VOICES FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD

21 September 2009

The Salt Lake Tribune published an article that highlighted the amazing work that Emma Waitzman does. Emma, a West High School senior, is lobbying for comprehensive sex education in Utah schools. However, there are many who believe her involvement is inappropriate.

Liz Zentner and Mary Ann Kirk of the PTA both feel that parents and educators, not teens should be involved in the decision. Liz Zentner said that teens are too hormone driven to make such an important decision. Zentner believes that Emma and other teens should not be trying to change state law. In the same article, Mary Ann Kirk says that while teen activists should be heard, their age and maturity should also be considered.

It is teenagers, not adults, who are hurt by misinformation and who are affected by this particular state law. As Emma Waitzman made clear in June, teens are the ones who practice unsafe sex because they don’t understand the risks. Emma and her friends understand because their friends have gotten pregnant or contracted sexually transmitted infections. These teens fight because they believe they have a right to good, accurate information that would help them protect themselves. Their voices should be heard and their activism should be encouraged. As those who understand the current state of sex education from first hand experience, their voices should be the ones that matter the most.

1 September 2009

Welcome back to school everyone! School has started and Planned Parenthood is again working to give students better reproductive health education classes. Abstinence-only health education is not working for Utah students. They aren’t getting accurate information about sex and reproductive health.

Many teens in Utah still cling to certain myths about sex. In fact, many aren’t sure what exactly has to happen for a girl to get pregnant or for someone to catch an STI. “Floating” and “soaking” are widely practiced in Utah. These terms refer to an act where the penis enters the vagina, but after the entry, nobody can move. Utah teens don’t consider this sex. If they “float” or “soak”, teens believe that they can maintain their virginity and not risk pregnancy or an STI. Utah teens also believe that girls cannot get pregnant their first time; that oral and anal sex are not sex; that STIs are not passed through oral or anal sex; and that condoms cannot protect against any STIs.

Utah teenagers deserve information. They should know all the risks they take when they have sex and how to protect themselves. They should also learn exactly why abstinence is the smartest, safest choice.

3August 2009

The two sides of the abortion debate have (somewhat) come together thanks to a bill introduced by Representatives Tim Ryan of Ohio and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut. While the two representatives are on opposite sides of the debate, they are working together to come up with a bill that all can support.

The bill would create a national campaign to help parents talk to their kids about sex as well as a campaign to educate the public about adoption. It would also provide home nurse visits for low-income mothers, Medicaid coverage for postpartum visits, and support for contraception. Ryan and DeLauro hope that these measures help prevent unintended pregnancies and provide options if they still happen. Hopefully, fewer unintended pregnancies and support for other options will reduce the need for abortions.

Both sides have gotten behind this bill; Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and several Catholic and Evangelical faith groups have expressed support. These groups back the legislation because it is common sense. None of these groups want women to have to make the choice about whether or not they can carry their pregnancy to term. They would all prefer to prevent unintended pregnancies. However, if women do have to make that choice, all the groups involved realize that the choice is easier if women know they have resources to which they can turn.

Whichever side of the debate you’re on, we can all agree that preventing unintended pregnancies through education is for the best. We can also agree that supporting women if they do get pregnant (planned or unplanned) will help women have healthy pregnancies. The ultimate goal is to make sure that when children come into the world, they are healthy, wanted, loved, and supported.

27 July 2009

Health care reform is stalling. The debate over abortion coverage is threatening to halt progress. Members of Congress have claimed that the health care reform bill mandates abortion coverage even though the bill does not mention abortions. Many members believe that unless we strictly and explicitly prohibit abortion coverage, we are forcing the government to pay for abortions.

The members of Congress are overlooking facts though. The Supreme Court has already ruled that we cannot use government funds for abortion coverage. If the bill does not include language that prohibits abortion coverage, the status quo will continue. Private companies will choose whether they will cover abortions and federal funds will not go to abortion coverage. If the bill does include specific language, it could mean that private insurance companies will no longer provide any abortion coverage.

Why is Congress forgetting the Supreme Court’s precedent? Because abortion isn’t the real issue; the real issue is health care reform. Many members of Congress do not want health care reform to pass so they’ve found a way to create problems. Abortion doesn’t need to be an issue, but it’s being used as one to defeat health care reform.

