The Bush administration has issued a rule that would limit the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information when they visit a health care provider. It's more of the Bush administration's bad medicine, and this is our last chance to stop it.
This new rule could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control — and then refuse to provide these basic services. A woman's ability to manage her own health care is at risk of being compromised by politics and ideology. We have until September 25 at midnight to voice our opposition.
URGENT! Help stop the Bush administration’s bad medicine!
The Bush administration recently proposed a radical federal regulation change that would allow doctors to knowingly withhold information from their patients about widely accepted medical treatment options like birth control, emergency contraception, and abortion services. Even worse, this new rule could allow individual health care providers to redefine abortion to include the most common forms of birth control — and then refuse to provide them.
With more than 600,000 health facilities nationwide affected, including hundreds of Planned Parenthood health centers, millions of patients' access to basic, comprehensive reproductive health care may very well depend on your action.
Planned Parenthood Week of Action: Affordable Birth Control
This week, learn more about different forms of birth control. Today's topic: Birth Control Pills
What Are Birth Control Pills?
Birth control pills are a kind of medication that women can take daily to prevent pregnancy. They are also sometimes called "the pill" or oral contraception.
How Do Birth Control Pills Work?
It's pretty common for people to be confused about how birth control pills work. Here's what it boils down to: birth control pills are made of hormones. Hormones are chemicals made in our bodies. They control how different parts of our bodies work.
Some birth control pills contain two hormones — estrogen and progestin. These are called combination pills. Some are progestin-only pills. Most women on the pill take combination pills.
The hormones in the pill work by keeping a woman's ovaries from releasing eggs — ovulation. Pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with sperm. The hormones in the pill also prevent pregnancy by thickening a woman's cervical mucus. The mucus blocks sperm and keeps it from joining with an egg.
Some people say that the pill works by keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the lining of the uterus. But there is no proof that this actually happens.
Share your story related to The Pill: leave us a blog comment!
Planned Parenthood Week of Action: Affordable Birth Control
This week, learn more about different forms of birth control. Today's topic: Vasectomy
What Is Vasectomy?
Vasectomy is a form of birth control for men that is meant to be permanent.
During vasectomy, a health care provider closes or blocks the tubes that carry sperm. When the tubes are closed, sperm cannot leave a man's body and cause pregnancy.
Share your story related to Vasectomy: leave us a blog comment!
Planned Parenthood Week of Action: Affordable Birth Control
This week, learn more about different forms of birth control. Today's topic: Emergency Contraception.
What Is Emergency Contraception?
Emergency contraception (EC) is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. It can be started up to five days (120 hours) after unprotected intercourse.
You may want EC if
The condom broke or slipped off, and he ejaculated in your vagina.
You forgot to take your birth control pills, insert your ring, or apply your patch.
Your diaphragm or cap slipped out of place, and he ejaculated inside your vagina.
You miscalculated your "safe" days.
He didn't pull out in time.
You weren't using any birth control.
You were forced to have unprotected vaginal sex, or were raped.
Emergency contraception is also known as emergency birth control, backup birth control, the morning after pill, and by the brand name Plan B. The most commonly used kind of emergency contraception is Plan B.
Share your story related to EC: leave us a blog comment!
National Week of Action: Affordable Birth Control
Current mood: hopeful
What if Congress passed a law that made the price of your groceries go up by 900 percent? There would be an instant uproar, and you can bet the problem would be fixed, immediately. Because of a technical error made by Congress back in 2005, the cost of birth control in many health centers has risen by almost 900 percent from what it was a short time ago. Women who were paying $5 to $10 per month are now paying $40 to $50 for the same prescription!
This week, Planned Parenthood is working to fix the problem.We'll be posting about different forms of birth control.Want to get involved?Share your story about your favorite form of birth control!
BREAKING: Help Keep Politics Out of the Exam Room!!!
