Dr. Hershel Swinger appointed to Advisory Committee for California Community Foundation

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November 2, 2010

Launched in October 2010 by the California Community Foundation (CCF), the Black Men and Boys (BMB) Initiative is designed to create opportunities that better integrate young black men and boys into the economic and social mainstream and reduce levels of persistent underachievement and dependency on public systems.

The goals of the BMB Initiative are to:

Increase the awareness of issues facing black men and boys in L.A. County.Support strategies that address these issues based on empirical research and community input.Expand private and public investments that produce positive outcomes for this population.Produce a replicable model that can be applied to other similar underserved, vulnerable populations (e.g., Latino men and boys).

The Advisory Committee is composed of prominent individuals representing a diverse range of sectors in the community. As a member of the Advisory Committee Dr. Swinger will provide guidance and input to CCF during the planning phase of the initiative.

For additional information, please contact CCF: Robert Lewis, Program Officer (Human Development) at RLewis@ccf-la.org or 213/413-4130 extension 273

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Post Abortion Trauma in Men Still Overlooked

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by C.T. Coyle, Ph.D.

[More than thirty] years have passed since the legalization of abortion in the United States. In those years, numerous studies have documented the potential negative effects of abortion on women. The effects of abortion on men however have been largely ignored by both the scientific community and American society.

The few published studies concerning men suggest that, like women, men may experience grief (Raphael, 1983), anxiety, guilt, helplessness (Gordon & Kilpatrick, 1977), and anger (Shostak & McLouth, 1984). The unequal power distribution concerning abortion may intensify those emotions (Coleman & Nelson, 1998) and contribute to relationship failure (Milling, 1975; Shostak & McLouth, 1984). The fact that men tend to repress their emotions may also make it more difficult for them to resolve their grief (Rue, 1996).

Even men who support their partners’ abortion decisions may experience ambivalent feelings such as relief along with anxiety, anguish, grief, and guilt (Kero et al. 1999,). About half of the men interviewed by these authors reported that one year after the abortion occurred, they still had frequent (monthly) thoughts about it (Kero & Lalos, 2004).

A recent study by Lauzon et al. (2000) compared men and women involved in first-trimester abortions with a control group of men and women who had not experienced abortion. After the abortion, participants were given a follow-up questionnaire and “three weeks after the abortion, 41.7% of women and 30.9% of the men were still highly distressed,” (p. 2033). The authors concluded that “being involved in a first-trimester abortion can be highly distressing for both women and men,” (p. 2033).

The most comprehensive work pertaining to men and abortion was published by Shostak and McLouth (1984). These authors surveyed 1,000 men in 30 abortion clinics across the United States and followed up with post-abortion interviews involving 75 of those men. The persistence of occasional thoughts about the fetus was evident among the majority of post-abortion men interviewed. Of those men surveyed, 11% stated that they were opposed to their partners’ decision to abort and were described as experiencing a very profound sense of personal loss.

If Shostak and McLouth’s (1984) sample is representative of males in the United States, we may extrapolate in terms of current abortion statistics. Given that approximately 50 million abortions have been performed since its legalization in 1973, there may be as many as 5 million men who have been negatively affected by abortion. This inference may be too conservative since it is based only on the fact that 11% of men were opposed to abortion in the Shostak and McLouth (1984) study and does not account for many other men who may not experience or even be aware of negative effects until quite some time after the abortion. As men are not acknowledged by society as having any role in the abortion decision, they may be confused by the intensity of their emotions following abortion and/or unlikely to seek the help they need.

The effect of legalized abortion on children has been obvious with nearly fifty million children losing their lives before being born. The effects on women are well-documented and many clinicians are now aware of the existence of Post Abortion Syndrome (Speckhard & Rue, 1996) among women. The effects of abortion on men continue to be overlooked although the limited research strongly suggests that abortion may have detrimental effects on men. Abortion may contribute to a host of problems among men such as anger, helplessness, guilt, grief, relationship problems, sexual problems, risk-taking behaviors (e.g. substance abuse), sleep disturbances (e.g. nightmares), anniversary reactions, clinical depression, and confusion about masculinity.

