South Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

NOT "Just a Few Dollars"

Politicians like Rick Santorum say that this birth control issue isn't a big deal because it "costs just few dollars." REALITY CHECK! Enter your age and contraceptive of choice and find out how much you could expect to pay for birth control through the average age of menopause.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans will cover women’s preventive services, including contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible. 

Unfortunately, this fight continues in Congress. One bill, the Rubio-Manchin bill, would allow any business or corporation, on the basis of personal religious belief or moral conviction, to take away birth control coverage from their employees. Another bill, sponsored by Senator Blunt (R-MO), would drastically undermine women’s health and allow any employer or health plan to refuse to cover any health care service they object to on religious or moral grounds.

Planned Parenthood will continue to remain vigilant in protecting women’s access to health care at the state and federal levels.

Unofficial TTRT Book Club - The Baby Thief

This is the crazy, true story of an evil woman, southern politics, and adoption. I thought this book was fascinating from start to finish: this woman posed as social services to take babies away from mothers she thought unfit, she put photos of babies in the newspaper at Christmas-time asking for people to adopt them, and the gave babies to judges, lawyers and law officials to gain favor in the community.

The author writes from an interesting perspective as she adopted her own daughter. Georgia Tann’s antics of trickery and theft helped to shape many current adoption laws, for better and for worse. This book was expertly researched and well-written.

I recommend this book for those anti-abortion folks who think that adoption is the best choice for “everyone.” Georgia Tann tore apart many families in her quest for wealth and “good” families.
I’m certain our TTRT readers will enjoy this pro choice book as well. Happy reading!

~Carmen, Planned Parenthood Advocate

Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood - What a Week!

Even if you were literally living under a rock, it would have been impossible to miss the avalanche of activity surrounding the SGK decision to stop funding grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast health, cancer screenings, and prevention education. Personally, I read as many articles as possible—and I’m certain I only made it through a third.

The Team Roe Times February Issue!

We are excited to present to you the second issue of The Team Roe Times in 2012, a joint project between Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and NARAL Pro Choice South Dakota!

 

Packed inside this fabulous issue is a book review of one of the most interesting books I’ve read on adoption, “The Baby Thief”, updates on the South Dakota Legislature, the birth control employer refusal, and two new choice words AND SO MUCH MORE! Please enjoy and share widely.

Download The Team Roe Times Vol 2 Issue 2

President Obama Reaffirms Commitment to Women’s Access to Birth Control; Fight Continues in Congress

In the face of an outrageous assault on women’s health, the Obama administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring all women will have access to birth control coverage, with no costly co-pays and no additional hurdles, no matter where they work.

“Our number one concern is making sure women have access to basic health care, including access to contraception, and Obama’s announcement today means that all women will have that access no matter where they work or who their employer is,” said Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS). “The compliance mechanism does not compromise a woman’s ability to access critical birth control benefits.”

The Obama Administration’s announcement clarifies how religious organizations can comply with the law and means that health insurance companies, not Catholic businesses, will absorb the cost of the co-pay for contraception. The president strongly stood up to those who were trying to deny this benefit to women who work in religious institutions.

Planned Parenthood continues to believe that those institutions that serve the broad public, employ the broad public, and receive taxpayer dollars, should be required to follow the same rules as everyone else, including providing birth control coverage and information.

“As a trusted health care provider to one in five women, Planned Parenthood’s priority is increasing access to preventive health care. This birth control coverage benefit does just that,” Stoesz continued.

Unfortunately, this fight continues in Congress. One bill, the Rubio-Manchin bill, would allow any business or corporation, on the basis of personal religious belief or moral conviction, to take away birth control coverage from their employees. Another bill, sponsored by Senator Blunt (R-MO), would drastically undermine women’s health and allow any employer or health plan to refuse to cover any health care service they object to on religious or moral grounds. 

Planned Parenthood will continue to remain vigilant in protecting women’s access to health care at the state and federal levels.

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Contact: Jen Aulwes, 651-755-9557

Statement of Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, on the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Decision to Reinstate Funding for Breast Cancer Screenings at Planned Parenthood Health Centers Nationwide

The outpouring of support for women in need of lifesaving breast cancer screening this week has been astonishing and is a testament to our nation's compassion and sincerity.

This show of support underscores what a critical resource Planned Parenthood is in the fight to detect and prevent breast cancer.  We were so heartened by the calls and emails we received from people in our region, who made it clear that they did not like to see politics playing a role in women’s health care. 

Planned Parenthood Statement on Komen Foundation Succumbing to Political Pressure and Ending Breast Cancer Prevention Funding

Planned Parenthood today expressed deep disappointment in response to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to stop funding breast cancer prevention, screenings, and education at Planned Parenthood health centers. Anti-women’s health groups have repeatedly targeted and boycotted the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation for partnering with Planned Parenthood to provide these lifesaving cancer screenings and news articles suggest that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation ultimately succumbed to these pressures.

“As a health care provider to more than 60,000 women in our community, Planned Parenthood is trusted a leader in helping women identify breast cancer early. Women are deeply alarmed that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure from a vocal minority”, said Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS). “For years, opponents of women’s health have waged an aggressive pressure campaign aimed at the Susan G. Komen Foundation at the expense of women’s health and lives.”

They’re BAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKKKK!

Yesterday was the day we’d all been waiting for, and the SD State Legislature did not disappoint. Introduced by Representatives Hunt, Brunner, Cronin, Greenfield, Haggar, Hansen (Jon), Hubbel, Jensen, Kloucek, Miller, Nelson (Stace), Olson (Betty), Sly, Stricherz, Van Gerpen, and Wick and Senators Kraus, Brown, Heineman, Hunhoff (Jean), Krebs, and Schlekeway is a bill very, very similar to 2011’s HB 1217:

An act to revise certain provisions pertaining to the decision of a pregnant mother considering termination of her relationship with her child by an abortion, to establish certain procedures to insure that such decisions are voluntary, uncoerced, and informed, and to revise certain causes of action for professional negligence relating to performance of an abortion.

You can read the entire bill here. http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2012/Bill.aspx?File=HB1254P.htm

No Woman, No Cry in Rapid City

Screening of NO WOMAN, NO CRY

A documentary by Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns

Date: February 4, 2012      

Time: 1:30 to 3:30 pm

Location: Rapid City Public Library, 610 Quincy Street, Rapid City upstairs in Room B (Elevator is available).

Join us for the screening of No Woman, No Cry, a documentary by Christy Turlington Burns, the supermodel, mom and global maternal health advocate. In her gripping directorial debut, Christy Turlington Burns shares the powerful stories of at-risk pregnant women in four parts of the world, including a remote Maasai tribe in Tanzania, a slum of Bangladesh, a post-abortion care ward in Guatemala, and a prenatal clinic in the United States.

Afterwards, stay for a discussion about global and local maternal health issues.

Brought you by the following sponsors: Planned Parenthood’s Global Program, Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, WE - Women Evolving and Democracy in Action.

For more information, please call Mary Jo Farrington 605-716-5166 or email Heather.Sayette@ppfa.org

Planned Pregnancy Needs Role, Too

As a certified nurse-midwife with over 25 years of practice, including providing prenatal care to pregnant women and delivering babies, I applaud Gov. Dennis Daugaard, the first lady and the Governor’s Task Force on Infant Mortality in their efforts to reduce infant deaths in South Dakota.

Every effort should be made to reduce infant and maternal mortality in the United States and worldwide. However, one proven and fundamental way to decrease infant mortality was left out of the Task Force’s recent recommendations: planning one’s pregnancy in advance.