Planned Parenthood Advocate

"Hey" from the Public Affairs Organizer Interns

We’re Anna, Madeline, Ruth, and Ava writing to you from our modest office in the Lagoon health center! Just for a little background, Anna currently studies sociology and women’s health at Colorado College; Ava, fresh out of Minnetonka High School, is going to be a first year at Macalester this fall; Madeline attends George Washington where she studies public health; and Ruth is majoring in psychology at the University of Minnesota. Led by our fearless leader, Anna, we’re looking forward to a full, exciting summer!

Our primary goal is to expand the Planned Parenthood Action Network by (at least) 3,000 members. This way, many more supporters can stay in the loop about PPMNS. In order to do so, we’re planning some awesome outreach events. We’ll be canvassing in the Twin Cities, as well as Rochester and be tabling at tons of events. You’ll see us, clad in fierce blue t-shirts, at concerts, festivals, and other events throughout the next few months. We’re also organizing a Sex Ed Rocks benefit concert for early this fall and coordinating bi-monthly Volunteer Nights at the Vandalia health center.

Let us know if you’d be interested in joining our Action Network or volunteering - we would love to have you join us!

- written by the Public Affairs Organizers. Contact them about volunteering at PAIntern@ppmns.org.

[INFOGRAPHIC] Access to Birth Control Matters for all Minnesotans

Tomorrow, Friday June 7th, is the 48^th anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut, the historic 1965 Supreme Court decision that legalized the use of contraception by married couples. Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota is celebrating the gains made by women since the decision, including expanded access to birth control made possible by the Affordable Care Act, with the release of new report, Birth Control: We All Benefit - Access to Birth Control Matters to All Minnesotans.

The evidence is clear. Birth control has extensive benefits for women’s and children’s health, family economic security and the future of our economy. Learn more by downloading the Birth Control: We All Benefit reports or get the highlights from the infographic below!

 

>Dowload the full reports to to learn more

Chlamydia – The Most Common STD in America

Affecting 3 million American men and women every year, chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD – also known as a sexually transmitted infection or STI) in the U.S. In Minnesota, reported chlamydia cases reached a record high of 18,048 cases in 2012.

To educate our community, we’ve asked Devin, a Planned Parenthood health educator, to relay facts on chlamydia and the importance of getting tested.

 

From 2011 to 2012, Minnesota saw a 7 percent increase in cases of chlamydia. The majority of those cases occurred in young people ages 15 to 24.

Perhaps most troubling, a stunning percentage of people aren’t aware that they have the infection because there are often no symptoms. In fact, according to Devin, “75% of women and 50% of men have no symptoms at all – which is why it’s so important to get tested.” If left untreated, the infection can cause serious health problems, including infertility.

Planned Parenthood offers no-cost or low-cost confidential testing and expert treatment. Whether or not you have health insurance, qualified health professionals will work with you to provide personalized, non-judgmental healthcare.

For more information on no-cost chlamydia screenings at Planned Parenthood, visit our website.

- by Shieva, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

IUDs

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are one of the most effective types of birth control available. As a safe, long-acting and reversible contraceptive, it is also one of the most cost effective over time.

There are two different kinds of IUDs available –one non-hormonal and one with hormones –and their popularity is increasing.

“People like it because it’s something you’re always ready to use. You don’t have to think about taking a pill every day,” says Kristin, a registered nurse and Planned Parenthood’s Quality Assurance Director.

 

Like with any birth control method, there are benefits and side effects to IUDs. Planned Parenthood experts are here to educate our patients so they can make an informed decision. After the initial cost of an IUD, the contraceptive can last between 5 and 12 years – depending on which IUD you choose.

Planned Parenthood offers convenient payment options for birth control and flexible hours for personalized reproductive healthcare. The qualified clinicians can meet with you to discuss IUDs and to decide if it’s right for you.

If you’re worried about the cost of an IUD, birth control, or other reproductive health care needs, visit the PPMNS website to see if you quality for a no-cost or low-cost program.

- by Shieva, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

Choosing the Best Type of Birth Control for You

With so many birth control options, it can be difficult to decide which one will work best for you. The reproductive healthcare experts at Planned Parenthood can help you find birth control that fits your individual needs.

 

At Planned Parenthood health centers, specialists in reproductive and sexual health care, like nurse practitioner Lisa, provide open and non-judgmental care in order to help you chose a method of birth control that accommodates your lifestyle.

There are many birth control options that are safe and reliable. Whether you plan to have children in the near future or are looking for more long-term options, you and a women’s health care professional will discuss a variety of factors –including possible side-effects and reliability of different methods.

“If you don’t know what you want, that’s fine. That’s why we’re here,” Lisa says. “We’re here to help you, and to help you make that choice.”

For information on no-cost and low-cost birth control eligibility and multiple payment options, please visit the PPMNS webpage.

- by Shieva, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

 

Birth Control: No Matter What

Whether you have insurance, or whether you’re worried about being able to afford care, Planned Parenthood will help you get the personalized, expert care you need –including no-cost or low-cost birth control.

With many clinics open 7 days a week and some offering evening hours, the qualified health professionals at Planned Parenthood clinics work to make reproductive and sexual healthcare as convenient as possible.

“Over 64,000 people in our region choose PP for their healthcare needs. And there’s a reason for that,” said Kristin, a Registered Nurse and Planned Parenthood’s Quality Assurance Director.
Once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, receiving comprehensive preventive health services will be easier and more affordable than ever.

Regardless of your current health insurance status, Planned Parenthood offers multiple payment options for birth control and other services.