This is unfortunate for both the men involved and for society as a whole as abortion has damaged the very fabric of our society. As children, mothers, and fathers are devalued, so too is the family, the foundational structure of a civilized society. It does not seem too far-reaching to suggest that abortion has sickened all of our culture. The symptoms seem obvious as men and women struggle with unresolved grief, families break down, and even living children wonder at the precariousness of their existence.

Catherine Coyle, author of Men and Abortion: A Path to Healing, earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin. She is a registered nurse and holds a master's degree in psychiatric nursing. Dr. Coyle is an associate of the International Forgiveness Institute and continues to pursue research in the areas of both forgiveness and post-abortive trauma among men. Her current research and information web site is The Alliance for Post-Abortion Research and Training.

Coleman, P.K. & Nelson, E.S. (1998). The quality of abortion decisions and college students’ reports of post-abortion emotional sequelae and abortion attitudes. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 17 (4), 425-442.

Gordon, R.A. & Kilpatrick, C. (1977). A program of group counseling for men who accompany women seeking legal abortions. Community Mental Health Journal, 13, 291-295.

Kero, A., Lalos, A., Hogberg, U. & Jacobsson, L. (1999). The male partner involved in legal abortion. Human Reproduction, 14 (10), 2669-2675.

Kero, A. & Lalos, A. (2000). Ambivalence – a logical response to legal abortion: A prospective study among women and men. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 21, 81-91.

Kero, A. & Lalos, A. (2004). Reactions and reflections in men, 4 and 12 months post-abortion. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 25, 135-143.

Lauzon, P., Roger-Achim, D., Achim, A. & Boyer, R. (2000). Emotional distress among couples involved in first-trimester induced abortions. Canadian Family Physician,46, 2033-2040.

Milling, E. (1975, April). The men who wait. Woman’s Life, 48-89, 69-71.

Raphael, B. (1983). The anatomy of bereavement. New York: Basic Books.

Rue, V.M. (1996). His abortion experience. Ethics and Medics, 21, 3-4.

Shostak, A. & McLouth, G. (1984). Men and abortion: Lessons, losses, and love. New York: Praeger.

Speckhard, A. C. & Rue, V.M. (1992). Postabortion syndrome: An emerging public health concern. Journal of Social Issues, 48, (3) 95-119.

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Homebirth Dads: 10 Questions with Lome Aseron

It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a new post in the Homebirth Dads series, so I’m jazzed to share this latest one with you:

1. Why did you choose homebirth?

My wife Janine has a terrible fear of hospitals. She gets woozy if you just say the word “needle.” When we went on a tour of the birthing ward covered by insurance, she practically fainted. It was clear that she wouldn’t be comfortable giving birth in a hospital.

2. Whose idea was it, yours or hers? If hers, what convinced you to agree? If yours, what gave you the idea?

It was actually our Ob-Gyn’s idea. At one of our check-ups, Janine started to tear up when she heard that pre-delivery triage included inserting an IV in her hand. Interestingly enough, our Ob-Gyn refused to see us after we decided to have a homebirth. She deserves a lot of credit for transcending her own self-interest to recommend what she thought was best for Janine.

Given Janine’s reaction to hospitals, I didn’t take much convincing. And since she was going to do most of the heavy lifting, I didn’t see any reason to oppose her desire for a homebirth.

3. What homebirth books or resources did you find to be the most helpful?

During Janine’s second trimester, I read an article in Mothering by a mom who’d had a 45-minute labor using HypnoBirthing. We got the book and CD, which we fell asleep to every night for three months. Janine loved Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth.

4. Before the birth, what fears or issues did you have surrounding homebirth (or birth in general)? How did those change for you after experiencing the birth?

I wanted to make sure we had a viable back-up plan in case things didn’t go smoothly at home. One of the many reasons why we chose our particular midwife was because of her ability to articulate how she would handle a hospital transfer. Witnessing Janine’s relief about having a homebirth and experiencing the level of care she received from the midwives eliminated a lot of concerns I’d had.

5. What do you wish someone had told you before your first homebirth? What advice would you give to a first time homebirth dad?

