Planned Parenthood Advocate

Planned Parenthood teens advocate for sex ed

by Truc
Teen Council member and Web Correspondent
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

Teen Council, Planned Parenthood's all-star youth development program, had the privilege of stepping up to the podium on Tuesday, November 9th in front of the Minneapolis Public School Board committee to make an appeal for the inclusion of comprehensive sex ed in Minneapolis schools.   

The revision of the Minneapolis public schools health curriculum gives advocates for comp sex ed the perfect opportunity to advance their cause. Hello, Teen Council! Weeks in advance to the meeting, our Teen Council excitedly discussed and brainstormed what we wanted to present to the committee. Should we present irrefutable statistics about the raging numbers of STIs? Should we talk about how important sexual education is? Where do we start? Where do we stop? Can we beg? We decided unanimously that presenting statistics was ineffective; the committee could look up numbers if they wished-we wanted to connect personally with the committee. Our council drew up personal anecdotes about the sexual education we received.

The differences were alarming.

We quickly targeted the committee's concerns: they wanted kids to receive equal education. Since there was a lack of curriculum set concerning sex ed, this essential topic was left to the teacher's discretion. False information could be taught, a teacher could teach it in a biased fashion that casted a negative light on sexuality or opt not to teach it at all.  Our personal anecdotes exemplified these startling truths. Perfect. In addition, we outlined why we thought comprehensive sex ed was so important.     

Phoebe was our elected spokesperson, and it was her responsibility to weave together our outline and deliver it. Tuesday came quickly, and we were able to gather seven Minneapolis public schools attendees total. This bought us 10 minutes of speaking time.

Phoebe, with the help of Jaime, Emily and Carise, our all-star facilitators, and the rest of the council, was revising the speech up until she literally sat down to await her turn to speak. We were joined by other Planned Parenthood all-stars for support. We watched people appeal about various topics and our excitement fused with our anxiety. The committee looks so tired, I thought.  How well are they going to receive this?  They called Phoebe's name and all seven of us stood up as we made our way to the podium. We looked formidable. The audience straightened up in their seats. Phoebe's delivery was brilliant! Her speech was articulate and concise, she was gracious and assertive-she even made the committee smile! Most importantly, she really drove the point home. At the end, there was even applause. Do they even applaud at these things? Eventually there was a break and a member from the committee approached Phoebe and congratulated her and engaged her in a conversation. The Teen Council received warm compliments and recognition among many people there that fateful Tuesday.

It's moments like these where I feel so fortunate and proud to be apart of Planned Parenthood and the rights the organization strives to fight for and uphold.  Teen Council is ready to take hold of the podium again. Democracy is awesome.

Currently, the Deputy Superintendent is reviewing options around structural and systemic support for the Health Curriculum Adoption process--we hope that it will ensure that all middle school students receive sex education at least once between 6th-8th grade.   

Experiences of a clinic escort

by Karin
Web Correspondent
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund 

Nearly two months ago, I began volunteering as an escort for the Highland Park clinic.  I decided to do so because I firmly believe that a woman should have unimpeded access to legal medical care and procedures, whether it be relating to contraception or abortion.  As I have shared my experiences thus far with people I know, they have been shocked at some of the things the protestors say and do, both to patients and to me.  While I am not shocked, I am frustrated that these people are able to continue to represent themselves as reasonable, while they are anything but.

So far I've been told I will go to hell, I have a heart of stone, that I will have to answer to my maker on judgment day when I have "the blood of innocents" on my hands, and a myriad of other things. Yet I would still prefer the protestors aim their mistruths, half-truths, and flat-out lies my way than in the direction of the patients. What bothers me are the things they say to the patients, a few examples of which include:

• -Birth control gives people strokes/birth control causes cancer.
• -If you don't take the second pill, the baby can still live.
• -You have a higher risk of getting cancer when you have an abortion.
• -Follow-up care is vital, and they (PP) won't help you with it.
• -They (PP) won't show you your ultrasound pictures.
• -They (PP) will say/do anything to get your money.
• -Numerous PP staff have left and now work for us.
• -They (PP) are racist and encourage minority women to get abortions.

None of the above statements are true; indeed, they have all been proven false. Yet these myths are still perpetuated, to the cost of increased restrictions on abortion access, increased violence against abortion providers, and now, an attempt to effectively ban abortion from private and public insurance plans for millions of American women through a Stupak amendment.

If the healthcare reform package is passed with this amendment in place, what is the next step in whittling away women's rights to comprehensive health care? Why are the religious extremists able to have such a voice, while women who are impacted remain silent?

The Supreme Court has ruled that the right to choose abortion is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. If  any Stupak-like amendment make its way into the final health care bill, women will lose insurance funding for this procedure, cutting off access to the procedure for millions of women. This is patently discriminatory, as it denies women the right to a legal medical procedure.

My experience as an escort reaffirms the reasons I volunteered for Planned Parenthood in the first place, and has made me realize that silence on the part of pro-choice women and men is no longer acceptable. Our silence has helped the anti-choice movement achieve the restrictions currently in place, which force women to travel thousands of miles to obtain a legal, safe, medical procedure. Our silence has enabled the zealots to bring forth increased restrictions on medical insurance, whether it be purchased or provided. We can no longer remain silent - we must stand up for what is right and ensure that health care reform passes without a Stupak amendment or any other amendment that leaves women worse off after reform.

Sign our petition to stop Stupak!

If you're interested in learning more about clinic escorting, check out our video or contact volunteers@ppmns.org.