Category: News and Politics
At 2:00 this afternoon, the Bush administration launched an attack on women's health care and reproductive rights that has put Planned Parenthood and the people we serve in the fight of our lives.
For the past month, we have been aware that the Bush administration was planning to release a rule that would limit the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information and services. With your help, we did all we could to stop the president from going through with the threat to release the new rule. But Bush was intent on delivering this "gift" to his extreme anti-choice supporters before he left office. Today was their lucky day.
You can bet that anti-choice activists are thrilled that President Bush made good on his promise to them. This rule will allow them to receive federal funds for so-called "crisis pregnancy centers" — anti-choice facilities whose purpose is to deceive and dissuade women from accessing birth control and abortion information and services. Click here to help us fight back.
A woman's ability to manage her own health care is being compromised by politics and ideology. The new regulation complicates rather than clarifies the law. It lets health care providers define abortion, which could threaten access to birth control and broader reproductive health care. This is just one more example of how the Bush administration puts politics in the exam room.
When more and more families are uninsured and have difficulty accessing health care at all, implementing a rule that will limit access to health services is utterly perplexing. The Bush administration's outrageous actions never cease to amaze me, but this one is beyond belief. It will hurt the women who most need help at a time when they are most vulnerable. It's unconscionable, and it is wrong. And, once again, it's our job to stop it.
Thank you for your help today and during the next few weeks.
In August, 48 years ago, Planned Parenthood Federation of America agreed to distribute birth control pills in its clinics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the pill in June of that year. It was a landmark day for Planned Parenthood — but especially for one woman, founder Margaret Sanger. Sanger spent half her life trying to find a "magic pill" that would help women prevent unintended pregnancies.
Sanger was in her 70s by the time her vision of a birth control pill became a reality. In 1951, she met scientist and researcher Gregory Pincus, who had experience working with synthetic hormones. Over the next several years, Sanger, along with her collaborator Katharine Dexter McCormick, worked tirelessly behind the scenes, to provide support for the scientific research and development that culminated with the pill.
After the 1960s, the pill took the country — and then the world — by storm. Just nine years after the pill hit the market, one out of every four married women in America under the age of 45 had used it. And by 1984 that number would reach 50–80 million worldwide.
Today 100 million women use the pill worldwide each year. The pill helped bring about the sexual revolution of the 1960s, and it has changed the lives of countless women and men across the globe. And while Sanger is most often remembered as the founder of Planned Parenthood, many believe that her role in making the idea of a birth control pill into a reality was the greatest achievement of her career. Not only did Sanger fight for and win the right for women to use contraception, she helped give them one of the most powerful, safe, and effective tools to do so.
August 18 marks the 88th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right vote. Celebrate by registering to vote today!
Planned Parenthood Celebrates International Youth Day!
Category: Travel and Places
From Ethiopia to Ecuador, from Uganda to the United States, young people are rising up and changing their futures for the better. Planned Parenthood has been a leader in supporting young people through offering affordable birth control and other reproductive health services and leadership and outreach activities that help to amplify the voice of youth around the world.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America encourages parents to be involved in their children's sexuality education. We believe very strongly that parents are children's first and most important educators when it comes to sexual health. Research shows that children are more likely to make healthy and responsible decisions about sex when there is positive communication between them and their parents.
Regardless of whether teens are sexually active or not, Planned Parenthood believes that everyone should be given the medically accurate information they need to make informed and responsible choices that affect their lives. However, we also know how difficult it is for many families to talk about this subject. That is why we offer medically accurate sexual health information for teens and their parents on our websites.
Katie (not her real name) didn't think it would matter if she wore shorts and skirts in Jaipur, India. However, upon arriving, Katie discovered that some of the men would follow her and her friends down the street because they were wearing clothing that was considered overly revealing in that culture.
Soon, she says, "We figured out that we needed to cover ourselves if we wanted to at least walk through the market without creating a scene."
Traveling and studying abroad can change your life. No matter where you go on your adventure, you'll meet amazing people, visit magnificent places, and learn more than you can imagine.
