Happy Friday, fellow feminists. Bush-appointed assistant secretary of the Health and Human Services Department and wellknown woman-hatin’ nutbar Eric Keroack has resigned.

Eric Keroack, who was appointed assistant secretary of the Health and Human Services Department by President Bush last November, announced yesterday that he will resign from his position. Keroack, who previously worked as the medical director for a group of anti-abortion, anti-contraceptive “crisis pregnancy centers” and who is a strong advocate of abstinence-only sex education, was the advisor to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on reproductive health and adolescent pregnancy and administered Title X funding, which funds family planning services for low-income women. After being targeted by women’s health groups that highly disapproved of Keroack, he has resigned due to legal actions taken against his Massachusetts private medical practice by state Medicaid officials, according to the Washington Post.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards celebrated Keroack’s resignation, saying, “It’s a good day for women’s health. Keroack was unqualified to run the nation’s family planning program.” According to Richards, more than 17 million women in the US need access to affordable birth control. Women’s health and rights organizations argue that it is imperative that Bush’s new choice must be a supporter of women’s health and safety.

The Feminist Majority Foundation conducted an online campaign after Bush appointed Keroack, despite his record that suggested he would work against healthy reproductive choices for women. Thousands of FMF online activists sent emails to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, expressing their disappointment and outrage that such an unqualified person be appointed to serve women’s reproductive and sexual health.

Buh-bye, Eric. Good luck with that keeping your tape sticky thing.

And now we dance! (If this news doesn’t call for a little bit of the Happy Dance, I don’t know what does.)

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Posted: March 30th, 2007 under Eric Keroack, General, Reproductive Rights.
Comments: 1

The world according to Dr. Erick Kerouack, Bush’s newly appointed HHS deputy assistant secretary overseeing family planning and advising on reproductive health issues…

“New scientific studies also suggest that if a woman has multiple sexual partners, this will lower her levels of oxytocin which in turn will damage her ability to bond. Oxytocin is a neuro-peptide most commonly associated with pregnancy and breast-feeding. It seems to act as a human “superglue,” helping a mother bond with her infant. It is also released during sexual arousal and there, too, seems to work as a “superglue.” Since estrogen enhances the oxytocin response, females are capable of more intense bonding than males, and are more susceptible to the suffering that accompanies broken bonds. According to an article by Drs. John Diggs and Eric Keroack, “People who have misused their sexual faculty and become bonded to multiple persons will diminish the power of oxytocin to maintain a permanent bond with an individual.”

In more basic terms, sharing the gift of sex is like putting a piece of tape on another person’s arm. The first bond is strong, and it hurts to remove it. Shift the tape to another person’s arm and the bond will still work, but it will be easier to remove. Each time this is done, part of each person remains with the tape. Soon it is easy to remove because the residue from the various arms interferes with the tape’s ability to stick. The same is true in relationships, where previous sexual experiences interfere with the ability to bond.”

Catholic Answers, Chastity Q & A

See, kids:  Jesus wants you to keep your tape sticky.

Let’s see now…  It’s true that I’ve been in a monogamous relationship for over 20 years, but I didn’t get married until I was 32.  For at least a dozen years before that my, uh, tape dispenser was in regular use, and in several different applications.  Holy crap!  The sweaty fingerprints and lascivious dryer lint of nearly four decades of sexual activity can’t be wished away, I fear. O the shame of it:  

My tape is not sticky.         

Guess it’s time to read about this oxytocin stuff. 
Hmmm; this is one well-rounded ribosomal peptide. The poster child for hormonal multi-tasking,  oxytocin is involved in processes ranging from childbirth and lactation to stress reduction and increased trust levels, sexual arousal and orgasm to social recognition , maternal bonding and, yes, to pair bonding. 

Notably in prairie voles. 

But, people aren’t voles, or any other species of rodent, or at least we weren’t the last time I looked.  Because this distinction is fairly self-evident, kindly old Doc Keroquack   seems to be suffering from a powerful case of  wishful thinking.

PZ searched for any kind of scientific data to support Doc Kerouack’s  oxytocin-sticky tape theory; found nothing.

Jessica at Feministing has more.

As does Tristero.

And Charlie.

Alternet wraps it all up with helpful visuals from Doctor K’s  powerpoint presentation.
Yep, everything I needed to know about Christian sexual purity I learned from Bugs Bunny and Popeye:  
         
 

 

Posted: November 27th, 2006 under Eric Keroack, General.
Comments: 2