The Trump-Pence Gag Rule: The Facts

After months of waiting, the Trump Pence Administration finally released the text for the Title X changes that include the Gag Rule. The new rule does three things:

1. The rule prohibits Title X projects from referring patients for abortion—the so-called “gag rule”—and also removes the current requirement that patients must be given access to non-directive counseling on all of their options, including abortion unless the patient’s life it at risk.
2. The rule imposes cost-prohibitive and unnecessary “physical and financial” separation requirements on Title X recipients, which are aimed at excluding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from Title X.
3. The rule contains a host of other provisions that are designed to reduce access to quality family planning care in communities across the country

It’s infuriating that the Trump-Pence administration is once again trying to control women’s bodies and take away our rights. The Trump Gag Rule bans doctors from providing their patients with full information about their health care options, including abortion. It would also effectively dismantle the Title X program, which provides birth control, cancer screenings, and other essential reproductive health care to folks with low incomes.

Know this — Planned Parenthood will always be here for our patients and will continue to fight for everyone’s ability to get affordable, quality health care. We are still working toward a world in which everyone has the freedom and opportunity to control our lives at the most basic level: our bodies, our families, and our life’s path. Health care is a human right and we will not let this stand. The Trump-Pence administration may not think our patients deserve care, but we do.

This rule is opposed by the general public, the medical community, lawmakers, and public health experts. When the rule was announced, nearly 500,000 Americans submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services voicing their opposition.

Remember, this rule is so much bigger than Planned Parenthood. It prohibits ANY health care providers in Title X across the country — doctors, nurses, hospitals, and community health centers — from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion, and it removes the guarantee that patients are getting full and accurate information about their health care.

The ruling was just released Friday and already the Attorney General of Washington State has announced they have filed a lawsuit against it. UHPP is working with our statewide partners, the national office, our legislators and the Governor’s office to protect Title X funding in New York State. In addition, we will continue to raise funds for our Patient Access Fund in order to protect us from anything the federal government throws at us. This is going to be another long fight but we are confident we will prevail and we know that the work we do for our patients must continue. No matter what.

Katherine Bruno, CXO

WARNING: 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' Are Not Legitimate Health Centers

It's no secret that with the current political climate, anti-choice and alt-right fanatics have been emboldened by rhetoric that enables and even encourages reckless behavior.  While this particular issue isn't exactly new, it is becoming more widespread in the face of this encouragement.

The Hendrick Hudson Buuilding
200 Broadway, Troy

The downtown Troy, NY Planned Parenthood is currently being plagued by one such anti-choice organization. They have purchased a van and are attempting to lure women away from the Troy Planned Parenthood office by offering them ultrasounds (in a van? Oh that's not creepy). This is made more confusing by the fact that the building that currently houses the Troy health center will not allow any outside branded signage, so sometimes patients aren't sure they are in the right place. We have heard reports of women being given bad directions to Planned Parenthood by the van's inhabitants, and made to wander around Troy, missing their appointments.

The van does not currently have a permit, and we don't know if there are even any legitimate trained medical professionals on board. Katherine Bruno, Chief Experience Officer for Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP), has this to say about the van:

This mobile ultrasound unit has been parked in cities across Upstate New York and is most often parked in the city of Troy very near the Planned Parenthood Health Center on Broadway.

UHPP has spoken with the Troy Mayor's Office and the City Clerk. The clerk confirms that in order for anyone to be on the streets of Troy offering services of any kind, they need a permit. This mobile unit does not have one, nor have they applied for one once it was made clear that it was required. The City Clerk has communicated this with the Deputy Mayor and the Chief of Police. All city officials are aware that the van cannot be on the street offering services of any kind without a permit.

When the van arrived on Broadway across from the UHPP Health Center entrance in July, the police were called and the police did nothing. UHPP has been reassured by city officials that this is not what is supposed to happen. Once again UHPP has voiced concern and has clarified that should the van reappear, Troy Police should ask them to leave until they acquire a permit.

These anti-choice organizations make it their mission to mislead young women. Patients reported not understanding the difference between Planned Parenthood and one of these other centers, and more and more of them are popping up around the country, a situation to which this post from Lifehacker can attest.  Apparently, one of them in West Virginia was so convincingly misleading, that they were vandalized by other anti-choice fanatics. This is the sign they put up addressing their vandals:

Kudos on the trickery, Women's Choice Pregnancy Center; it looks like it really paid off for you. In fact, the very name "Women's Choice Pregnancy Center" is a fallacy, because it implies that they actually care about women's choices.

