16 Comments

I have recently downloaded the Substack app, so I used to get notifications via email. I just realized you’re also awake late at night and that gave me a chuckle 🤭 it’s really nice to end of the night reading newsletters like yours. It definitely helps a bad day.

I am so happy a voice like yours that people would consider more authoritative than mine is speaking out. I find that every time I mention to my friends that I’m worried about our rights, they are always dismissive. They say because we are in Canada, there’s no way it could happen. I recently moved to Calgary, from Winnipeg- right when we elected in the NDP party. I was definitely upset because I was excited to see change and I’ve only heard good things since. Within a few months of moving, I saw my first anti-abortion protest at a prominent mall, Chinook. I was so disheartened. It was a group of women of all ages, as young as children. So thank you for speaking out. I really appreciate it. I’m definitely anxious about our future.

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People who say there is no cause for concern are not paying attention to the signs, or they are hopeful that Canada will go backward on abortion. I believe we have time to make a difference, and I will be posting more!

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This is similar to the attitude a d options of folks I warned in 2016 after Trump’s first victory. So many thought Roe was solid. We live in an age of sound bites and headlines, missing the meaning behind so much. Right after the election, NBC News exit polls showed that women under 44 comprised only 19% of the vote. Yet, they comprise closer to 60% of women. I haven’t seen the full election demographic data. When it is realized I hope this number is not true. If it is then those with the most to lose were the least to show up. I have been following you on twitter since before 2016, have seen you in person, have all your books and appreciate all you do and are continuing to do. We are spitting in the wind

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There are no amount of words that can express my gratitude. I am sh*t scared. It really is WTF is happening. For the first time ever, I didn’t want to keep up with the news. I really needed to hear that- I am so glad you have hope, so thank you so much. It’s one thing to ban abortion (it’s beyond horrific) and a whole other thing to have really bad legislation about it. Reading the various posts/ articles regarding all the different issues with this backwards change has scared me. Especially the ones about the ectopic pregnancies and the medically illiterate abortion legislation in Alabama and Georgia. It’s already scary enough to think about not having a choice and even scarier to know any life saving medical procedure is at risk too. It’s so much more than abortion and people don’t realize.

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My friends are all aware of the danger of Polievre as top conservative but seem oddly resigned as so often Canada blindly succumbs to whatever has happened in the U.S. Post election, Brian Tyler Cohen on his podcast blamed the Democrats’ loss on their failure to build as strong a social media audience as maga. There were many many reasons for that loss but I think he is correct that progressives, liberals and social democrats in Canadian parlance, need to build a stronger social media presence. We need good medicine like yours, we need to promote young influencers, women and men, next years’new voters. Helping them understand that their one vote does make a difference, this would make a difference.

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Dr Jen, you are the reason I downloaded substack and I subscribed immediately. I am just so grateful- your information is like a beacon in all this up-spring of info from all sorts of people (I first read your book Vagina Bible several years ago and thought “finally!”)

I can’t bear that other site anymore and I saw your final post and the comment it came from. There’s just no bottom anymore.

As for abortion rights, the US election has me very concerned in Canada. It’s naive for anyone to say “it couldn’t happen”. It absolutely could and now there’s a coattail to start riding.

It is Animal Farm and now I understand why my grade 10 English teacher taught us about propaganda.

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My mind still bogles that those who want smaller government don’t see the hypocrisy in wanting to legislate reproductive rights. Handmaid’s tale, Animal Farm etc….

Pretty soon they’ll be burning witches.

And that post on twitter or x or whatever it is called…WTF! This is “freedom”?

I grew up in Germany, my class mate got pregnant at age 16. Because she was the child of a single mother she could get an abortion. It had to be at a hospital. She told me that as she was wheeled into the OR that the doctor who was performing the procedure told her that she was making a murderer out of him…. Even at 16 i was appalled that this guy thought that was ok.

This became the foundation of my belief in reproductive freedom. You don’t want an abortion, don’t have one.

We live in a very dangerous world for women. Everywhere it seems controlling women is at the top of the agenda….. i fear for the young women.

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Hi Dr. Jen. Your former French translator here. Are you going to write a book about abortion? There's so much ignorance out there… Thanks.

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The news about the canadian conservative rule to allow voting rights to anti-abortioner's in the party really stunned me. I've been an avid observer of the US election over the last few months, to the point where I've lost sleep and feel constant anxiety. I know it COULD happen here. I have no illusions about the kind of maga-types we have up here, women included. Ugh. Merci Carmen for the news about the CAQ. I'm in Montreal (salut les quebecoise!) and I will be pivoting my attention more to the canadian political scene now. I will get active as well. Women's rights matter.

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I don't always agree with the CAC government here in Québec, but I'm glad they stepped up to provide increased abortion care yesterday. I hope other provinces follow their lead. I recently listened to an interview with Gloria Steinhem on the Wiser Than Me podcast. She said one of the first things authoritarian governments do is ban abortions. Apparently one of Hitler's first actions was shutting down family planning. 😢

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Good morning Dr Gunter. I am a big fan of yours, here in Quebec City. I would like to read your toughts about absorption problem with estradiol gel or patchs.... do you ask for dosage when any doubts of malabsoption? And if you do, what are the levels you are trying to reach? Also, do you have recommandations about the localisation where patients need to applie the gel (in french there a thing with the "reservoir effet" where some clinicians recommand using always the same spot and only that same spot). I have difficulties finding relevant articles about that! Thanks!!!!!

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For the life of me, I don't know why people use apps to track their periods. Maybe it's because I'm from a different generation, but whatever happened to using those backpage calendars in those planners (you know, on *paper*) that you can get in stationery stores or CVS (etc.)? They're much simpler, and certainly discreet.

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Yes, you read that correctly, and no, there are not enough vomit emojis.!!!!!! Ugh 🫣

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Ladies I applaud your convictions & comments. JJF 🇨🇦

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The violence happening via social media is … there aren’t words. 😭

Thank you for all of the great links, and also…NOOoooo, Canada. Stay strong!!!

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Can I sway a Conservative to move here and I'll move there, take their spot in the population.....

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