Empowering You to Take Control of Your Health!

I have the good fortune of growing up in an environment where getting access to reproductive health care services or contraceptives really hasn’t been that hard. The primary limiting factor in my youth was lack of a good reproductive education, not much money and lack of transportation in a rural area. Once I got my own car and a job it was less of a problem. I was fortunate in that my mom took me to the doctor to get the birth control pill when she discovered my boyfriend and I had had sex. We were both 14 at the time. Long story short I avoided an accidental pregnancy until I was older and had a better idea what I wanted in my life. 

Planned Parenthood has always been where I've gone for reproductive healthcare. I’m fortunate to be in good health and really haven’t felt the need to employ the services of a physician. I’ve never used Planned Parenthood's abortion services but know many women who have and often refer women in crisis to them for help. The services they provide to women including PAP smears, breast cancer screening, abortion, STD testing and treatment are essential to the health of our communities. Planned Parenthood also serves a large portion of our lower income population. Their services are very reasonable to someone like myself who has paid for medical services out of pocket.

It’s unfortunate that Planned Parenthood, a national organization devoted to caring for women and filling such an important need in our communities has come under attack by conservatives in our government. Why you might ask? Because they assist women in caring for their reproductive needs? Maybe it’s because they work to prevent and detect breast, ovarian and cervical cancer? Or maybe it’s for prescribing legal medications and performing medical procedures at the request of women exercising their constitutional rights? Or perhaps they just don’t like Planned Parenthood and all the good and important things they stand for. Or maybe in spite of all the good things Planned Parenthood does, these publicly elected officials don't care because Planned Parenthood is about empowering women and enabling them to chose what's best for them and for their family and will thus will do everything in their power to put an end to Planned Parenthood and abortion services in their state. Low income women who depend upon State and Federal money given to organizations like Planned Parenthood to obtain life saving preventative services like breast cancer screening and PAP Smears are just going to have to fend for themselves.

"I do not support the goals of Planned Parenthood... They believe in choice. So let's just cut right through the fat and tell it like it is." — Gov. Jan Brewer

 

As Brewer signed into law two bills designed to undercut funding for Planned Parenthood and stated as long as she and the majority of law makers in the capitol feel they way they do about Planned Parenthood and abortion they are entitled to impose their views on the rest of Arizonians. So why do Republican's despise Planned Parenthood so much? And what are Planned Parenthood's goals anyway? Maybe by taking a look at their Mission Statement it will help us to understand why republicans have singled out Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Mission Statement: A Reason for Being

Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. We believe that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual's right to privacy. We further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life and strong family relationships.

Based on these beliefs, and reflecting the diverse communities within which we operate, the mission of Planned Parenthood is:

• to provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual
• to advocate public policies which guarantee these rights and ensure access to such services
• to provide educational programs which enhance understanding of individual and societal implications of human sexuality
• to promote research and the advancement of technology in reproductive health care and encourage understanding of their inherent bioethical, behavioral, and social implications

"Why would Governor Brewer take basic health care away from women?"

 May 7, 2012

 Brewer calls this common sense.... Ed calls it discrimination.

Do we really want to see an increase in unintended pregnancies? An increase in cervical cancer? Or in infertility due to scarring from STDs that could have been prevented? Breast cancer? Would someone please explain why women's healthcare being singled out? In particular, funding for low income women's health care?

Upcoming Election in November

I have a lot of concern for the upcoming election. My fear is that the minority is well organized and the majority is complacent, perhaps caught up in their own lives and may not show up to vote. I just cannot believe that the majority of the country wants the birth control pill to be unavailable. Is it possible that we only want sex for procreation but not also for pleasure? Do we really want to go back in time? To a time when women used to die in effort to end an unwanted pregnancy? Is this what the majority of voting adults want?? I can’t believe it would be true. Yet, the fear remains that somehow Democrats would lose control of the Federal government and we would progress down a slippery slope that would result in the loss of all the hard won rights our fore-mothers (and fathers) fought for. Including our constitutional rights.

We see examples of what happens when Republicans are in power. Examples include Wisconsin, Virginia, Texas and Arizona.  Whatever platform they run on, once in power their primary goals are to make it harder for women to obtain abortion services, and in recent years these goals have expanded with a vengeance. Women are faced with additional financial hardship as a result of legislation passed by Republican controlled government; forced to endure invasive and medically unnecessary procedures that they don’t want or need and are forced to pay for; many women have to drive long distances to obtain abortion services and may have hang around an additional 24 to 72 hours after meeting with the doctor depending on state law in order to obtain an abortion. This creates additional hardship arranging child care, taking time off work, etc. And perhaps worst of all, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law legislation allowing your physician to lie to you without fear of punishment if he or she thinks that the truth would cause a woman to terminate a pregnancy. Each of these little anti-choice “milestones” on the state level is just a testing ground for a more aggressive national assault if and when they gain more power. The anti-choicers are actively working to pump more ultra conservative anti-choice politicians into the system on all levels. This is an organized assault by the minority and as we've seen, they have successfully taken over the Republican party.

The assault on women's health care and constitutional rights is astounding and appalling. It seems unbelievable that we could be having arguments about birth control, but it's really happening. I can't tell you how much I look forward to the day when abortion is no longer a topic in politics. Where it is an accepted medical procedure that may be obtained without judgement or difficulty.

Unfortunately, regardless of what lip-service the Republicans may be giving, this is their vision for the future: a nation in which women are held hostage by their fertility. I believe that Republicans would be more than happy to see women all barefoot and pregnant, and to strip us (along with all minorities) of our voting rights and our right to fair and equal pay.

And so I hope every day, that the American people will see what the Republicans are trying to do and send them a resounding message of NO this is not the direction we want our country to go in. While I’m not thrilled with everything Prez Obama does, quite the contrary actually, I would much rather have his thoughtful leadership at the helm. If  you find yourself experiencing difficulty mustering enthusiasm for the election, then if for no other reason, vote with the Supreme Court in mind. Just one more conservative judge on the bench has the potential to reverse Roe vs. Wade. Remember, Supreme Court Justices serve for life. They will be shaping policy for the course of our lifetime and our children’s. While I feel voting at every election is important, this November is perhaps the most important election so far in my life time. This election will shift the direction of our country and I think Obama’s direction is the way we should be going and I hope we can have great and productive dialog on how to best achieve these goals. 

I'm hoping everyone is paying attention and will vote when it comes time… this is an important election. They all are, but this one feels like there's much more at stake. Please remember on voting day that if your voting address doesn’t match your license be sure to bring extra ID/documentation with you because many states have new voting regulations designed to make it harder for us to vote, even when you can prove who you are, you need what the regulations say. Need I say more? Voting is so important.

If you care about women having access to reproductive health care services including funding for low income women to have access, access to birth control and abortion services, please make your voice heard this election and encourage your friends to do the same by supporting President Obama and electing Democrats in all levels of Federal and State government. Lets elect people who will protect women's health, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, regulate the greedy money grubbers on wall street, and will support quality education for our young people. What our nation needs right now is not more tax breaks for the wealthy or smaller government hell bent on taking over our uteri and demolishing our reproductive freedom.