Elizabeth Clark, Director of Media Health for Planned Parenthood, offers this advice for recognizing a phony health center:

“Crisis pregnancy centers often purposely use language, in their advertising or signs, that mimic legitimate, licensed health care providers. They use names that are similar to actual healthcare providers. Be really suspicious of what you’re reading. Crisis pregnancy centers are not required to be true medical facilities and are not required to provide accurate information about health care. Look to see if there are licensed medical staff. Are there licensed clinicians? What are the services they say they provide?”

When in doubt, call Planned Parenthood directly, at 1-800-230-PLAN, and they will help set up an appointment at your closest health center, or visit www.plannedparenthood.org and make your appointment online.  If you see something super shady, tell someone. And whatever you do, definitely don't get into some creepy van.

The Federal Government Can't Halt Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

Justice Rice

The Federal government has been trying since the inauguration to strip away access to preventative care and topple Planned Parenthood health centers across the country.

This latest attempt by the administration to strip federal grant money from the TPPP is just another one in a long list of attacks. This one, in particular, specifically targeted Planned Parenthood, and the judge who blocked the attempt, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, called the attack arbitrary and capricious, which could allege that he found the defunding attempt to be spiteful, undemocratic, and perhaps even a little childish.

“The courts confirmed that the Trump-Pence administration’s attempt to impose its ideological agenda on young people is unlawful,” Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.1

The TPPP was created by President Obama in 2010, and helps provide preventative care to 1.5 million young people nationwide.  Instead of acting in the best interests of the young people who often have nowhere else to turn for birth control and education, our current administration would rather deliver a blow to Planned Parenthood for the sake of bragging rights and party agenda.

Planned Parenthood CEOs and other staff members were in DC for the National Conference when this news was announced, and the outcome was understandably well received by everyone.  Since the attacks are bound to keep coming, we can only hope that federal judges continue to do what’s right for the youth of our country. 

BOWLATHON!

#Abortion Access Bowl-A-Thon 2018 Say NO to back alleys, and YES to bowling alleys! Join Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood at Del Lanes in Delmar on April 29th at 2pm to #FundAbortionBuildPower. We're lacing up our bowling shoes and getting to work! Want to show up for abortion access? Support us by making a donation to our team or join the squad! The process is fast, easy, and secure! Bowl with the UHPP staff, invest in abortion funds and raise money with us. *FREE SWAG FOR ALL TEAM MEMBERS* Pre-registration is required - Get more info on the UHPP team here! Send a message that you believe we all should be able to access abortion, no matter how much money we make or where we live. Care, no matter what!  Sunday, April 29th at 2:00pm Del Lanes in Delmar 4 Bethlehem Ct, Delmar, NY 12054

Some Thoughts for an Emotionally Charged Time

I promise, I'm not here to chastise or scold. I'm not even asking you to feel differently than you do.We are comprised of a delightful blend of different hopes and ideals, and that can be wonderful! I'm coming from a place of sincere hope of spreading a little understanding and education. This has been a divisive, ugly time, and it's time to mend the schism and come together again.

Please do take care when telling people to 'get over it.' Emotions are high, and the implications of the election will be felt in very real ways. Chances are that a lot of the people you're gloating at are people you actually care about; friends, relatives, even a partner.

Here are just a couple of the ways in which this outcome could affect people.

There is a vacancy in the supreme court. The president-elect has said that he will appoint an anti-choice, anti-equality judge. This could mean a number of things, namely:

1. The reversal of Obergefell v. Hodges, the supreme court decision that legalized same sex marriage. It would go back to being a state issue, which means many states would ban it altogether. That would be devastating to so many people. Also, how is it okay to say, 'you're married here, but not there?' Married is married! Also, couples would lose access to federal benefits, like social security.

2: The repeal of Roe v. Wade. Women will no longer be able to obtain safe and legal abortion. It will go back to being a state issue, and places like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, et al will ban it altogether, returning us to a time of back alley abortion where women die of sepsis or perforation of the perineum. Those who oppose abortion are well within their rights to do so, but if you think banning it will stop it, you're delusional.

3. Family Planning Centers could lose Title X funding, which was established by Richard Nixon in 1970, allocating federal funding for family planning services. This does not include abortion. Nixon understood the importance of making sure young men and women had access to education and preventative care so that they could better plan their families. Numbers 2 and 3 of this list combined could result in the mass-closing of family planning centers and jobs will be lost (potentially my own, but I'm probably safe here in New York). This is why people are freaking out and getting IUDs now; because they would be covered for several years if they lose access to birth control. Also, google what has happened to states that have cut off funding for preventative care; the STD and teen pregnancy rates go through the roof. It's not good.

