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Robert Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis

Last May, the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Catholic Charities went up against the United States government with a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a health care contraception mandate -- and this week, a federal judge decided to dismiss the case. But the battle is not over.

So say officials with the Archdiocese of St. Louis, who are arguing that the decision in no way constitutes a judgement on the merits of the case; they also argue that the ruling demonstrates that the federal government was ill-conceived in forcing regulations before they were final.

So why, then, did U.S. District Judge John Ross shut the case down?

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Only YOU can prevent unplanned pregnancy and abortion -- but it's always good to have some help. And someone to pay for it.

Here's some absolutely shocking news for all you abstinence supporters and abortion fighters out there: Women who use birth control have fewer unplanned pregnancies and fewer abortions than women who don't. Common sense might have told you that, but now it's been scientifically proven by researchers at Washington University!

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Jennifer Silverberg

Ashley Tate (far right) will be one of the performers tonight at Sticks & Stones, a benefit for MOLLI's List.

Since the bust of Rush Limbaugh went up in the state capitol, Todd Akin offered up his theories of "legitimate rape" and the legislature overrode Governor Nixon's veto of the bill that would allow employers to deny insurance coverage of birth control, Missouri has become a laughingstock among progressives and supporters of women's and reproductive rights.

Well, here's your chance for redemption. Just show up for tonight's performance of Sticks & Stones: Sluts Talk Back at the Centene Center for Arts & Education in Grand Center, hand over your $25 for a pair of tickets and know that you have just given $25 to MOLLI's List, a PAC dedicated to electing progressive, pro-choice Democratic women to state office.

Alert readers may recall that Sticks & Stones originally premiered back in the spring at Left Bank Books, but producer/director/performer Joan Lipkin has added material to reflect new political developments (AHEM Akin). There will be dancing, music, sketch comedy and "slut monologues."

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This reporter's got hers!

Should have seen this coming -- after Rep. Todd Akin's incredibly stupid comments about "legitimate rape" someone has started producing "illegitimate rape" whistles.

But the product has a major design flaw. As the producers say in their own promotional literature, there is no such thing as "illegitimate rape." So what are these things for?

"'Illegitimate rape' is a fictitious and totally offensive concept, so here are a few suggestions for how you can put your whistle to good use," the owner's manual reads. "1) Officiate a track and field event. 2) Volunteer as a crossing guard at your local school."

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Todd Akin is having a rough day. It doesn't help that his staff made a dumb typo on his donations page, as the entire world accuses him of being a legitimate idiot for his now infamous disregard of basic book learnin'. More »

Trust me ladies, I'm a politician.

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National GOP, Crossroads Abort Akin: Pregnancy Comment Causes Pullout

Today in Crazy Shit Todd Akin Says... Some real crazy shit.

Over the weekend, the Republican who hopes to unseat Senator Claire McCaskill told Fox News 2's Charles Jaco that exceptions for abortion aren't a real issue, since pregnancy from "legitimate rape" doesn't really happen.

First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But lets assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought be in the rapist, not attacking the child.

Obviously this is news to a lot of women and doctors...

McCaskill responded to her opponent, a longtime lover of life and hater of uterii, via Twitter:

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The IUD: Tiny, but powerful.

If you don't want to get knocked up unexpectedly, your best bet, according to a new study out of Washington University Medical School, is a long-term method of contraception, namely an IUD or an implant. Either one of these methods is twenty times more effective than shorter-term methods like the Pill, the Patch or the NuvaRing.

Consider that of the approximately 3 million pregnancies that happen in the U.S. every year, half of them are unintended, and half of those come from birth control failure. That amounts to 750,000 accidental pregnancies every year from misused birth control.

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Dancing birth control pack? Check.

​By now, surely you've heard that the Department of Health and Human Services has determined that birth control is basic preventive health care and is required to be provided without a co-pay by health insurers. (You've probably also heard about the moronic comparison Sandy Rios of Family PAC made, wondering if we'll be required to cover pedicures next.)

It's a huge victory for women's health, family planning and both sides of the abortion debate -- everyone wants to see fewer of them, and contraception is an excellent way to prevent unplanned pregnancies and, thus, abortion.

And Planned Parenthood is stoked. Check out this slightly absurd video featuring ebullient Bollywood-style carousing from dancers and...a pack of birth control pills. What does it mean? Who knows, exactly. But, like this HHS decision, it is awesome.

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​The best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions, a study finds, is to implant birth control into women's bodies.

The Contraceptive Choice Project, which aims to enroll 10,000 women and girls in St. Louis city and county, is a project of Washington University. Participants -- more than 8,500 so far -- get free birth control and STD testing and treatment for two years.

And a piece in the Post-Dispatch reports that one of the Wash. U. researchers, Dr. Jeffrey Peipert, said in the New England Journal of Medicine that they've found intrauterine devices (IUDs) and under-the-skin implants are the most effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies.

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​In the wake of the devastating tornado that hit Joplin Monday, food and supply drives are underway across the state to help victims get their lives back together. Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri is on the case as well.

The agency is opening its center in Joplin to all comers, no appointment necessary and no fees for care. If you lost birth control or other medical supplies in the storm or need to check in with a medical professional, they want to see you. The center is at 710 Illinois Avenue, directly west of the Joplin Plaza.

In order to provide this free care, though, Planned Parenthood needs help from those of us outside the storm area. You can donate to this effort and every dollar collected will go directly to assisting people affected by the storm. Visit their web site and donate to the emergency fund.

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