed on an unwanted uncared-for pregnancy are in many ways more grave than are the complications from spyhilis or gonorrhea,” Pritchard said. Many young women under 21 work and live away from their parents, he said. And often, he added, the problem is not a girl’s fear of talking with her parents about contraception or pregnancy but “lack of initiative by parents to appear at a clinic.” Dr. Paul Trickett, director of the University of Texas at Aus tin’s student health center, said he had documented “just under 700” unwanted pregnancies to single coeds in the year that ended Aug. 31, 1970. At that time, he said, his daughter was a senior in high school, and based on those sta tistics, “I estimated that if she went to the University and spent four years there, her chances of getting pregnant were one in four.” The student health center pre scribes birth control pills for coeds but not for those under 21 without their parents’ approval he said. He added that the birth con trol clinic at UT-Austin was “so crowded that a girl might have to wait a week or 10 days before she can get an appointment.” “We beseech you to look on this as a public health problem and do something so we can treat it in a better light,” he said. Dr. Joseph Witherspoon, a Uni versity of Texas law professor, led the opposition to the abortion bill and attacked the recent U. S. Supreme Court decision that Tex as’ abortion law violated the con stitutional right to privacy. Ms. Weddington represented one of the plaintiffs in the case that resulted in the Supreme Court decision. “My frank judgment as a scholar ... is that it is a tragi cally wrong decision.” Female Health Care To Be Investigated Rubella Vaccination Program as of May i, 1972 PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION VACCINATED IN PUBLIC PROGRAMS 60% BUT LESS THAN 70% 50% BUT LESS THAN 60% March of Dimes volunteers are working with public health officials and medical authorities in many areas to encourage rubella (German measles) inoculation programs. Children aged one to 12, and particularly the preschooler, are main targets for vaccination. Youngsters are LESS THAN 50% Source: Center for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Service. the major source of rubella infection, a threat to every pregnant woman because of the severe, even fatal damage it can cause an unborn child. With large-scale immunization, rubella infection can be sharply reduced. Birth Defects are Forever—Unless you help. Health care for female stu dents in the University Hospital is to be an issue of concern for the Women’s Awareness Work shop. “There is an extremely part- time gynecologist at the hos pital,” said Gillian Parker, co chairwoman for the organization. “There is no family planning ad vice or birth control devices of fered.” In order to see the gynecolo gist one must first see one of the general practitioners on duty, ac cording to Judi Wooten, co-chair- woman. If he feels it necessary he will advise one to see the gynecologist and then one must make an appointment to do so. “In talking with the dean of women about the problem,” said Parker, “I was told A&M girls don’t get pregnant.” Other discussion in the Tues- Non-Stick Pots Aid Cleaning Scraping, scrubbing, soaking and scouring have virtually been eliminated with non-stick finishes on cookware and appliances. “Two types of non-stick fin ishes are available — heavy-duty and regular,” Lillian Cochran, home management specialist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, reported. “The heavy type is more scratch and abrasion resistant. Smooth-edged metal spoons and spatulas may be used—if they’re not dug into the finish. “However, knives, forks and rotary beaters can mar the fin ish,” she cautioned. “With the regular finish, use only rubber, wooden or plastic utensils. “Also, read all labels and in structions furnished with the item to determine its finish and properties. “Before using the item for the first time, wash it in hot sudsy water to remove any dust or man ufacturing oils,” the specialist suggested. “Then condition the cooking surface by lightly rubbing with cooking oil on a paper towel or waxed paper. This insures non stick cooking if repeated from time to time. “Reconditioning is especially important for griddles and skil lets,” Miss Cochran added. After each use, clean the item thoroughly with hot sudsy water. Remove any residue settled into the porous finish with a plastic pad. Otherwise, residue could damage the non-stick properties. “Sometimes discoloration may occur from improper cleaning. As a result of this grease build-up, effectiveness of the finish is re duced.” A commercial cleaner is avail able for removing stains. If di rections are closely followed, it is safe and effective, Miss Coch ran noted. JUNIORS and SOPHOMORES Pictures for the 1973 Aggieland will be taken from 8 a. in. to 5 p. m. February 19-23 W-X-Y-Z 26-March 30 Make-Up UNIVERSITY STUDIO 846-8019 North Gate 115 N. Main day meeting centered around the National Organization for Wom en’s Convention in Houston last weekend. “We left the convention saying all things men said about wom en getting together and running a meeting were true,” said Woot en. “But we really feel as if a lot of things were accomplished.” The convention was mainly to encourage all women to get in volved in politics. Workshops concerned such things as wom en’s credit establishmen and sex ual privacy. It was decided there would be a non-voting male membership at the national level. This issue lost by seven-twentieths of a vote at the convention. In direct con flict with this issue, it was estab lished that there would be voting male members on a local level. The Women’s Awareness Work shop is in the preliminary stages of applying for university accept ance. There is a five dollar mem bership fee. Alpha Lambda Hosts Supper Alpha Lambda will have an in formal get-together on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the Uni versity Lutheran Student Center at 315 N. Main St. Supper will be served to all members and new initiates are invited to attend. A brief busi ness meeting will be conducted following the meal. Alpha Lambda members who need a ride to the meeting are asked to sign-up in Patricia Self’s office, Room 103 of the Academic Building. • y K© c» RsaKo Douglas Jewelry 212 N. 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