Do me a favor—forget what you know for a second. Leave your
preconceived notions at the door. Come in with an open mind, because I’m about
to talk about a hot-button issue: Planned Parenthood.
This week, I will be making my charity pitch on Planned Parenthood
Hudson Peconic, my local reproductive health care provider. Planned Parenthood
Hudson Peconic (PPHP) covers four southern New York counties: Westchester,
Rockland, Putnam, and Suffolk. (If you have no idea where that is, I’ve
attached a map at the bottom.) This is a large area, and it’s not continuous, which brings
its own struggles to the tables. PPHP operates ten clinics in this area as well
as their headquarters. It was at their HQ that I was able to intern last spring
in their Public Affairs department.
This experience was eye-opening. I had always known I felt
passionate about women’s rights, but as a resident of Westchester, a wealthy NYC
suburb, I didn’t expect inequality to exist in my backyard. The people I met
and the stories I heard in this internship showed me the immense lack of
knowledge present when it comes to reproductive health issues.
The mission of PPHP is to “empower individuals to determine
their own sexual health and reproductive futures”. They provide reproductive
health care services to individuals regardless of their age, race, religion,
sexuality, gender identity, and ability to pay. They care for everyone, no
matter what. Their services range from cancer and HIV screenings to gynecological
and prenatal care. Their sex educators are trained to speak to young people
about issues before they are confronted with them. They supplement the often-lacking
public school curriculum.
PPHP is a necessary staple of this community. When my mother
was my age, she interned with PPHP, same as me. At one point, she was even a
patient there. While I have not been a patient there myself, knowing that I
will always have this option gives me comfort regarding my healthcare. PPHP
needs our support. Despite its strong past, this is an organization that is one
legislative act away from not being able to care for its patients. Our support
today can help PPHP continue to provide unparalleled care to the community and
everyone in need. While not an official motto, one phrase I heard at my time at
PPHP really stuck with me: care, no matter what. No matter your age, gender, or
orientation, PPHP will provide you with care. Their doors are open, and it’s
our responsibility to ensure they remain so.
It is so interesting for me to see how our core values are so adaptable to various issues in society. Inequality is such a broad value, but I would also not expect to see it in Westchester County of all places. I liked that you mentioned the unofficial motto that you heard while interning at PPHP because "Care, no matter what," really does exemplify the value of equality. Many schools in Rockland County lack sufficient sex education in their curriculum, and while it is not the sole focus of PPHP to provide it, I do appreciate that PPHP is out in the community trying to make people more aware of their bodies and how to protect themselves. While you did preface this charity post by saying that this is a hot-button issue, I do believe that if there are more people who have been given a proper education, they will actually have the resources to plan their parenthood. Without generalizing too much, I do believe that unplanned parenthood is dangerous to both the parents and the child. Parenthood is a major life decision, it isn't for everyone, and if it is right for a person, that person should be able to have the information to commit to it when they are ready.
ReplyDeleteIn line with this personal belief, I was shocked by the 17,712 birth control visits made to PPHP over the course of 2018. There is clearly a larger proportion of the population that depends on the services of the PPHP than I had previously thought. To supplement this, there were also 78,872 STI tests done at clinics of the PHP. For perspective, if they are evenly distributed across all ten locations, that would be 7,887 tests per year at each clinic and 22 people at each location getting tested every day. People don't have to support every single program run by PPHP, but there is incontrovertible evidence that the organization is a vital resource in the community to many people dealing with stigma. Even though I might not understand a lot of what PPHP does, I do believe that their nondiscriminatory stance is a major factor in allowing people to feel comfortable using their services.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/e9/7b/e97b97d0-d999-4c92-89e3-f13e1318aea5/2018_year_in_review.pdf
Becca,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I want to congratulate you on your blog post and on your charity pitch. Your post is quite the call to action, yet it never feels overwhelming. I never feel forced to have to pick a side. I walk away moved and educated. With a topic as controversial as planned parenthood that is not an easy thing to accomplish. And your charity pitch is, in my opinion, one of the, if not, the best presentation that was given in class. Second, I was surprised how much I resonated with your charity. I believe firmly that we need to educate everyone on sex so that they can behave responsibly and make the right choices. I also believe in many of the services organizations such as Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) offer such as counseling, STI testing, birth control, etc. The one major area that I have always had a problem with is abortion.
I believe that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. I understand the need for the service. The service can save and change lives. However, I never believed that an abortion should occur after the second trimester or be seen as common birth control, such as condoms. It’s a potential life and because of that it deserves a great deal of respect and consideration. When you mentioned that abortion was a service provided by the organization I hesitated. I didn’t want to immediately vote for it because, as I’ve said, I have complex feelings when it comes to abortion. I did not know if I could trust this organization to handle it in a way I would agree with. But, after seeing how much you believed in the group and how you spoke so highly of it, I was seriously considering it. I trusted it and I was glad to see that it did so well in class poll. Great Job.
- Anthony Zavala
What I really enjoyed about your presentation was your ability to take something you were personally passionate about and frame it in a way that sparked something in the class. There was a lot of conversation going on at the tables about your charity pitch and it brought to light another area of non-profits, the healthcare sector and how organizations have to work around that and why things may be different from other organizations. I'm referring to the awkward distance between some of the areas of coverage of this specific branch, which opened up a nice discussion with Dr. Campbell about healthcare and non-profits. Without even seemingly meaning to you brought a whole new idea into the conversation. You did great Becca! I loved your presentation and your cause so much I even voted against myself for you :)
ReplyDeleteHi Becca,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to write a blog comment in appreciation for planned parenthood. Although, I live in the city and wouldn’t have had ever used the facilities our donation would have helped, I think planned parenthood does a lot of great, important work and am glad you did them justice with your amazing, well-planned out, passionate presentation.
They are such an amazing resource to people of all ages, but especially teenagers. My ex had a few questions about what was going on with a pain she was feeling. However, her gynecologist told her there was nothing wrong and that it would pass. The reason for this is because my ex did not feel comfortable sharing about her sexual experiences because the gynecologist was an elderly, conservative lady who made my ex girlfriend feel judged. I talked about it with my sex ed teacher and asked her if there was anyone she could talk to about this and my teacher referred me to planned parenthood. My ex and I went together and they were so unbelievably helpful and she got the medication she needed to feel better.
This is just one of the many stories that shows the importance of planned parenthood.
Becca,
ReplyDeleteI loved that you chose to pitch a Planned Parenthood branch to the class. The range of services they provide to communities is fantastic, especially as healthcare becomes increasingly expensive. I would be really interested to hear what you think planned parenthood's non-profit future looks like as a whole in lieu of recent legislation passing in some of the southern states regarding the legality of abortion.
I also liked how you mentioned the importance of sex education and how planned parenthood of the Hudson Peconic has sex educators that are trained to teach young people about reproductive health. In my high school, I was taught to abstain from sexual activity, and I never learned much in my health classes about reproductive health, which was frightening. Luckily, my parents were very "woke" and gave me the run-down, but I doubt that most people are that fortunate. I think that lack of sex education in schools and the recent abortion legislation is very backwards and upsetting, and that there are much deeper rooted problems with reproductive health culture in America that need to be solved. I am hoping that planned parenthood can continue to do great work in the realm of reproductive health and be a beacon of light in times where reproductive healthcare isn't easily attainable.
-Chloe