 

Senate moves to open debate on health care reform

by Shauna
Web Correspondent 
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

The first thought that entered my mind when I learned that a health care bill had passed in the house was “what impact will this have on women's access to reproductive health services?” Unfortunately, it's a big one and not in the right direction. Despite the historic passage of a health care reform bill, it's coming at a big price. The Stupak Amendment would ban insurance companies from paying for a legally protected health service: Abortion. Let me repeat that. Abortion is a legally protected medical procedure and the Stupak Amendment is an blatant attack on women's access to reproductive health services. Click here to read a Star Tribune article for more on the Amendment.

 

On Saturday, the Senate voted to bring health care reform to debate. Go here to read a New York Times article for more information on the vote. Now the real fight begins. Not only does the Senate need to pass their version, but it needs to be reconciled with the House version.This means it is now up to the Senate to push through a version of health care reform that ensures better health care access for everyone, which means a version without a Stupak Amendment.

 

How can we truly obtain reform if we take a step backwards? Health care reform should improve access to necessary health services for everyone, especially the poor. The Stupak Amendment hurts the very people health care reform is meant to help by taking away their options. It is not too late for action and we need to make our voices heard. Go here to sign a petition and show your support for women's health. It is up to us to demand that women's access to reproductive health care not be the sacrificial lamb in this health care debate.

VIDEO: STOP STUPAK!!

Alright pro-choicers, this is the real deal here. When the House of Representatives passed its historic health care reform bill, it unfortunately contained an amendment that is antithetical to health care reform.  I am, of course, talking about the Stupak amendment—and if it makes its way into the final bill, it would effectively ban abortion from public and private insurance plans for millions of American women.  This would amount to millions of women actually losing coverage under health care reform—a possibility that Planned Parenthood and millions of pro-choicers that support women’s access to a safe, legal abortion, cannot accept.

Health care reform is about expanding access to health care—not taking coverage away.

We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the Stupak Amendment does not make it into the final bill. But we can’t do it without your help.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

SIGN THE PETITION
If there has ever been a petition to sign, this is the one. Please sign Planned Parenthood’s petition asking President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Pelosi to make sure that this insidious amendment does not make it into the final health care reform bill.

When you’re done signing, please use the “tell-a-friend tool” to ask 10 of your friends to join you in signing.

SHARE OUR VIDEO
Share this youtube video above on facebook, and twitter. Here’s a link: http://bit.ly/2SIrZk   OR  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvdxOKNDruI

FACEBOOK
Donate your facebook status to the cause. Use the following message:

Health care reform is about expanding access to health care—not taking coverage away. If you agree, please join me in signing the petition to make sure that the Stupak Amendment does not make it into the final health care reform bill. Then copy this message and donate your status to the cause. http://bit.ly/3XvWOY

TWITTER 
Share this post on twitter. Use the following message:

I’m doing my part to STOP STUPAK—are you? http://bit.ly/3XvWOY #stopstupak

Thank you for your support.  Together we can pass health care reform that moves our country forward—not backward.

Stay Connected!

Minnesota

North Dakota

South Dakota

 

Condemning the passage of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment

“Planned Parenthood condemns the adoption of the Stupak/Pitts amendment in HR 3962 this evening. This amendment is an unacceptable addition to the health care reform bill that, if enacted, would result in women losing health benefits they have today. Simply put, the Stupak/Pitts amendment would restrict women’s access to abortion coverage in the private health insurance market, undermining the ability of women to purchase private health plans that cover abortion, even if they pay for most of the premiums with their own money. This amendment reaches much further than the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited public funding of abortion in most instances since 1977.  
 
“Planned Parenthood serves tens of thousands of women every year through our health centers across the region and has worked tirelessly on behalf of those patients for affordable, quality health care. On behalf of the more than 60,000 women Planned Parenthood health centers serve, we have no choice but to oppose HR 3962. The bill includes the Stupak/Pitts amendment that would leave women worse off after health care reform than they are today, violating President Obama’s promise to the American people that no one would be forced to lose her or his present coverage under health reform.
 
“The Stupak/Pitts amendment violates the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all. In fact, this amendment would create a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and middle incomes, the very people this bill is intended to assist. The majority of private health insurance plans currently offer abortion coverage, and the Stupak/Pitts amendment would result in the elimination of private abortion coverage in the ‘exchange,’ the new insurance market created under health care reform, as well as in the public option, if one is created.  

“The Stupak/Pitts amendment would purportedly allow women who want comprehensive reproductive health care coverage to purchase a separate, single-service rider to cover abortion.  But such abortion riders do not exist because women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies or medically complicated pregnancies that require ending the pregnancy.  

“It is extremely unfortunate that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and anti-choice opponents were able to hijack the health care reform bill in their dedicated attempt to ban all legal abortion in the United States. Most telling is the fact that the vast majority of members of the House who supported the Stupak/Pitts amendment in today’s vote do not support HR 3962, revealing their true motive, which is to kill the health care reform bill. These single-issue advocates simply used health care reform to advance their extreme, ideological agenda at the expense of tens of millions of women.   

“Planned Parenthood applauds the members of Congress who stood up for women’s health and voted to oppose the Stupak/Pitts amendment.  We will work with those members to rectify this travesty.

“As a health care provider, Planned Parenthood is committed to passing health care reform that will guarantee affordable, quality health care coverage for all, including access to comprehensive reproductive health care.  In the coming weeks, Planned Parenthood will work with its allies in the Senate to ensure that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and those who oppose abortion do not once again hijack the legislative process in their ongoing campaign to make abortion illegal.   Planned Parenthood will join forces with women and their families and health providers to ensure that health care reform does not take away benefits that most women with private health coverage have today.  Together, women and their allies are going to make their voices heard, so that they do not become second-class citizens in a newly reformed health care system in the United States.”