My first son came so quickly that neither the midwife nor doula made it in time, so I delivered him myself. It was an incredibly wonderful and harrowing experience. I would advise a first time homebirth dad to accept that birth is a journey driven more by the baby’s intent and will than anything you or your partner has done. The great thing about homebirths is that there is very little third-party intrusion, so you get to participate in the magic of birth in a very personal and intense way.

6. Which part of the birth did you find to be the most difficult or challenging for you?

For my first son, being the one delivering the baby out of necessity. For my second son, worrying that I would be the one delivering the baby out of necessity.

7. Did you have support during the birth from your guy friends? If so, what was the most supportive? If not, what would have helped you the most?

I only told a select few of my friends, male and female, that we were having a homebirth. I stand by that decision. Ultimately, you want an experience that’s as unaffected by other people as possible. So I would definitely recommend keeping it to yourself to the extent you’re comfortable doing so.

8. How was your interaction with the midwife during the birth? What could have made that better?

The best part of having a homebirth, other than having a baby, is working with a midwife. I can’t speak for all midwives, but ours were incredible. I’ve never seen care like that before. They were so attentive to Janine’s needs and fears, so committed to childbirth as an organic, natural process. For me, every visit was like stepping into a womb of loving expectancy where I was gestating as a father. Because we had an Ob-Gyn for the first two trimesters, we experienced both approaches. People who’ve never had a homebirth wouldn’t believe the difference in care a midwife provides. If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend East Bay Homebirth Midwifery (www.eastbayhomebirth.com or 510-655-2229). Beah, Michelle, Nichole, and Ellah are absolutely fantastic.

With respect to what I would change, it’d be easy to say it would have been better if our midwife had been present, but the birth was absolutely perfect the way it was. The fact that Janine’s labor was so short (less than 4 hours for a first birth), is a testament to how comfortable and empowered she felt.

9. How has the relationship with your partner changed after having a homebirth together?

The bond of having a child together is heightened with a homebirth, because the experience is so unfiltered. We probably trust each other’s decisions in a way that we might not have if we’d had a hospital birth, because we were able to go by our own clock rather than having to follow someone else’s idea of how a birth should go.

10. Would you have another homebirth? Why or why not?

If we have more kids, we’re going to adopt. Homebirths are incredible, but I recommend that birth take place wherever the mother feels most comfortable. For us, that was home. Homebirth is a safe, viable alternative to a hospital birth. I suggest that expecting couples talk about their ideal birth. Just having the conversation about where to birth is valuable.

[Lome A. Aseron is the father of two amazing sons, Joaquin and Mico, and a husband to a magnificent wife, Janine. He tries to capture (hopefully with some success) the beauty and joy of fatherhood at NewDadforLife.com and LIFEclectic.com.]

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Top Five Flexible Careers

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We talk a lot on the Fatherhood site about work-life balance and trying to find a career that allows fathers time to stay connected at home.? Business News Daily recently published an article highlighting the five most flexible careers for men and women seeking better work-life balance.?? Here is the list of the most flexible industries:

Medical and health Education and training Web and software developmentSales Administrative

In addition, the five most sought-after flexible careers from a time commitment perspective are:

Data entryWritingAdministrative EditingCustomer Service

Whether or not you are able to land a job in one of these flexible fields or industries, you still have to try to find ways to better balance the many demands of work, family, community and personal life.? Making a commitment to better work-life balance is a blessing for you and for your family.

Work-Life Balance Resources:

Image courtesy of Getty Images

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Take Time to Be a Dad | fatherhood.gov

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Why I do not want to talk the environment

Each time another man asks me, "so what you?" which plays conversation is in the same way.

I tell him I'm a writer, and he asks: "Oh, what you have written?" "Who is your Publisher?" If I say, "I mean own." I am a blogger "to change the look on his face from Wow, you can immediately in meh, (it is like I said," I am a Athlete…on of the company softball team. ")." And then comes the inevitable question, "what you have to write?" "I usually cover water, food, social justice, environment, activism, you know, the most pressing issues on the planet".

Large still continue.

And then I hear, "So, Bob, how about the game last night?" followed by a lively discussion about the best line of defense in the League, has, in which I smile weak and excuse me reason and walking out with some lame.

