Source: recycledclevernessSo I’m a canvasser for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, basically I do voter education and fundraise and sign up members to the fund. Today while I was out in downtown Portland, I met a woman who really brought home the importance of what I do.
It was towards the end of the day, a bit past…
I know I’ve told this story before, but my abusive ex refused to let me take birth control. I was on the pill until he found them in my purse.
I went to the Student Health Center—they were completely unhelpful, choosing to lecture me about the importance of safe sex (recommending condoms) instead of actually listening to my problem.
Then I went to Planned Parenthood. The Nurse Practitioner took one look at my fading bruises and stopped the exam. She called in the doctor. The doctor came in and simply asked me: “Are you ready to leave him?” When I denied that I was being abused, she didn’t argue with me. She just asked me what I needed. I said I need a birth control method that my boyfriend couldn’t detect. She recommended a few options and we decided on Depo.
When I told her that my boyfriend read my emails and listened to my phone messages and was known to follow me, she suggested to do the Depo injections at off hours when the clinic was normally closed. She made a note in my chart and instructed the front desk never to leave messages for me—instead, she programmed her personal cell phone number into my phone under the name “Nora”. She told me she would call me to schedule my appointments; she wouldn’t leave a message, but I should call her back when I was able to.
And that was it. No judgment. No lecture. She walked me to the door and told me to call her day or night if I needed anything. That she lived 5 blocks from campus and would come get me. That I wasn’t alone. That she just wanted me to be safe.
I never called her to come to my rescue. But I have no doubt that she would have come if I had called. She kept me on Depo for a year, giving me those monthly injections in secret, helping me prevent a desperately unwanted pregnancy.
I cannot thank Planned Parenthood enough for the work they do.
"
Source: prolongedeyecontactIn what could be the most ludicrous piece of political spin yet seen (okay, it is a high bar), Texas Governor Rick Perry has launched a new accusation at President Barack Obama, complaining that the president is putting “abortion politics” before “women’s health.”
Yes: This from the man who is ostensibly refusing millions in funding to health care programs serving low-income women because he doesn’t want a single dollar potentially going to Planned Parenthood or any group associated with it.
Via the Governor’s statement:
Unfortunately, President Obama and his allies are once again putting their political agenda ahead of sound policy and the delivery of cost-efficient health care. They are trampling on the rights of states like Texas to create programs like the Women’s Health Program and to administer it for Texans by Texans.
Why would the Obama Administration take away access to health care for low-income Texas women? Because this administration puts funding for abortion providers and affiliates ahead of funding for women’s cancer screenings and other preventative health care.Feel free to add your own “pot calling the kettle black” reference here.
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*Reproductive health care, not just cis women’s health care.
Rick, do you really not see that you’re the person who said they didn’t want federal funding for Medicaid just so you could spite Planned Parenthood, and thereby deprived 130,000 low-income Texans from getting healthcare? Dudebro, stop.talking. The law clearly states that if you accept federal money you can’t pick and choose where it goes, all qualified providers must be given Medicaid funding. You did this to low-income Texans living in poverty, not President Obama. You’ve got the malicious and petty agenda here.
FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
Reproductive rights are being dismantled at an alarming rate here in Texas. Can Amy Poehler do a segment about that on SNL? Can Jon Stewart do one on the Daily Show? Can we get some national media coverage of this? PLEASE!
Unless some last-minute agreement is brokered, the program, which receives $9 in federal funds for every $1 in state funds, will be either phased out or cut off by the end of March. At least 130,000 poor Texas women will lose access to cancer screenings, well-woman exams and contraception.
Republican lawmakers worked overtime last legislative session to design language that would keep any Planned Parenthood-affiliated clinics from receiving state family planning and women’s health dollars, despite the fact that taxpayer-funded clinics may not perform abortions. They got the backing of Abbott, who said their efforts were legal, and gave the state’s health commissioner the go-ahead to implement the new language.
But when Texas was faced with renewing the Women’s Health Program this year, officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the state’s plans violated the Social Security Act. They gave the program a three-month extension, but said they had no intention of renewing if Planned Parenthood, which provides 44 percent of the program’s services, was blacklisted.
The stalemate appears unbreakable — Republican lawmakers have made clear they’d rather forgo the program and the federal money than allow Planned Parenthood to participate.
[NB: The reality is that more than cis women are affected by this atrocious, terrible ruling.]
Texas has some of the poorest counties in the country. Thanks to this, those counties have now been made poorer.
Yes. AND THIS. ^^^^^^
(via stfuprolifers)
Source: keepyourbsoutofmyuterus
The AP is reporting that Karen Handel has resigned as vice president for public policy for Susan G. Komen for the Cure after the massive public relations disaster caused by withdrawing funding from Planned Parenthood.