There's so much more I could go into, but this is just a slice of it. You might not care about these things, but if you care about someone who would be affected by any of the above, please take a moment to consider their feelings. Now, there is the possibility that the future POTUS will choose not to go after any of these things, and even appoint a more moderate judge, but right now we just don't know. But if anything happens to his presidency, which-- considering he has to stand trial-- is a real possibility, and Pence takes over, that would be very bad for advocates of equality and choice. This is a guy who pushes for gay conversion therapy-- a draconian practice that is actually banned in five states because it has been proven to be so harmful. He also wants to overturn any and all anti-discrimination laws protecting the LGBT community. These are all things that could really, genuinely hurt people.

The election didn't go as I hoped, but I'm choosing to shake it off and move forward with hope. One thing is for sure, OUR DOORS REMAIN OPEN!

Please. Lets stop the divisive rhetoric. We're all in this together. I quote the great prophet John of Liverpool when I say, 'give peace a chance.' BE NICE!

The Shocking-Poster Attack- still a trusty fallback for radical antiabortionists!

Submitted by UHPP Board Member Dyrleif Bjarnadottir

It's been a rough few weeks for Planned Parenthood supporters. A radical group of antiabortionists is on the offensive, releasing tapes from what they are calling an "undercover sting operation", supposedly showing Planned Parenthood employees callously talking about selling human body parts. One look at any one of the tapes quickly confirms that this is not actually what is happening. But the insinuation has been made and the climate created for discussing this as if it were a real possibility. So we must endure for a while answering questions about legitimate practices carried out according to the strictest government standards by highly trained professionals in certified state of the art clinics, as if unscrupulous individuals were engaged in shady unethical doings for profit. Endurance is the name of the game here - the bully is on the playground who cannot be reasoned with, we must stand patiently and endure the taunting and teasing and even the occasional injury, knowing that we have the high ground, that we are right, but the bully still gets the attention of the hour.

So what can we learn from the recent and ongoing "Undercover tape" events? No new and interesting facts about Planned Parenthood have come to light. We already knew that a few Planned Parenthood clinics in the country collect fetal tissue for research. We already knew that Planned Parenthood follows the strict rules set out by government agencies about human tissue samples, collecting, storing, and use. We know there is informed consent from the women who make the choice to donate their fetuses for scientific research and we know that the money that changes hands as a result of the collection of these samples is solely for the storing and proper shipping. (As a side note here: It is always useful to remember that informed consent is a big deal in modern medical research. Many people, scientists, doctors, clinicians, ethicists, philosophers, and policymakers, spend good portions of their careers making sure that we get both parts of the process right, the informed part and the consent part).

What we have been reminded of is that facts were not the issue in the first place. The people who spent 3 years gaining access to and secretly taping Planned Parenthood employees, the people who lied about who they were and presented fake identification, who collected hours upon hours of footage so they could edit it to make it say whatever they wanted, those people didn't care about the facts. Again, nothing new here. What is mildly interesting is how completely without shame this radical wing of the anti-abortion movement is. There is no accountability anywhere in this chain of events. Accountability, as in having a reference point in reality that guides your actions. Without the minimal integrity provided by a standard of honesty or accountability you can pretty much reach your goal by any means you can come up with. In this case the anti-abortionists took a leaf out of an old playbook, and in the absence of any facts to support their claim, they appealed directly to emotion. The edited snippets in the tapes shown to the public and the politicians they want to influence are a much more elaborate and high tech version of the gruesome posters of aborted fetuses we have seen paraded in front of health centers, designed to shock and evoke negative emotions. They have set out to create an emotional response of disgust amongst people who are already inclined to support their views. They do this to create an environment of confusion and emotional upheaval because, in such an environment, the levelheaded scrutiny that prevents their agenda from going forward, may temporarily take the backseat.

A prime example of how the 'shocking poster effect' works can be seen in some of the media coverage of the past several days. Take a look at George Stephanopoulos interviewing Cecile Richards on NBC a few days after the first tape hit the airways.  Mr. Stephanopoulos hones in on the "tone" of the PP employee in the video. Not on the facts diligently presented or on the points repeatedly made that exonerate Planned Parenthood of any of the accusations made. It is the tone of the woman on the tape that is incriminating. If we learn nothing else from this episode of attacks, let’s take note of this: The case against Planned Parenthood relies on gruesome posters and the many forms they take in our technologically advanced world. This time it took the form of the "wrong tone of voice". Thankfully our elected representatives still see the difference between shock tactics and facts. At least some of them.

Facts about the Latest Video Smear Attack on Planned Parenthood

"On July 14, anti-abortion activists with a long record of deceiving the public released their latest campaign — the latest in a seven-year string of false bills of goods they seek to sell to the media and the public."

Click here to read:

Some additional points:

● I will not back down. I will not be silenced. I will continue to fight for what is right and stand with #PlannedParenthood— no matter what.

● Anti-abortion extremists trying to silence me will be sorely disappointed. I won't back down from speaking truth.

● This harassment is unacceptable. I refuse to be bullied. I refuse to be undone by triggering comments. I refuse to be silenced.

