Chris's Sharebook 

A panel appointed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is in the process of revising the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a guide to mental illnesses widely used by therapists and psychiatrists. One of the new disorders planned for inclusion in the guide is Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder in Women, which is often called frigidity. The DSM V would guide professionals to assign this diagnosis when female patients report an absent or reduced interest in sex and erotic fantasies tied to distress. Recently, pharmaceutical companies have begun to promote testosterone medications to treat this "disorder."

Though low sex drive often coincides with mental illnesses such as depression or follows traumatic events such as rape, it does not require its own separate diagnosis. Many women, including asexuals, naturally have a lower-than-average sex drive and are satisfied with that aspect of their individuality. They should not have to worry about receiving treatment for it when seeking mental health for an unrelated distress issue.

Labeling low sex drive as a disorder will invite discrimination and overmedication for many women. Please sign this petition to keep "Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder in Women" out of the DSM V.

Adolph Bergbauer, a 69-year-old German father, recently received a short jail sentence for the crime of incest. Bergbauer slept with his daughter 500 times over the past 30 years and had three disabled children with her. Only one of these children is still alive today.

According to Bergbauer’s daughter, the rape started at the tender age of 12 or 13. The father also allegedly threatened to kill her if she spoke out about the abuse, and kept her confined in a basement. Because the statutory rape occurred over 20 years ago, Bergbauer could not be charged for that crime.

Bergbauer’s case is notably similar to that of Austrian Josef Fritzi, a man sentenced to life in prison in 2009 for keeping his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and having seven children with her. Bergbauer’s jail sentence, however, is under three years.

There is clearly more to this story than consensual incest between two adults. Please sign the petition to seek a stronger sentence for Adolph Bergbauer.

Due to a recent decision by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), women runners will no longer be eligible to set world records when participating in events alongside men. This decision will affect current and future records, invalidating British runner Paula Radcliffe's 2003 record set during the co-ed London Marathon.

IAAF justifies this decision by the fact that male pacemakers improve female running times by two full minutes. However, no woman other than Paula Radcliffe has come within three minutes of her world record.

All major marathons worldwide hire pacemakers to run a portion of the race to keep participants motivated and up to speed. Nullifying women's accomplishments in light of male pacemakers is disrespectful and discouraging to female athletes.

Please sign the petition to reverse the decision to invalidate female world records in co-ed running events!