Not sure whether you qualify or want to hear more? Click here to learn more from Kristin.

 

 

- by Shieva, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

 

STI Rates in Minnesota on the Rise

It’s no secret to most Minnesotans that sexually transmitted disease (STDs) are a big problem for communities across our state. What is surprising is that despite national efforts to raise awareness around the STD epidemic, encourage annual testing, and educate the public about prevention, more and more Minnesotans are getting STDs every year.

Last month, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released its annual report on STDs. According to MDH, the overall rate of STDs in Minnesota has increased by 10% since 2011, with a 7% increase in Chlamydia, a 35% increase in gonorrhea, and a 15% decrease in syphilis. Adolescents, women between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, and African-Americans are disproportionately effected by these trends.

These statistics are alarming. When left untreated, STDs can cause serious damage to women’s reproductive organs, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pregnancy complications, even infertility. In men, STIs can spread, causing pain, and in rare cases, infertility. What’s especially troublesome is that many STDs exhibit no symptoms until the infection becomes serious. For this reason, it is so important to use preventive measures like condoms, and to get tested for STDs at least once a year. It is apparent that campaigns like  Get Yourself Tested (GYT)  are critical to expanding awareness around this major public health challenge. GYT is a national campaign that takes place during the month of April, aimed at raising awareness about STDs, de-stigmatizing discussion of STDs, and encouraging the sexually active to get tested regularly.

Quick, easy, and affordable healthcare is also crucial. Many of Planned Parenthood’s clinics are open 7 days a week making it easy and convenient to find a time to get tested. Planned Parenthood accepts insurance but also has low or no cost testing and treatment options for those who are eligible. You can call 1.800.230.PLAN, or request an appointment online. You can also locate a clinic near you.

Read more about STDs and the annual report at Patch.com.

by Lauren, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

Planned Parenthood's Next Generation takes first step

Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota recently hosted its inaugural Born After Roe event – an initiative aimed at introducing the next generation of supporters and advocates to the organization through conversation, connections and education. Read one participants take on the event:

 

I have often heard that women (and men for that matter) in their 20's and 30's are complacent, and that we are not taking up the banner of reproductive rights.  This assertion is very frustrating for me.  Most of the people I surround myself with are deeply concerned with healthcare access and standing up against restrictions on reproductive freedom, but their commitment manifests itself differently than in previous generations.  Social media in particular has changed the way that myself and my peers advocate.  Every time I log into Facebook I get the latest from my favorite social justice activists and my most well informed friends.  I use my own internet presence to spread information on threats to reproductive rights, and to articulate my own feelings.  As a result I am both very connected to an under 30 reproductive rights movement and very isolated from it. 

It’s because of all of these reasons that I chose to attend the inaugural Born After Roe: Planned Parenthood’s Next Generation event on May 22 in downtown Minneapolis. Billed as an ‘advocacy salon’ where young women (and men) could come together in a safe space for the purpose of conversation, story sharing and learning about advocacy, this sounded like the perfect step from online to offline activism.

Born After Roe was indeed a social network - a tangible, live, social network.  At this event I ran into friends that I had never connected with about this type of work, and met new people knowing that we shared a common passion, but that their reasons for engaging with it were different than mine.  Even though I am very plugged into the reproductive rights community, this event left me with greater certainty that this generation cares, and that I do not support this cause in a silo. 

This initiative is a fantastic opportunity to spread ideas and information about reproductive issues.  I hope future gatherings feature in depth talks about the challenges facing abortion rights, the policy around comprehensive sex education, the future of birth control access, and, perhaps most importantly, I hope there continues to be strong and personal dialogue between the amazing people who come to these events.  - Kate Steir, Planned Parenthood volunteer

Sound like something you’d want to attend? Email advocacy@ppmns.org to receive updates on future events, including a summer messaging training and a winter intergenerational speed dating event!

New fact sheet on Obamacare to educate Minnesotans on life-saving benefits

A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that half of Americans don’t know how the Affordable Care Act will benefit them. Moreover, 42% of Americans don’t know that the ACA is an effective law.  

In our efforts to educate Minnesotans, we’ve assembled a go-to guide on the reproductive healthcare services that will be covered under the ACA. Find our fact sheet here


Under the Obamacare legislation, 900,000 Minnesota women will have expanded access to preventive health services –including well-woman visits (annual exams), family planning, and breast-feeding support –with no co-pays. The nearly 500,000 Minnesotans who are uninsured will gain access to the healthcare they need.

Thanks to the ACA, women will have improved access to birth control. And insurance companies will no longer be able to discriminate against women.

The Affordable Care Act: Improving Women’s Health in Minnesota for Years to Come.

 

- by Shieva, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

 

Women's Press Poll shows Planned Parenthood is WHAT WOMEN WANT for health care, volunteer opportunities, and for philanthropy!

Did you hear? Planned Parenthood was mentioned in MN Women’s Press! The magazine recently published the results of their reader survey, “What women want!” Planned Parenthood took home the prize in two categories, along with a nod in a third category.

MN Women’s Press readers voted Planned Parenthood “Favorite women-friendly clinic,” and “Favorite organization serving women or girls I’d like to write a check to.” Planned Parenthood was also a runner-up in the category, “Favorite place to volunteer for women or girls.”

THANK YOU to all those who voted for Planned Parenthood. PP hopes to continue being your go-to place for health care, volunteer opportunities, and philanthropy.

Check out the MN Women’s Press article for more details!

 

-by Lauren, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota