North Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

We are hiring!

We are looking for a passionate, dedicated Grassroots Organizer who is eager to make positive contributions to their community and to the Planned Parenthood mission.

Under the direct supervision of the North Dakota Public Affairs Manger the ND Grassroots Organizer will build support for the organization throughout North Dakota by carrying out campus and public outreach, grassroots organizing and online communications.

Check out the details of this part time position.

Planned Parenthood MN,ND, SD (PPMNS) has supported women and men of all ages in making responsible choices and planning their futures in the Red River Valley for three decades and in our tri-state region since 1928. We are the leading provider of, educator, and advocate for confidential, affordable and quality reproductive health care and information across the region, serving more than 64,000 patients per year. 

PPMNS is an organization committed to creating and fostering an environment that leads to engaged employees, and we believe engaged employees results in satisfied customers and exceptional experiences.  Apply today!

Chlamydia- The Most Common STI 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. 

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.”Chlamydia is diagnosed through a simple urine test and can be easily treated using antibiotics.

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

 

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.

Are You an RN Looking for a Part-Time Gig?

Registered Nurse Position – Moorhead, MN 

Since 1928, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota has supported women and men of all ages in making responsible choices and planning their futures.  We are the leading provider of, educator, and advocate for confidential, affordable and quality reproductive health care and information across the region, serving more than 64,000 patients per year.

We are looking for passionate, dedicated staff who are eager to make positive contributions to their community and to the Planned Parenthood mission. Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota is searching for a Registered Nurse to join our Moorhead Clinic. 

Senator Introduces Bill to Cover Abortion for Peace Corps Volunteers

Last week Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill that will expand healthcare coverage for Peace Corps volunteers to include access to abortion. The Peace Corps Equity Act will ensure that abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment will be covered.

Of all Peace Corps volunteers, 62 percent are women. Many work in countries where quality health care is not readily available. Unfortunately, hundreds of cases of rape and sexual assault have been perpetrated against volunteers over the last decade.

For many years, Congress has barred the Peace Corps from providing abortion coverage to its volunteers without exception. A similar ban for military servicewomen existed until 2012, when President Obama signed a bill broadened their coverage to include abortion in cases of rape or incest. The Peace Corps Equity Act would expand upon that policy, allowing Peace Corps volunteers the access to healthcare most women under federal government health plans already have.

We applaud the efforts of Sen. Lautenberg in speaking out for Peace Corps volunteers as civil servants.

Support the Peace Corps Equity Act. 

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

Reach One, Teach One- North Dakota

By Saraya, Intern for Planned Parenthood MN,ND,SD

After months of uncertainty and debate, the North Dakota State University and Planned Parenthood sex education program has started teaching the youth in our community! Reach One Teach One- North Dakota, also known as ROTO, is a peer education program that gives young people an opportunity to learn about real-life issues related to sexuality and then share their knowledge with others. ROTO is all about health, community, and responsibility. As well as always being comprehensive, medically accurate, and age-appropriate.

The Planned Parenthood educators cover many topics with the youth over a 12 week course. Some of the topics include: communication skills, goal setting, healthy relationships, abstinence, anatomy, birth control, responsible decision-making, sexual violence, and STIs and HIV/AIDS. The goal of this program is to decrease teen pregnancy and STI rates. This goal will be accomplished by teaching the youth those various topics.

Not only will the youth be learning a lot, but they will also be having a lot of fun. Every session the youth are served a meal, and are also eligible to win many cool prizes!

The educators of this program are Katie and Rachel, both are very excited to get this program running. Katie is the Community Education Programs Manager. She does a variety of things; she connects with community partners, members, and organizations that work with the youth, she communicates with the youth and families and answers any questions they may have, and most importantly she facilitates the program and make sure it meets all of the requirements. Alongside Katie is her co-worker Rachel who is the Community Education Specialist. Rachel’s duties include facilitating the programming and planning implementation of the curriculum.

Both Katie and Rachel feel that the classes are over all going very well. Of course it takes a while to get the program running, but they feel like they have “gotten into the groove”. They have stated that the youth seem very receptive and engaged during the classes, and they are getting a very positive response from the youth. Many of the youth have stated that they wished they would’ve had this education sooner!

Katie and Rachel are excited to see how this program will grow over the next three years. They are looking to implement double amount of classes to be offered this summer.

You can find more information about this program online at www.ppmns.org/reachoneteachoneND

Obama Addresses Planned Parenthood Conference

Last week President Obama addressed the Planned Parenthood 2013 National Conference.  History was made this day as President Obama became the first sitting President to address Planned Parenthood.

Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, touted the major advancements for women made by the President; passing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, renewing the Violence Against Women Act, and, most significantly, championing the Affordable Care Act, which allows young adults to stay on their parents health insurance until age 26, provides no-cost birth control, prohibits denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions, removes discriminatory gender-based premiums, and so much more.