Remember, Planned Parenthood is the most trusted women’s health care provider in this country, and we have provided high-quality care for nearly 100 years. Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our patients.

This is just the latest political attack on women's health. The group behind this fraud has done 10 separate attack campaigns like this over the last eight years.

These tapes are heavily doctored, and the full tapes show that it is false and outrageous to suggest that Planned Parenthood profits from women’s decisions to donate fetal tissue. To be clear: There is nothing in these videos that suggest any violation of law.

In this new video, extremists badgered and hounded a longtime physician for hours, trying to get her to discuss unethical and criminal activity that she doesn’t engage in or know anything about.

The real agenda here is becoming clearer every day. These false claims are being used to advance a political agenda to ban abortion and to defund Planned Parenthood, which would cut 2.7 million people off of birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and other preventive health care services.

Also, check out PPFA president Cecile Richards' statement about the attacks.

Male Politician Epic Fails at Female Anatomy

I couldn't make this junk up if I tried.  Jezebel nailed it, so I'm just going to leave this here:

Our friend Vito [Barbieri, Rep. Idaho] asked Dr. Julie Madsen, who was testifying against [a bill that would ban doctors from prescribing abortion-inducing medication through telemedicine], if women could simply swallow a camera in order for doctors to perform remote gynecological exams. Madsen I assume chocked back cries of utter disdain and horror before explaining that “swallowed pills do not end up in the vagina.” (read more)

Seriously....what?  I mean, I know it's "lady parts" but I thought this stuff was common knowledge by now.  These are people we elect to office.  These are the people who are deciding which laws will legislate our lives and well-being, and he doesn't know how a freaking vagina works.  This guy has a wife and three kids, and somehow missed this.

I will leave you with the foundation shaking implications of this. Really take a moment to let this sink in.

I would like conclude by also pointing out that the official website for the Idaho legislature chose papyrus as its font.  

[Bustle] 6 Anti-Abortion Politicians To Watch Out For As The Fight Heats Up In 2015

As feared, the are many new challenges the pro-choice movement (along with many other proponents of a number of civil rights causes) will be facing with the new Republican-led Congress.  This post from Bustle highlights who we need to watch out for.  The fact that there are women on this list is extremely disappointing.

In its first three days, Congress introduced five anti-abortion measures. Five. It seems that limiting women’s access to safe abortion is on par with the Keystone XL pipeline, another harmful Republican favorite. The House re-introduced a bill that would restrict abortion limits to 20 weeks, which already passed the Republican-led chamber in 2013. Representatives will vote on the bill on Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, to commemorate their embarrassing backpedaling on human rights. Meanwhile, the Senate took aim at Planned Parenthood funding and created a legislative obstacle course for abortion providers, particularly outside of urban areas. Ah, what a start!

Find out who is on the list. And a side note to Millennials: Please go vote.  We needed your voice in the last elections and you didn't turn up. You are an intelligent and impassioned group of people calling for social change, but you need to make your voice heard at the polls or it's all for naught.  I was astonished by the election results, considering the current conservative platform is growing increasingly unfavorable among Millennial and Gen-Y voters who desire social reform. Please-- we can't let this continue. Vote, vote, vote!

National Journal: "Why Abortion-Rights Activists Should Fear the Supreme Court"

A rather unsettling article appeared in the National Journal yesterday, and I won't sully it with excess commentary.  I just would like to take a moment to remind everyone of how fortunate we are to live in New York, but the ripple effect of an unfavorable ruling from the Supreme Court could be disastrous, even for us.  Therefore, without further ado, I recommend you all read this.

Why Abortion-Rights Activists Should Fear the Supreme CourtA high-court ruling is seen as a likely last-ditch effort to stop sweeping antiabortion legislation passed in Texas and other states. But counting on a win is a very risky gamble for the law’s opponents.
By Sophie Novack and Sam BakerMay 18, 2014
The abortion-rights movement is on the verge of a massive gamble.
The movement is trying to roll back a wave of state laws that have successfully curtailed access to abortion, and their best hope for doing so—perhaps their only hope for doing so—is likely a ruling from the Supreme Court. Advocates could soon get their wish: A Texas antiabortion law appears headed to the high court as soon as its next session, and a ruling against it could put other states' abortion restrictions on the shakiest of legal ground.
But it's also a move that could backfire: The advocates have no guarantee the Court will rule in their favor. The panel is divided and exceedingly difficult to forecast, and it could issue an unfavorable ruling that would not only sanction the Texas law—but also pave the legal way for new antiabortion laws nationwide.
"I think it is a huge risk," said Heather Busby, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas. "My concern is that at least four, if not five, justices don't have the same level of empathy for the burdens women face that we see on the ground."

Read more