Sometimes I lead who wants into a guy toe to toe on specific environmental problems, and then I usually get to hear this dude some bullshit vomiting, they remembered the talking head tell recap on the news last night (before the game starts). Again, it's almost always the same.

It is strange. If "male" subjects such as sports, cars, or business, or what are discussing whatever I see usually a larger differences passionately. But with the environment, you are either "green", or you're not. They are either to save the whales, or are on the rights of the fishermen. You are now on cheap energy, or are you about investment in clean energy for the future.

If a man go toe to toe on an environmental issue, sometimes I want the challenge and offer my refutation, their - points to we, on the basis of facts and figures, science and data, taking into account the long-term impact of the problem.

And again, it is a large silent pause.

Now compare this scenario with a fictitious meeting me to talk smack to, that same random group of men of sport: "I can not believe, you guys spend so time observe much other men homoerotic mock battles, grunting and sweating and patted each other on their tights clad, beat ass over engineered."

Probably, you can almost see through followed by a heated debate as I simply don't get the steam from the ears, and perhaps even a summary of the studies about the positive aspects of sport or a pithy quote from a popular athlete or coach as is noble everything.

There is no lack of courage to defend it - or his favorite team or favorite player - and there is no shortage of facts and figures.

This is when I scratch my head. Why is a professional athlete record, or a team not poisoning which we drink air we breathe and the water and the food we eat statistics or the results of their next game, more important than talking about?

I know men who are environmental activists and fundraisers, journalists and biologists, green entrepreneurs and socially-conscious philanthropists. I know men, whose appearance on the contrary is outer - Cowboys and those embrace tree, to great lengths to preserve that and preserve our natural resources in their own way. And I know also unscrupulous business people, the all over "going green", as long as it saves them money.

But these guys environmentalists are for the most part, to much anxiety, as a capital E to fiery speeches, to convince their friends and colleagues, of which, how important are these questions is branded.

I see not many men ready to say "it's words, Vampire son" when it comes to the protection of our environment.

That leaves me questions why I ever do. It is all so much work, that talk about real-world issues and measures against them, try to educate themselves about the people, and to the questions that they think critically.

Maybe I should switch pages only.

F * ck environment, when will the game start?

[Note: this post was written as a tongue-in-cheek piece, and who I am sport or talks about them may attack.] I just wonder why we can get the same attention on the environment. [It was previously released on the good men project, and it has some quite passionate comments it.]

: Image agency motorways at Flickr

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European children and their online experience

A group in the United Kingdom EU kids recently called kids online activities and the risks that they take when online. ? the survey detected a very comprehensive overview of all children in Europe, the Internet, with the following statistics have been identified.

Sexual images on sites seen have in last 12 months - Norway highest at 34%, Denmark lowest 4% sent were highest at 14%, Italy and Portugal tied for lowest 2% angry or hurtful messages over the Internet in the past 12 months - Estonia) have seen or sexual messages over the Internet in the past received 12 months - Romania highest in 22 %Italien lowest 4% contact on the Internet have before ever not met face to face with someone - Estonia and Sweden for highest at 54%, bound Cypress lowest 14% ever gone to meet someone face to face, over the Internet met - Estonia is highest at lowest at 25%, Turkey 3% have encounter one or more types of potentially harmful user generated content in past 12 months - Czech Republic highest lowest at 43 %Frankreich 14% experienced one or more types of misuse of personal data in the past 12 months - Estonia highest 18%, Finland lowest 5%

Is a clear message to the fathers, we know our children's online activities and they know how safe online. ? to be to know how much you about your children's online activities this week?

More about family Internet safety:

Image courtesy of Digital Vision/Getty Images.

