“SERVICES … PECULIAR TO WOMEN”
Gynecological care, birth control, and abortion. These formerly taboo topics came to the public eye during the 1960s, and AWS actively advocated for discussion and education about these issues at Susquehanna. So when faced with the fact that women did not have access to gynecological care at the campus Health Center, it’s no surprise that AWS quickly took action. AWS issued a campus memorandum proposing that the Health Center establish a referral service allowing female students to see a gynecologist when they requested one. This ultimately successful negotiation with university administrators gave students access to these much-needed health services.
Okay—so AWS is disappointing to the editor of the Crusader. Well, the editorial of March 22 is DISGUSTING to AWS.
Marilyn Roemer and Andrea Lavix were LIVID. The two AWS executive board members defended AWS in this 1973 letter responding to a Crusader editorial that had criticized AWS’ attempt to distribute informational pamphlets about birth control and abortion in female students’ mailboxes. Although several female students didn’t receive all of the materials and some immature students had scattered pamphlets “all over the Campus Center,” multiple women had later called with questions about the pamphlets’ topics. Ultimately, AWS’ goal of educating women about these topics was having the desired effect.