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If I needed an abortion, I would want to know these 5 obstacles to planning for the care I need.

This state says you have to wait, that state made it so hard for clinics to remain open that you have to drive several hours just to find one. Making the decision to abort is difficult enough, and on top of that, the extremists who are against it can make it a logistical nightmare. Here's what you need to know about getting an abortion in America.

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If you're under 18 and decide abortion is your best option, you could be in for a difficult time depending on which state you live in and whether you have supportive parental units. Some states need no parental sign-off, and others require notarized permission from BOTH parents. Hopefully you have at least one parent you can lean on for support during this time, but that's not always every teenager's reality. Here's where you can find out what the law is in your state.


If it's been less than 13 weeks since your last period, you're not going to have a hard time because of this, but if it's been longer, find out what your state's laws are so you can plan to get the care you need in the time frame necessary. Check out the gestational limits by state in the third map in this link.

Abortions cost money, and there's been a whole lot of legislative shenanigans to prevent insurance and Medicaid from covering them (it differs by state). It can range anywhere from $300 to $950, with the average being around $450. If you need abortion care and pulling together the funds is impossible, try this link.

In some states, there are fewer than three abortion providers available. Some states have passed laws that make it so difficult to meet the standards needed to operate that facilities have no choice but to shut down. Call (800) 230-PLAN to get reliable information on providers in your area, and start thinking now about how you can get the time away and transportation you'll need.

Some states have passed mandatory waiting periods (see the first map here), meaning MORE time off from work or school AND more planning/expense for transportation and child care. If that weren't bad enough, some states require you to undergo an ultrasound (see the last map here). Sometimes they even stipulate that you look at the ultrasound screen with your eyeballs for some prescribed amount of time. It's sadistic, I know. Please line up a friend or family member to support you during the procedure, and accept my woman-in-solidarity virtual hug in advance.

To go over the above obstacles with a little more depth, watch the super-useful video below. And if you think women who aren't ready to be mothers could use a little more support and a lot less degradation, please share this and show that you support a woman's right to own her own destiny.

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ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

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If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

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18-year-old took her college savings and bought the restaurant where she was a dishwasher

Samantha Frye, the newest owner of Rosalie's restaurant, is proving there's more than one way to invest in your future.

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Eighteen year old Samantha Frye has traded college life for entrepreneurship, and she has no regrets.

Frye began working at Rosalie's Restaurant in Strasburg, Ohio at 16 as a dishwasher, working up the ranks as a kitchen prep, server, then line cook. All while working a second job, sometimes third job.

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Man rewatches shows from his childhood and his recaps of the bonkers storylines are priceless

Rob Anderson's hilarious recaps of shows like "Mighty Ducks," "Beethoven," and "7th Heaven" might make you wonder how they got made in the first place.

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These plots makes zero sense.

While there are no doubt some timeless classics from our childhood that remain every bit as amazing as we remember, many are straight-up cringey upon a later viewing. Really, it’s to be expected as societal viewpoints change…sort of a marker of how far we’ve collectively come.

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And then there’s the third option—allow ourselves to be entertained by their cringiness.

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Some moments never get old.

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Woman decides that she is the love of her life and marries herself at her retirement home

“I said, you know what, I’ve done everything else. Why not?”

77-year-old woman decides she's the love of her life and marries herself.

We joke about marrying ourselves or a platonic friend if some arbitrary amount of time has passed without a proposal from an imaginary suitor. And sure, some people do wind up marrying a friend in more of a business arrangement, but it's not very common that someone follows through with marrying themselves.

Dorothy "Dottie" Fideli, decided that she was going to break the mold. The 77-year-old sat down and thought about all of the things she had done in life and who was with her the entire time cheering her on. It was an easy answer: herself. She was her biggest cheerleader, the person who always showed up and the love of her life, so Fideli made the plan to marry herself.

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12-year-old Texas girl saves her family from carbon monoxide poisoning

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A little girl in Fort Worth, Texas, experienced a terrifying encounter with the deadly gas, but her quick actions saved her entire family. Jaziyah Parker is being held up as a hero after she realized something was wrong with her family members and called for help.

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Drew Barrymore speaks during the FLOWER Beauty launch at Westfield Parramatta on April 13, 2019, in Sydney, Australia.

Drew Barrymore, 48, has been in the public consciousness since she starred as Gertie in 1982’s mega-blockbuster, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. So, it makes sense that many people of a certain age feel as if they’ve grown up with her.

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