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health
Pill Side Effects Hard to SwallowWhen the first generation of birth control pills was approved for sale in 1960, “the pill,” as it came to be known, was heralded as a great liberator. At long last women could reliably control their fertility. After just two years on the market, more than a million women were incorporating the pill into their daily routine. Within five years, the pill had become the most popular form of birth control in North America.
The Ugly Side of the Beauty IndustryTake a look around your bathroom. The average North American woman uses 10 or more personal care products every day. From toothpaste and soap to antiperspirant and moisturizer, personal care products are made from 10,500 chemical ingredients that are as much a part of our daily routine as sitting down to breakfast. And like most things that happen before a mug of morning coffee, it’s easy not to think about them too much. But researchers and women’s health activists are sounding the alarm bell about the makeup of makeup.
How to Save the World in Your Spare TimeElizabeth May is a tireless environmental activist and feminist. As executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada (now EcoJustice), she is in a unique situation to influence public policy. She held a public hunger strike on Parliament Hill to get Ottawa’s attention on the eco-disaster the Sydney tar ponds. A lawyer by trade, May is author of At the Cutting Edge, a Canadian primer on the environmental impact of current forestry practices, and of a lengthy essay called “How to be an Activist” . Herizons caught up with May in Ottawa.
Will Women Save the Earth?Sunlight twinkles on the water as waves cover the rocks, then recede, and then engulf them again. The light breeze is fresh and the day welcoming. Surroundings are resort-like, with beaches, green playgrounds and tiny, ivy-covered houses. "Open?" I inquire. "Yes, the water is considered safe to swim in," explains my born-and-raised-in-Toronto companion. "I wouldn't go in there though." Still, many barefoot and water-winged children laugh and play at one end of the beach. 
Red Tent RevolutionTwenty-two years ago, Madeleine Shaw (photo, left) struggled to find a solution to the uncomfortable bladder infections she experienced brought on by the o.b. tampons she was using.
The Fight For Dignity: Women With DisabilitiesIn 2007, 19-year-old Ashley Smith died in federal custody at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario.
Viva la VulvaThe mirror has long been touted as a feminist symbol of liberation. For some women, it is a means of understanding identity, a path to empowerment, a vehicle for harnessing sexual awareness.
The Caregiving CrunchIn Canada, more than two million informal caregivers, the majority of whom are women, provide care to elders.
Ethical PornographyIt’s April 2011, and in the dark of a very small room about 70 people are watching porn together.
Raising the Roof on Senior Women's HousingAfew years ago, I didn’t give it a thought. Becoming a senior seemed very far away. And if that ever did happen, I have seven children and I always joked with them that I had every intention of making them take care of me in my advanced years. 
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