I have been to Planned Parenthood. And most likely, you or someone you know has used Planned Parenthood's resources too.
For a bit of background, I'm going to be a college freshman this year. I also had a terrible (and I mean TERRIBLE, puking guts out, vacation ruining) periods. At this point, I was tired of having to miss class, work, whatever was going on in my life, for at least one day of every month because of my period.
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| See this impressive fake smile? That was after a morning of throwing up everything in my stomach and dry heaving until I could barely talk. My family is wonderful to put up with me. |
As far as actually controlling birth, I refuse to be sexually active unless I have a "back up." Using a condom is a no brainer, however, you can not trust anyone in this world and condoms do fail. Me taking medication that I have determined to be best for my health, and insisting on a barrier method is something within the realm of my control. A guy "knowing" when to pull out is not.
So off I go to find a doctor, make an appointment, get a prescription, and get low cost birth control (thank you Affordable Care Act), right???
No.
That is not how it goes. Getting into a doctors office to simply get a prescription is not as easy as it sounds. First you have to find a doctor. Which is manageable, but I haven't needed to go to one while I've been living here. And I'm not comfortable with just walking into a family practitioner saying that's all I need.
Then there's the getting an appointment part. You have to check and see if these doctors are accepting new patients, get on a waiting list, etc.
So I checked out Planned Parenthood. I have used their unbiased, non-fear-mongering, resources to educate myself many times before (because the sex ed I received was extremely inadequate). I knew that you could find clinics and see what services they had at each clinic (and if you look, not many of them actually offer abortions; it's almost always referrals). Turns out, you can schedule an appointment online with little to no effort within the week. No wait list, no waiting until the next month to get in, THAT WEEK.
So I get to my appointment. All of the staff were helpful, kind, and willing to answer any questions and concerns that I have. Worked with my insurance and I didn't pay anything out of pocket. I went out with a prescription and feeling confident with my choice.
The next part is where I find out my insurance is a grandfathered insurance plan and doesn't have cover preventative care. Apparently they discourage pro-active behavior because paying for a birth is far less expensive than at least partially covering my birth control. *extreme sarcasm* Missouri also doesn't really have any programs that help women who don't make that much money get access to birth control. And since I'm 18, I technically don't have help paying for my prescription from my parents. (and I don't. I pay for it by myself. I have been trying to get it reimbursed through my mom's insurance, however, this hasn't happened yet.)
Anyway. My point in telling this story is to show that THIS is what Planned Parenthood does. They give people resources and medical care that they need. Whether that is for the prevention of cancer, birth, or STIs, the work they do is important. Planned Parenthood does not just provide women with SAFE AND LEGAL* abortions, they also provide the means to prevent them ever happening in the first place. (Of course I recognize that "safe" is a relative term when it comes to any medical procedure. I would also like to remind readers that the birth of a child is not a "safe" endeavor either.) Which, is more than I can say for the "women's clinics" that simply have pregnancy tests, preach abstinence, and have no effective methods of actually preventing abortion.**
If you have something against the work Planned Parenthood does, then I challenge you to actually go there and use their resources. Talk to someone who has been there. Try and open your mind about this topic. If you've been to a Planned Parenthood and received their services, I want to encourage you to share your experience. Perhaps if enough of us share our stories and support, politicians will stop trying to cut funding.
*note: I want to go into why the safe and legal part of abortions is exceedingly important and why abortion was legalized in the first place at a future date.
** Also! This article (while rather old news) is absolutely wonderful. It is how a Colorado initiative has cut the teen birth rate by forty percent in four years. FOUR YEARS.
PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING:
I would love to hear your opinion, story, or experience!! However, I do not appreciate belittling and not thought out comments, or opinions. If you want to say something please back it up with actual facts, not philosophy. Be respectful of everyone. This world is meant to be a diverse place, so let's treat each other with human respect! This is a touchy subject but I think that if we are all have a mature discussion about it, we will weather the storm. :) That all being said, if you are mean to anyone, I will give you the boot.