In his speech President Obama called out extreme anti choice legislation passed in North Dakota outlawing a woman’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy as early as six weeks- even if she has been raped. He also referenced the state level efforts, like in Mississippi, to pass Personhood laws that would have far reaching consequences including limiting access to invitro fertilization and some forms of contraception- a battle which is looming on the horizon in North Dakota.

Watch the President’s address in its entirety here…

 

You Deserve a High Five!

Finally, the last days of the North Dakota legislative session are upon us! With less than a week remaining of the 2013 session we are about to close a chapter on one of the most difficult and damaging sessions for women and families in North Dakota.  We recently detailed the vote record of legislators on all seven bills that aimed to eliminate women’s constitutionally protect rights.  It is important to know how your elected officials voted and to hold them accountable. There are certainly incredible hurdles ahead; including court cases to win and constitutional amendments to defeat, but that is not the focus of this note. 

Right now we want to take this time to thank you for your hard work and to reflect on some of the successes you were able to obtain. Thank you!

Supporters of reproductive justice defeated two out of three legislative attempts to insert Personhood language, defining life from the moment of conception, into North Dakota law.  Personhood measures are a full on attack on reproductive health and could ban abortion-with no exceptions for rape and incest, close women's health care centers, and limit In Vitro Fertilization care in our state.

• 1608 Planned Parenthood supporters wrote letters to their representatives to demand defeat of Personhood bills.
• 5,840 phone calls were made by Planned Parenthood volunteers to community members asking each caller to contact their legislator to vote against Personhood.

Supporters of reproductive justice defeated the Grande Amendment, introduced by Rep. Bette Grande (R-Fargo) that aimed to halt a teen pregnancy prevention program because of the partnership between North Dakota State University and Planned Parenthood.  Beyond providing basic sex education – everything from abstinence to birth control and avoiding STIs – this program teaches life skills desperately needed by youth in our community.

• 404 Planned Parenthood supporters e-mailed their legislator asking for the Grande Amendment to be defeated.

Supporters of reproductive justice filled the halls of the Capital for WE Rise: Women Empowered, a Planned Parenthood co-sponsored event that brings women to the capital to demystify the legislative process and to encourage civic engagement.

• 200 women and men attended the WE Rise event- a record number!
• 48 women attended the Women’s Leadership and Advocacy training- a record number!

So, once again, thank you! Thank for the 2,445 calls to the Governor’s phone line asking him to ‘veto the abortion bills’. Thank you for 900 supporters who attended coalition lead rallies in all four corners of the state last month.

And thank you for taking a moment to pledge to volunteer and support Planned Parenthoods’ efforts in North Dakota as we build for future battles.

Sincerely, 

Amy Jacobson, North Dakota Public Affairs Manager

 

Planned Parenthood Volunteer Night

Hey, Everyone! We are organizing a pub crawl for reproductive justice and would love to have all you snazzy supporters join us for an evening of fun! The goal of the crawl is to grow support for women’s health by connecting with like-minded people.  

We’ll be meeting at the Fargo Planned Parenthood Office (624 Main Ave, in the Block 6 bldg.) at 7:30 on Friday, May 3rd. 

 We’ll make our way down Broadway and meet afterwards at Fort Noks for further socializing! Dress in your best feminist gear – we will have a few extra pink Planned Parenthood tee shirts on hand too.  Hope we see you there!  Contact Britta at bmsolber@gmail.com  or Saraya at dahlensa@mnstate.edu  if you have any questions. 

Here’s the  gameplan:

We’ll be passing out condom roses, playing ‘Fact or Crap’, and getting people to sign a pledge card to keep them in the loop about pro choice news and volunteering opportunities! Just RSVP to our Facebook event and we’ll see you there! 

The OB from 8:00 to 8:20

The HoDo from 8:30-8:50

Dempsey’s from 9:00-9:20

Rooter’s from 9:30-9:50

Fort Noks (ending point) from 10-?

 

 This is an organizing event and we ask that if participants drink they do so in moderation. Thank you!

A Big Win for Reproductive Rights in North Dakota!

Two years ago during the 2011 North Dakota legislative session HB 1297 was passed and signed into law. Ultimately the impact of this law could have banned the use of medication abortion in the state of North Dakota.

Why do women choose medication abortions? Medication abortions can be done early — women can begin treatment as soon as they know they are pregnant and it's private — women may complete the process of abortion at home. Nearly all women who have used the abortion pill would recommend the method to a friend.

The law directly targeted the services and care provided by the Red River Women’s Clinic- the only clinic that provides abortion in the state. The Center for Reproductive Rights, with a mission to use the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right, stepped in to protect the rights of North Dakota women by challenging the unconstitutional law.

After a three day trial last week, East Central Judicial District Judge Wickham Corwin declared the 2011 law unconstitutional. Judge Wickham stated, “I remain convinced that a woman’s reproductive rights must be protected under the state constitution and must be recognized as fundamental.”

Click here to read more about this ruling and to see what the Center for Reproductive Rights had to say!