Health care reform needs to happen. Too many people in this country go without insurance and health care every day. We should not stall the reform effort with an issue that the nation’s highest court has already decided.

14 July 2009

Our health care system is long overdue for a change. Congress is finally working on making that happen now. While there is a lot of debate on how the change should happen and what needs to be fixed, it is certain that change is coming. The question that many are concerned with is will women’s health be included? We hope so.

Men’s health is not being questioned now, just women’s. There is no debate over whether or not the new health care system will cover men’s preventative screenings, medications, or any testing services. Under the new plan, men will still be able to be screened for all types of cancer, get a vasectomy if they choose, and find a doctor who will prescribe Viagra for them.

However, women’s ability to go to women’s clinics where they receive many cancer screenings, birth-control medication, and STI testing is being threatened. Women may not be able to get pap smears (which help doctors determine if there are any problems), birth control, or necessary preventative care unless they pay for it themselves. This seems a bit one-sided.

Women deserve the same access to health care that men receive. They deserve to see doctors who understand their needs and can help them make decisions based on them. Women’s decisions about their reproductive care should be left to women and their doctors.

6 July 2009

In Utah, there seems to be a widespread belief that if the two-track sex education bill passes, the comprehensive track will include many inappropriate things. Many letters to the editor have claimed that comprehensive sex education will show teens the correct way to put a condom on by using bananas. Let me clarify, that only happens in movies. It will not happen in Utah unless the local school district decides it should (And let’s be honest, that’s very unlikely).

The comprehensive sex education track’s curriculum will include information on contraception, STDs, human anatomy (in a medically accurate, age-appropriate way), and pregnancy. The specifics are up to the local school districts. They will decide the best way to present the information.

As far as condoms and other contraceptive devices go, the information presented will explain what they prevent – pregnancy, STDs, or both. It will also include their success and failure rates. Above all, it will stress that abstinence has a 100% success rate in preventing STDs and pregnancies. There will be no dildos, vibrators, or other things of that nature in the classroom.

If parents don’t want their children learning about condoms or other contraceptives, they may choose to enroll their child in the abstinence-only track. In both cases, the teens will get information on how to have healthy relationships and why abstinence is the safest choice.

1 July 2009

Before he left office, President George W. Bush signed an executive order allowing health care workers to refuse to provide information and services to patients if the providers have a moral objection to the service. Doctors or pharmacists can deny patients access to or information concerning abortion, emergency contraception, and even birth control. Because of this order, a pharmacy in Montana decided to refuse to provide and no longer stock or sell birth control drugs.

The pharmacy’s decision is troubling, because it means that women will have to find alternative pharmacies that will provide them with oral contraceptives. Some might say this is not a problem; that going some place else for birth control is as easy as finding the next Starbucks. The fact is, finding a new pharmacy will be easier for some women than it is for others. Women in rural communities (like many places in Montana) may have to travel close to an hour to find some place that will fill their prescription. Such travel will prove difficult for women with jobs, families, other responsibilities, and women without reliable means of transportation. For those who cannot find a pharmacy or cannot travel to one that provides birth control, they may have to forego a necessity that their health care provider has prescribed for them.

The Montana pharmacy, others like it, and the general spate of “provider conscience” rulings ignore women who take birth control for reasons other than contraception as well. Doctors often prescribe birth control for dysmenorrheal and endometriosis. It can also control an irregular menstrual cycle, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), and acne. These medical problems can be painful and difficult for women to deal with. Birth control helps them manage these problems safely.

The political balancing act occurs as we try to negotiate a woman’s right to health care and a provider’s right to moral convictions. A pharmacist can have a choice to dispense any drug, but if the entire pharmacy refuses to do so, the community may see unfortunate consequences. Without birth control, women cannot protect themselves from an unplanned pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancies strain women and families emotionally and financially. Birth control allows women and families to plan pregnancy, which means that pregnancies happen when the woman or family is ready and able to support a child. It helps ensure that children are wanted rather than “accidents” that a family is unable to support. A planned pregnancy allows women to choose a time when they are able to have a healthy, happy pregnancy and provide a supportive environment for a child.