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With Awful Advice on Where to Look, A Good Man Is Hard To Find (As Is A Good Woman)

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Immer in eine tägliche Routine für Aufenthalt in Home Väter

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Getting Into a Daily Routine For Stay at Home Dads

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Best of Snoop Dogg's Father Hood

BEST OF SNOOP DOGG'S FATHER HOOD V 1 - DVD Movie
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Golden Slumbers: A Fathers Love

Golden Slumbers - A Father's Love is a heartfelt collection of songs celebrating the bond between father and child.
The album features contributions from such Grammy Award winning and critically acclaimed artists such as Dave Matthews, Phil Collins, Michael McDonald, Smokey Robinson, Jon Secada, Carlos Ponce, Richard Marx, Buddy Jewell, Will Downing, Solomon Burke, Loudon Wainwright III and Kirk Whalum, with a special appearances by James Earl Jones (all dads).
Each artist contributed a song that they felt best expressed their own unique perspective on fatherhood. The result is a diverse mix of music that everyone can relate to.
In addition to providing a touching insight to the relationships between these artists and their children, a portion of proceeds from "Golden Slumbers: A Father's Love" will benefit the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), the nation's leading fatherhood organization, whose mission is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion who grow up with involved, responsible and committed fathers. The CD will also be released in conjunction with the NFI's annual Golden Dad's Project. The campaign, sponsored every Father's Day, is an event where celebrity dads reach out into the community and catch other dads doing something special with their children - from going to the zoo, taking a walk or going to the movies. This year the NFI plans to honor 2000 dads.
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Black & White Platinum Pack

'Black and White' and 'Black and White: Creature Isle' bundle.Black & White:In Black & White you can be the god you want to be. Will you rule with a fair hand making life better for your people? Or will you be evil and scare them into prayer and submission? No one can tell you which way to be. You as a god can play the game any way you choose. Find out who you really are. Black & White: Creature IsleBring your Black & White Creature to a completely new land where he'll face Trials foes and tests like never before. If he's got it in him and if you're good enough as well he'll make it into the fabled coveted Brotherhood. From that moment on he'll be different. He'll have more power. He'll be an elite and whether you keep playing with him on the Creature Isle or take him on-line everyone will know what he has become. System Requirements:Minimum: Mac OS 8.6 / Mac OS 10.1.3 PowerPC G3 333 MHz 128 MB RAM (with virtual memory set to at least 256 MB) Hardware accelerated 3D Graphics Card with 8 MB VRAM 500 MB free hard disk space Mouse and Keyboard Recommended: Mac OS 9.2.2 / Mac OS 10.2 or later PowerPC G3 500 MHz 256 MB RAM Hardware accelerated 3D Graphics Card with 32 MB VRAM 1 GB free hard disk spaceFormat: MAC 8.6-9.X (CLASSIC)X10.1 Genre: ENTERTAINMENT Rating: T - Teen UPC: 644247002436 Manufacturer No: 243
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Baby Smarts Game

Overwhelmed by all those baby books? Pick a BabySmarts card and discover the fun way to learn more. Find out: What is colic? How many pounds do most women lose after giving birth? Are you more likely to snore when pregnant? Play at a baby shower, with friends or your partner. BabySmarts is edited by pediatrician and mother of four, Dr. Heidi Sallee, with the input of dozens of mothers, dads, and moms-to-be. Comes in a box with 60 cards.
Price: $12.99

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The Hand That Holds The Bread

Golden Slumbers - A Father's Love is a heartfelt collection of songs celebrating the bond between father and child.

The album features contributions from such Grammy Award winning and critically acclaimed artists such as Dave Matthews, Phil Collins, Michael McDonald, Smokey Robinson, Jon Secada, Carlos Ponce, Richard Marx, Buddy Jewell, Will Downing, Solomon Burke, Loudon Wainwright III and Kirk Whalum, with a special appearances by James Earl Jones (all dads).

Each artist contributed a song that they felt best expressed their own unique perspective on fatherhood. The result is a diverse mix of music that everyone can relate to.

In addition to providing a touching insight to the relationships between these artists and their children, a portion of proceeds from "Golden Slumbers: A Father's Love" will benefit the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), the nation's leading fatherhood organization, whose mission is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion who grow up with involved, responsible and committed fathers. The CD will also be released in conjunction with the NFI's annual Golden Dad's Project. The campaign, sponsored every Father's Day, is an event where celebrity dads reach out into the community and catch other dads doing something special with their children - from going to the zoo, taking a walk or going to the movies. This year the NFI plans to honor 2000 dads.

Price: $17.99

Click here to buy from Amazon