Sundance Channel

World’s largest sperm bank says redheads need not apply

Em and Lo — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:00:06 +0000

It's bad enough that redheaded guys grew up with playground (or frat house) taunts about their ginger pubes - now they're being told that their sperm isn't welcome either. Cryos, the world's largest sperm bank, says that they now get so many donations that they can be picky, and, frankly, there just isn't enough demand for redheads' sperm (this news was reported in the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph - if you think being a redhead in the U.S. is tough work, try being a "ginga" over there).

Let’s Talk About Sex (a documentary)

Em and Lo — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:00:49 +0000

Its title may be tired, but the documentary LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX is as relevant and necessary as ever: LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX takes a revealing look at how American attitudes towards adolescent sexuality affect today’s teenagers. We live in a society that uses sex to sell everything from lipstick to laptops. Yet fear and silence [...]

Something to do this Saturday: repro rights rally in NYC!

Em and Lo — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:50 +0000

The Daily Show - Mother F#@kers
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Republicans talk a big game about focusing on getting people more jobs, but as far as actions go, this new Congress seems more intent on limiting people's freedom, especially women's. The right wing is going after reproductive rights in general and Planned Parenthood specifically -- women's health care is at greater risk now than it has been years: on February 18, 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar Planned Parenthood health centers from all federal funding for birth control, cancer screenings, HIV testing, and other lifesaving care! Just check out this funny but horrifying Daily Show summary.

Should anonymous sperm donation be banned?

Em and Lo — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:00:07 +0000

Is anyone not thinking about sperm donation right now, given the ubiquitous billboards for the movie THE SWITCH featuring Jason Bateman sniffing a cup of jizz? Anonymous sperm donation is now banned in Britain and several other European countries, and some people are pushing for the same to happen here in the U.S. Proponents of the ban point to a recent study by the Commission on Parenthood's Future, titled "My Daddy's Name is Donor," which surveyed 485 sperm donor offspring (all now adults) and found that they were more prone to depression and other emotional troubles compared to other young adults in control groups. The authors of the study recommended an end to anonymous sperm donation.

The new abortion providers

Em and Lo — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:00:28 +0000

Dr. Emily Godfrey is our new hero: she had the courage to be featured on the cover of the NYTimes Sunday Magazine last weekend as a doctor willing to provide abortions, not in an abortion clinic but at her practice where she sees all sorts of patients. In case you missed it last weekend, the article titled "The New Abortion Providers" took a fascinating look at the movement to bring this safe, common and legal medical procedure back into hospitals where it's less vulnerable to attack by anti-choice zealots:

New study says fetuses don’t feel pain before 24 weeks

Em and Lo — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:00:17 +0000

A report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which was commissioned by the UK's Department of Health, has found that fetuses don't feel pain before 24 weeks (and probably not after for some time) for two reasons: 1) the brain is not formed enough to perceive pain, and 2) the fetus is unconscious.

What kind of birth control should you use?

Em and Lo — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:00:40 +0000

The good news is there are a lot of birth control options available to women. The bad news is you have to figure out which one is right for you -- how to choose?! Planned Parenthood has a pretty cool new widget that can help take a little bit of the guesswork out of it.

What you need to know about the Stupak Amendment

Em and Lo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:00:56 +0000

photo by cliff1066™ There’s been a lot of self-congratulatory back-patting around the House’s passing of the Health Reform Bill this past Saturday — but it’s come at a huge price. The Democratic Congress pretty much abandoned women’s reproductive rights by including the last-minute Stupak-Pitts Amendment to appease some religio-conservative members of Congress, including several male [...]

“Daily sperm liberation” may increase fertility

Em and Lo — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:41 +0000

The big sexual health news this week was that a guy can increase the quality of his sperm by having sex every day for a week, and thus improve his fertility; he might have fewer sperm on his team when he goes for the gold, but the ones he does have will be stronger players. (In contrast, many fertility experts recommend that guys abstain for a few days before her ovulation to increase sperm count.) Reading about this study brought two questions to mind:

Books: American Parent

Em and Lo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:00:28 +0000

Sam Apple just came out with his second memoir (after Schlepping Through the Alps) called American Parent. From it, we learned that The Lamaze Method was created by Stalinists and based on false science that was forced upon the Soviet scientific community because the government couldn't afford pain relief drugs for women in labor. He swears that's true! Anyway, here's a sweet (and sick, if you think about it for too long) excerpt about how his love for his newborn was like a romantic crush...

Dr. George Tiller in doc “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”

Em and Lo — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:00:29 +0000

Salon.com has an extended scene from forthcoming documentary "What's the Matter With Kansas?", based on Thomas Frank's bestselling book of the same title about the Right Wing's rise in the once-liberal state. It features Dr. George Tiller, the Wichita-based abortion provider who was gunned down last Sunday while attending church. The clip touches on the years of threats and abuse Tiller experienced -- law suits, arson, death threats, failed assassination attempts -- for his commitment to providing women with safe and legal reproductive care. When Tiller speaks, he seems exhausted yet resigned to defending women's rights against these radicals. It's tragic. After the jump, a round-up of interesting articles and info on Dr. Tiller and reproductive rights in the wake of his murder...

Knocked-up and nerdy?

Em and Lo — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:00:37 +0000

Then this is the shirt for you! Thinkgeek is pushing this $23 T with the following promotional copy that's so geeky even we're not sure what most of it means: