Planned Parenthood Advocate

Your First Time (At the Gynecologist)

Think of the anxiety you experience when starting a new job or on the first day of school. Recall your nerves the first time you drove a car on the highway. Combine all three and you near the level of apprehension many women feel when going to their first cervical exam. In reality, it is an everyday procedure that is a critical preventative health measure.

 “I had looked it up on the Internet and I was scared it was going to hurt,” said Carla, a Planned Parenthood patient in St. Paul. “But it was the least traumatic thing. My doctor was so nice and she explained everything that was going to happen. She did it so quickly; I didn’t even know she was done!”

Amanda, from North Dakota, was too embarrassed as a teenager to ask her single father about birth control (and her younger brother was certainly no help). A friend directed her to Planned Parenthood, where Amanda received a full exam despite not having health insurance.

 “When you’re young, you’re vulnerable and you don’t know what’s going on,” Amanda recalls. “I remember going in the first time for a pelvic exam and the doctor making me feel so comfortable. I was so deathly afraid of going in there, but honestly it couldn’t have been better.”

Women should have routine Pap tests every 3 years starting at age 21. Seeking out a medical center where the staff makes you feel comfortable and safe will help relieve that natural apprehension.

Carla now counsels younger women to seek out a Planned Parenthood clinic and to relax before their exam. She says, “They’re safe, they’re really gentle, and they’re really kind, so you don’t have to worry.”

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MORIAH P., COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Feb. 20 is Pro-Choice Lobby Day and You're Invited!

On February 20, Minnesotans will join in solidarity at the state capitol for Pro-Choice Lobby Day. Supporters will rally together and meet with legislators to ensure that women’s healthcare remains a priority for a healthy Minnesota.

And this year’s lobby day could not be more critical, as the 2013 legislature will design the implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchange – the online marketplace where consumers can shop for health insurance. The Minnesota Insurance Marketplace Act was introduced in early January and must be completely hammered out and signed by Governor Mark Dayton by the end of March.

February 20 marks the day where Minnesotans join the discussion. Under the healthcare exchange, thousands of people who are currently without health insurance will be able to shop around for a plan that’s best for them. It is imperative that supporters of women’s health ensure that every aspect of their healthcare is included in the exchange, from well woman visits and cancer screenings to contraception coverage and abortion care.

Pro-Choice Lobby Day will feature a Lobby 101 exercise, where you’ll get a quick training from an experienced Lobby Coach on what it’s like to visit with your representatives. After which, you’ll be invited to attend brief educational breakout sessions designed to inform you on a specific issue, give you a new perspective, and help develop the skills to talk about women’s reproductive rights with the people around you.

But remember, you do not need to be an experienced lobbyist, great public speaker or healthcare professional to attend this event or to have your voice heard. Pro-Choice Lobby Day is all about sharing your thoughts with your legislator and learning how the legislative process works.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required, so do so here.

- by Austin, Public Affairs Intern, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

 

Cervical Cancer Awareness Book Reviews

The cervical cancer/HPV world needs a few more Betty Ford equivalents – people willing to carve through stigma, shame and silence and advocate for those with cervical and other HPV-related cancers in the same fearless way that the former First Lady went to bat for those with breast cancer. Oh, you can already hear the naysayers: Breast cancer is different, they might say, because it’s not caused by human sexual behavior and therefore it’s not anyone’s “fault.” What a cruel and uninformed distinction to make! And what a moral quandary we create when we point exclusively to individual behavior when assessing cancers or illnesses of any kind. Here’s a sampling of a very few books out there about HPV and the cancers it causes, written by people whose willingness to tell their personal stories, expose misinformation, explore scientific advances and address controversy is much to be admired.

Planned Parenthood Releases Updated Report to Mark Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Calls for Action, Education to Address Preventable Cervical Cancer Rates and Deaths in Minnesota

Today, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS) released its updated report on cervical cancer prevention in Minnesota as part of a long-standing effort to raise awareness about the importance of preventive health care for women, men and teens.

Click here to download the report and visit our Your Health Matters page to hear from PPMNS’ health care providers about the need for regular Pap screenings and to learn what’s involved in getting the HPV vaccine.