If a woman and her doctor have found that birth control is the best choice for her, for any reason, the pharmacy should fill the prescription. If one pharmacist chooses not to handle it, another should be able to do so at the same pharmacy. It is unfair to require a woman to have to search for a pharmacy that will stock the drug she needs to remain healthy. After all, we don’t force men to search for a pharmacy that will stock their Viagra.

19 June 2009

Sex education is a hot topic in Utah schools. We’ve mentioned it before, but we have an update. The Health and Human Services Committee of the Utah State Legislature met this week to discuss the topic. In the discussion, one representative made an interesting point (perhaps interesting is a liberal term here). He stated that we live in an age of total exposure. Teens everywhere are getting excessive exposure to media that promotes sex. The representative believes that teens do need education to keep them from becoming sexually active, but he’s not sure the answer lies in more conversation. He doesn’t believe that comprehensive sex education will help. Instead, he thinks it would exacerbate the problem because teens would know more about sex and essentially start doing it like bunnies. He feels that more information would encourage, not discourage sex.

We disagree. The assessment of our age as one of total exposure is correct. The media is everywhere. It’s online, on billboards, posters, signs, and on television. It promotes sex because the media has learned that sex sells. But not talking about it doesn’t work. Every day, teens see commercials for condoms, erectile dysfunction medication, and lubricants that make sex more pleasurable. On top of that, they see sex in television shows, movies, magazines, websites, and books. All of these things contribute to confusion, questions, and misinformation.

So what do teens do? Well if they can’t talk about it in schools, they may turn to those same places that glorify sex. And let’s be honest, those books, magazines, movies, websites, and shows don’t talk about pregnancy or STIs; they talk about how great sex is, the best positions, and orgasms. They show teens that everyone really is having sex and they’re enjoying it. Basically, they make sex sound amazing. Even the one teen who gets an STI or gets pregnant on a TV show still looks great and manages to do well in school. That’s not real.

Teens need a healthy dose of reality. Health classes can give them that by showing the consequences of sex. Sex education can show teens the dangers of STIs and even the emotional and psychological consequences of sex. Teens may still want to have sex (because at 17, that’s pretty normal), but they’re going to know that it’s not all the media makes it. They’ll realize that the decision to have sex isn’t one to be taken lightly. The decision is one they should make for themselves, when they are calm, unbiased, and have the facts. Schools will also teach teens that the only guarantee when it comes to sex is abstinence. Abstinence guarantees no pregnancies and no STIs every time. Finally, schools can make talking about sex a bit easier. Talking to parents can be daunting, uncomfortable, and difficult for a teenager. Listening to a teacher and asking questions in a classroom is something with which teens are accustomed.

Our point is that cutting off the conversation with teens doesn’t help; it hurts. It leads teens to try to find answers in places you probably don’t want them looking. Open, honest communication gives teens the answers and shows them the truth about sex and abstinence.

11 June 2009

Sex education is a divisive issue in Utah. The divisions become clear when looking at the attempt to implement a comprehensive sex education program in the state. The program would emphasize abstinence, but would still give teens all the information they need to make smart, healthy choices. This is where the controversy arises. Some parents and government officials feel sex education should be taught in the home, not the school.

Some parents and elected officials argue that they should be teaching their kids about sex, and the (comprehensive) discussion should not enter the schools. Parents should absolutely talk to their kids. However, some problems occur when you look at the realities of parents giving their children the talk. Parents may be uncomfortable or completely misinformed about sex themselves. Teens may be too scared or embarrassed to talk to their parents. This means the teens are going to need outside help. While some may feel that the teens should go to church officials or other adults that the parents choose, they’re overlooking a few important things. Church officials or other adults may also not be comfortable explaining sex. Again, they may be misinformed or unable to provide medically accurate information. Additionally, this approach does not account for teens who don’t have a church affiliation or an adult they trust outside of the school system.

Trained teachers can provide medically accurate information to teens so teens can make smart and healthy decisions, both as young adults and as they grow into adults. Classrooms allow teens to talk about the information with a trusted adult and their peers in a respectful manner. For many teens, asking questions in a classroom is easier than asking them at home.

