The CONDOM FAIRY IS HERE!!!

A key part of reproductive justice is prevention! Specifically, condoms reduce unintended pregnancies and the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infection. As part of the Great American Condom Campaign, B*llikens for Choice is having a condom giveaway just for SLU students! That's right--we're giving away free condoms! How can you get your hands on the goods?

• Email prochoiceslu@gmail.com with your MSC/SLU mailbox number (no name necessary) and we will deliver a pack of 3 lubricated Trojans in a discreet package in 2 days or less at no cost to you!
• Leave a comment on our facebook wall about why you are pro-choice and get a pack of 5 condoms!

Most universities provide free condoms year-round to their students in recognition of the important role they play in preventing STDs and unplanned pregnancies. Like many other Catholic schools, SLU has chosen not to make the sexual health of their students a priority. It's no surprise then that women at Catholic universities are more likely to have abortions than women at public colleges. Questions about the condom campaign? Leave a comment or email us for more information!

What does it mean to be Catholic and Pro-Choice?

Many people of faith struggle to reconcile their church's teachings with their own personal convictions about reproductive health. When it comes to the Vatican’s teachings on a woman's right to choose, Catholics around the world stand well apart from the hierarchy. You are not alone!

• -Barely a fifth (22%) of Catholics in the U.S. agree with the bishops that abortion should be completely illegal
• -Catholic women in the U.S. have abortions at the same rate as women in the population as a whole.
• -Majorities of Catholics in Bolivia (66%), Colombia (54%) and Mexico (69%) feel abortion should be  permitted under some or all circumstances. 
• -In Italy, which is 97% Catholic, 74% favor the use of RU-486

So what do these numbers mean? Below is are excerpts from a statement by Catholics for Choice on what it means to be Pro-Choice and Catholic--and why it is important (read full statement here).

"We strive to be an expression of Catholicism as it is lived by ordinary people. We are part of the great majority of the faithful in the Catholic church who disagree with the dictates of the Vatican on matters related to sexuality, contraception and abortion.

In all parts of the world, women, men and their families suffer and some die because they lack the resources to plan their families and the comprehensive information and education to keep themselves safe and healthy. The Catholic hierarchy’s role in influencing public policy affects everyone—Catholic and non-Catholic—by limiting the availability of reproductive health services worldwide. The Catholic hierarchy’s lobbying against contraception and abortion has disastrous effects on women’s lives both in the United States and abroad and especially on the lives of poor women.

We believe in a world where every woman and man has access to quality and choice in contraception. Wherever possible, we believe in working to reduce the incidence of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy and that society and individuals should strive to give women and men real choices."

"Even in a predominantly Catholic country, laws governing access to abortion need not adhere to the official Catholic position. The Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom reinforced the call for Catholics to respect the positions of people of other faiths. This is particularly significant given that the Catholic church’s positions on health policies, including abortion, is more conservative than that of other major faith groups."

"We affirm that the moral capacity and the human right to make choices about whether and when to become pregnant or to end a pregnancy are supported by church teachings. We believe that people should be empowered and given support to exercise their rights and responsibilities. We believe that women have a right to choose."

There are many resources out there for pro-choice people of faith.  Remember--being pro-choice does not necessarily mean agreeing with abortion in and of itself, but rather giving women the legal option to choose what is right for themselves and to control their own reproduction.

• Catholics for Choice
• Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom
• Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
  
• Disciples for Choice
• Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options