She’s also got a press conference scheduled in Atlanta some time today. Presumably to further discuss how the big meanie liberals yell a lot and love to kill babiez.
Source: shakespearessister.blogspot.com
I’m not sure why this is the marker of whether the services PP provides are worthy of Komen’s grant money. Even if they aren’t providing the actual mammograms, many many people don’t need mammograms to find lumps and those that do often need referrals. PP does this. Why isn’t that enough for an organization that supposedly cares about breast cancer prevention and care?
Right, not only that but MOST doctors/ OB GYNs don’t do mammograms on site. They do clinical breast exams and refer out if needed.
Additionally KOMEN’S OWN SITE suggests clinical breast exams be the go-to for women under 40. And I quote:
“CBE can be helpful in finding tumors in women under age 40 (for whom mammography is not recommended)”
See here and here for more on why mams are referred out and how awesome clinical exams are.
Source: keepyourbsoutofmyuterus
Source: inothernewsPlanned Parenthood took to Twitter yesterday urging supporters to donate in light of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to halt funding for the group.
Planned Parenthood raised at least $650,000. Keep it going.
So Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure today announced that they will no longer give any funding to Planned Parenthood.
This funding allowed Planned Parenthood to provide breast examinations and referrals for mammography and ultrasound to patients at their health centers, patients who were able to be seen and treated at Planned Parenthood regardless of income or insurance, because of Planned Parenthood’s sliding scale fees and commitment to treating as many people as possible.
In the aftermath of this, which has turned into a flurry of opinion and counter-opinion, deleted comments on Komen’s Facebook wall, and a tweetstorm of epic proportion, some salient points worth consideration:
While pressuring Komen to reverse this decision is an option (and there is already an online petition going for that purpose) it seems unlikely to be effective. I am decidedly pessimistic about Komen walking back from this precipice.
Komen has said that this decision arose from a new policy of not funding any organization that is under government investigation. Since Planned Parenthood was already under investigation when the policy was changed, it’s pretty clear that the policy was targeting PP.
Moreover, this Komen policy and the subsequent de-funding came quickly behind the hiring of Karen Handel as Komen’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy. Those in Georgia recall that in 2010 Handel ran for governor of Georgia with a extremely anti-choice platform. This woman is responsible for policy decisions for Komen, and she is clearly opposed to Planned Parenthood.
And we cannot forget that the founder of Komen, Nancy Brinker, has long been tied to the highest ranks of Republican politics.
Komen didn’t cave to external pressure from the right wing, because the right wing is intrinsic to the executive power structure of Komen.
Those who rely upon Planned Parenthood as their health provider, who still need breast examinations, who still need funded referrals when there is an issue, well, they’re collateral damage in a culture war that begin more than 30 years ago and has always had its sights set not just on Planned Parenthood but any organization that supported or affiliated with them.
So where do we go from here?
Well we give Komen the business. We email (news@komen.org), we tweet (@komenforthecure), we call (972-701-2168). We absolutely refuse to donate, not directly, not by buying pink ribbon festooned (and pinkwashed) products, not by sponsoring someone for a 5K or a 3 day walk. So long as Komen plays politics with human lives, they should not see another single penny of our money.
But more importantly, far more importantly, we do donate to Planned Parenthood, we go over and above the money that they will lose because of Komen, we get every penny we can to Planned Parenthood to ensure that no one will go without a needed cancer screening, no one’s life will be placed at risk because of where they get their medical care.
Planned Parenthood — and its clients, by extension — must be our primary concern and our primary focus. The political battle will always be there, it can be put on hold for a while. The patients whose care is hanging in the balance cannot wait.
We must keep our focus, we must redouble our commitment, we must step into the breech.
Join me in making a tax-deductible donation to Planned Parenthood right now.
(via pantslessprogressive)
Source: amaditalks
Ron Paul, commenting on his promise to ban all federal funding of Planned Parenthood if he is elected President.
What Paul failed to mention is that Congress already prohibits Planned Parenthood from using federal funding to provide abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Rep. Paul’s bill would strip Planned Parenthood of all federal funding in an effort to prevent taxpayers from paying for a service which they already don’t pay for.
(via manicchill)
Cool! I would like to invoke the Taxpayers’ Freedom of Conscience Act to cut off all taxpayer funding of killing brown people for oil. And ignorance-only education. And Mike Pence’s salary. kthx
(via tehsunshine)
Reblogging for the next time some libertarian doofus asks me why I don’t like Ron Paul.
(via stfuconservatives)
(via bluntlyblue)
