One year ago, six conservative Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court took away the health-care rights of all of the nation’s women and girls.

The following article in Newsday, (the Long Island, NY, daily) on MARCH 9, 1971, serves as example the importance for all of us to understand how misunderstood the whole of women’s health care is.

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Coeds Greet  Gynecologist

By Sylvia Carter

Stony Brook – While officials at the State University here questioned yesterday the magnitude of venereal disease at the school, students were busy, for their own reasons, welcoming a gynecologist to the health services staff.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a gynecologist,” said one girl with a smile, after being examined by the new one-day-a-week gynecologist-obstetrician, Dr. Anita Borg. “And she didn’t make me nervous. She was really nice. Everything was fine.” The girl, one of the 10 lucky enough to get an appointment on Dr. Borg’s first day, admitted that she had “kind of stalled” about having a gynecological examination. And the youthful-looking doctor’s schedule is already booked solid for next Monday.

Coed Sees Problems

“Sure, there are VD and birth control problems here,” said a junior who was waiting to see Dr. Borg about a prescription for birth control pills. “It’s gong to be true anyplace. The new service is definitely something that’s needed. Some nights, half the girls at Planned Parenthood meetings are from Stony Brook. Most of the girls can’t afford a private doctor.” But some students told of having to travel to Huntington or even Manhattan for gynecological care, and one said: “They don’t like treating unmarried girls.”

The girl’s attitude on venereal disease was echoed by health officials. “We have no way of being sure if we have more or less (incidence of such diseases) than in similar populations,” said Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, vice president of health sciences. “We ought to make an effort to find out.”

Dr. David P McWhirter, director of student health services since September, is compiling computer statistics, for the first time, on all visits to the clinic and what they are for. He said statistics will be available April 1.

Not Peculiar to State U

On Sunday, Dr John Dawson, formerly acting director of health services, said that the venereal disease problem at the school was “absolutely critical.” Yesterday, he said: “I have no way of knowing what the incidence is since I left he post. I think the VD epidemic situation is critical everywhere. It’s nothing peculiar to Stony Brook.”

McWhirter said that Dr. Borg was hired simply because women have special problems, “and 50 per cent of our students are women.” Lots of kids have routine problems they’d just like to talk over with a gynecologist.”

Spokesmen for Southampton College, Hofstra and the State University Agricultural and Technical College at Farmingdale, said that no statistics on venereal disease are kept.

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