Monday, April 29, 2013

President Obama speaks at the PPFA National Conference!


Last week, some of my colleagues were fortunate enough to be able to attend the 2013 Planned Parenthood National Conference.  Many notable people were there; including Golden Globe award-winning actress and creator of the HBO show Girls, Lena Dunham; The immortal Dr. Ruth Westheimer; and the POTUS himself.  President Obama’s main message was clear: “Thank You” and “I’m with you."

President Obama also discussed the important role that the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA,” better known as health care reform) will play in improving the health of our country—including the health of patients who rely on Planned Parenthood health centers every day. In addition to sharing some of the benefits women will enjoy from the ACA, he also made clear that he needs our help to educate our patients and community about these new changes to our health care system. 


Chelly with Dr. Ruth

Our own CEO, Chelly Hegan, had the great fortune of meeting Dr. Ruth, and being present for Mr. Obama's speech.  When I asked her how it felt to see the President speak on behalf of Planned Parenthood, she said: "I can only say that the validation for all that we do that came from a sitting president taking time to come to OUR conference to let us know how much he supports the work that WE do was inspiring!"


If you are interested in watching the President's speech, I have embedded it below for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!


Monday, April 22, 2013

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Truth about the "Abortion Expansion Act" (hint: it doesn't exist)

Often, I take a stroll across the west lawn of the NYS Capitol when the weather is agreeable. It's one of my favorite places in the world, and is normally quite peaceful.  Occasionally I will stumble across a demonstration of democracy, and regardless of whether I agree with its politics, it's still good to see America in action.

Yesterday, however, I came across a demonstration that had me at first confused, and then angry.  

Allow me to clarify.  The rally was in protest of Governor Cuomo's "Abortion Expansion Act."  Some people allege that if this legislation passes, late-term abortion will become legal in New York State.  Folks were holding up well-designed signs that lend them credibility, some held candles and prayed. They walked slowly in a circle around the rose fountain, somberly displaying their solidarity against such grisly proposed legislation.  

The trouble is, the "Abortion Expansion Act" doesn't actually exist. There is no such proposal, no such "act" or agenda. Nothing.  So why are people protesting something that doesn't exist?

I call it the "telephone" syndrome.  Telephone is a game I played as a girl, where a group of people would sit in a circle and whisper a message to each other.  The further around the circle the message would get from its source, the more misconstrued it would become.  Sadly, the same phenomenon can occur in the media, politics, and human beings in general.  I see it all the time.

The Women's Equality Agenda, which actually IS real, has been a big deal in the media recently.  It's something many New Yorkers are fighting for.  One of the items on the agenda is to align New York abortion law with existing federal law and state practice.  You see, New York legalized abortion in 1970-- three years before Roe v Wade came about.  Because of this, New York's abortion law is antiquated and in need of updating.  Currently, abortion law is regulated in the penal code-- not the health code, and this needs to be fixed.  Federal law also ensures that a woman's health is protected in the rare and tragic situation when a serious complication jeopardizes the health of the mother later in the pregnancy.

Long story short; there will be neither an expansion nor a reduction of abortion law in New York State.  All the governor wants to do is update it so it is consistent with federal law.  

It's a shame that such misinformation is sullying the true message of the Women's Equality Agenda.  I cannot speculate as to whether the true purpose of this is to deliberately mislead the public, or if it was just a misunderstanding that has gotten out of hand.  In any case, I urge everyone to remain aware of what our lawmakers are up to.  Read up on proposed legislation using reliable sources. We owe it to ourselves and the women of New York to be able to examine all proposed legislation armed with the truth.

Monday, April 1, 2013

What you may not know about STIs (and should scare you!)


April marks the launch of the GYT campaign, Planned Parenthood's effort to raise awareness of the importance of getting yourself tested. It is vitally important to have yourself checked out for a number of reasons; some of which will probably freak you out, but if that's what I have to do to get the job done, then so be it!

Four things you may not know about STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections):

  • 1 in 2 people will contract an STI before the age of 25.  Yes, that means you have a 50% chance of getting one.  If you do, just cross your fingers that it's one of the curable ones!  And this leads me to my next point...
  • Many STIs are incurable.  That's right, you're stuck with them for life.  That doesn't mean they're fatal, but you will have to take medication for your condition forever.  These include herpes, genital warts, and HIV.  Unfortunately, many of these conditions are spread because...
  • More than half of people currently carrying an STI don't know they have one!  I have been asked how it can be in this age of medical awareness that so many people still contract these diseases.  The truth is simple, if not disturbing: people don't get tested!  Many STIs don't have symptoms, so people remain under the impression that they're disease-free. Also, just because a disease doesn't cause any discomfort, that doesn't mean it's not dangerous; if left untreated, many STIs can lead to cancer or infertility! (Read my earlier post about the importance of the HPV vaccine.)
  • There are so many ways to have yourself checked.  UHPP wants to make sure that nobody is turned away for service, so even if have no insurance, there are ways to get the health care you need.  The HPV vaccine is free, and payment for other services; such as office visits and exams, tests, consultations and treatment, can be done on an income-based sliding scale.  NYS also offers other programs, like the Family Planning Benefit program, which you may qualify for.  Visit the UHPP website for more information. This is important, people! 
 
Well I've said my piece.  I'm not sure what else I can do, short of posting horrifying pictures so you can see the nauseating truth of what some of these infections can do to your privates.  I will refrain for now, but I'll do it-- I swear!  Just remember that most STIs can be cleared up with simple antibiotics, and even those that can't are treatable-- but only if you GET YOURSELF TESTED!!!