The discussion on the issue should not boil down to parents versus schools, as this is a misleading simplification of the issue. Comprehensive sex education in schools does not mean that parents have no say, or are absent from the conversation. The most ideal comprehensive sex education would involve parents as much as possible and help them talk with their children. Parents also play the vital role of instilling values in their children. Comprehensive sex education will not discount these values, but will strengthen the value teaching of the parents with accurate information about abstinence and contraception.

3 June 2009

Over the next week, you’ll probably start hearing about a movement called “The Pill Kills.” What exactly is this movement? It’s a campaign against birth control. That’s right, birth control.

The American Life League, the group behind the campaign, will be protesting on June 6 outside of doctors’ offices, pharmacies, Planned Parenthood clinics, and other family planning facilities, which will interfere with patients who need medical attention and doctors who are trying to provide health care services. They will be protesting because they believe contraceptives harm women and babies. They base these beliefs on misconstrued scientific evidence. On their website they claim that birth control methods create many health problems for women and cause chemical abortions. This claim is false. Much scientific evidence proves that birth control DOES NOT cause chemical abortions. As is obvious from the name of the campaign, The American Life League claims that the pill kills women. While there are possible (but very unlikely) side effects to oral contraceptives, women who take these contraceptives are informed of these possible side effects and know that they can lessen them if they are routinely tested and do not smoke.

So why is the American Life League misconstruing scientific evidence? The American Life League is an extreme pro-choice group that believes sex is a “‘divine gift’” between a man and a woman. If there is no possibility of a child resulting from the act, they feel that sex has lost part of its meaning. Thus, they believe that contraception is wrong. While they are entitled to this view of sex, it is somewhat unreasonable to expect that everyone who is having sex is doing so to procreate. Many are simply having sex (sorry, but that’s the way the world works). Even people looking to have children aren’t looking to have an infinite number of children nor are they hoping that a pregnancy will occur every time they have sex. Unintended pregnancies often result in abortion, something the American Life League also opposes, or children whose family/mothers cannot necessarily support them financially or emotionally. Rather than protest contraception, we should work to make it accessible and affordable to everyone so that all pregnancies are planned and all children provided for. That is the best, safest way to protect life and prevent the need for abortion.

2 December 2008

Some of you may have been keeping up with the recent debate on the “beginning of life” in The Daily Utah Chronicle (if not, follow the links at the bottom of this entry). This specific debate via the University of Utah press has been going on back and forth for a couple of weeks now. The arguments have fallen into two major theses.

The first group claims that humans are precious and embryos are humans. Therefore, goes the syllogism, abortion is murder and should be illegal because it is the wanton taking of a precious human life.

The second group argues that humans, specifically women, have precious rights (one being the right to one’s own body), embryos are not fully human, and conclude thus that abortion is not murder.

The question remains throughout all of this: what good is this argument? Even if science disproves one point, will that end the debate for good? I doubt it. We tend to hang on to our truths no matter evidence to the contrary. Ultimately, I believe the question of when human life begins is a detrimental quagmire that misses some more useful points we should consider.

Point 1: We need to all work together to reduce the need for abortion. The issue of abortion has been in the realm of philosophy and out of touch with the realm of practicality for too long now. Let’s stop arguing about the morality of abortion and find some preventative approaches to unintended pregnancies.

Point 2: We need to educate people about sex. Abstinence-only programs deny reality, are a waste of time, and are inherently discriminatory. We need comprehensive sexuality education programs that help young people to be happy and healthy and embrace their sexuality, whatever that may be.

Point 3: We need to make birth control affordable and accessible. That is pretty simple. Doctors should not be able to deny someone access to birth control. End of sentence.

Basically, all the bickering over the definition of abortion and the beginning of life distracts from the good we can do to educate and prevent.

-Joey Richards, Public Affairs Coordinator for Planned Parenthood Action Council

joseph.richards@ppau.org

Links to the debate:

15 August 2008

As someone once paraphrased someone who once said something, “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, ask why the bell means that school is starting again.” School begins in a couple of weeks and we have tons of stuff planned. We will have groups at the University of Utah, Westminster College, Utah Valley University, and Southern University this semester. Stay tuned to find out how you can get involved.