What does travel have to do with sex? Maybe nothing, but maybe a lot — that's why it's important to be prepared. Here are some tips to help you stay sexually healthy abroad.
Consult the Experts
If Katie had talked to someone who had visited Jaipur, she and her friends would have been able to avoid harassment.
It's a good idea to talk to an experienced traveler or study abroad advisor (if you have one) who can give you an insider perspective on the cultural and legal landscapes of where you're traveling.
And although you may have studied the country you're visiting, it's important to check in with your health care provider and your insurance company before you go to ensure that you'll have the best health care during your travels.
Be honest, be open, and ask lots of questions. The more they know about you, the better advice they can give you.
"I wish I had asked my doctor for a copy of my birth control prescription and had it translated into Spanish before I left for Argentina," says Ellen (not her real name). "Fortunately, I didn't lose my medication, but I did decide to purchase a back-up pack from a pharmacy (you don't need a prescription for birth control in Argentina). I showed the pharmacist my pack, and he advised me to purchase a specific brand. After returning to my apartment, I discovered that he had given me the wrong type."
Don't want this to happen to you?
Inform your health care provider where you are going well in advance, so she can make sure you get the proper vaccinations and have a sufficient supply of whatever prescriptions you'll need.
Ask for an advance prescription of the morning-after pill, also known as emergency contraception (EC). It may be completely unavailable or difficult to find.
Write down the prescription formulas of your medications and have them translated (if appropriate) in case you misplace them.
Leave enough time to have all of your prescriptions filled before you depart.
Call your insurance company to find out if you're covered abroad. If you're not, consider taking out traveler's insurance or getting insurance in the country where you'll be living or staying for an extended period of time.
Research the culture, customs, and laws of the area.
Be aware of any gender, sexual orientation, or appearance-based discrimination and harassment that may exist.
Whether you're packing light or bringing along your entire life, you definitely want to leave room for a sturdy, waterproof sexual health kit.
Even if you think you won't need any of these items, they may come in handy for a friend.
Condoms, dental dams, and lube
Emergency contraception
Prescriptions in their original containers
Tampons, pads, or menstrual cups
Wipes
Pregnancy test
A whistle on a keychain (to attract attention if you're receiving unwanted advances)
A book or list of useful phrases if you don't speak the local language
A laminated sheet of important numbers and addresses, including a local emergency number (it may not be 911)
Consulate contact info (a consulate is your country's diplomatic center in another country that exists, among other things, to protect the health and well-being of their resident and traveling citizens)
A recommended hospital
Upon arrival, you'll want to store your health kit in a dry place with a moderate temperature to protect the contents.
Your Trusty Map
Get or make a map of where you're going, and locate
Your new residence
School (if applicable)
Nearest hospitals
Pharmacy
Consulate
Local hotel (hotel concierges can be encyclopedias of knowledge)
Take your map with you everywhere you go. Even once you've learned your way around, it may come in handy.
A Night Out on the Town
When sampling the local nightlife, bring a friend, or at least make sure someone knows where you're going.
And don't forget:
Your lists of important numbers, addresses, and phrases
Your ID and enough money to get home in a cab if you need it
A condom
Your whistle
If you decide to drink alcohol, always watch the person who is mixing your drink to make sure they do not slip you a drug or pour more alcohol than you want. Do not leave your drink unattended, and listen to your gut — If you want to get out of there, get out of there.
Most importantly: have fun, explore, and make new friends! And don't forget to share your experiences and tips with others, so they can have an amazing, worry-free trip too.
For more great articles on sexual health, check out teenwire.com.
URGENT: Stop President Bush’s massive sellout of women’s health care!
Category: News and Politics
We have just received news that President Bush is trying to sell-out women's health in the most unbelievable way. Here's how:
The Bush administration is about to release a rule that will make it possible for federal funding that is specifically designed to prevent unintended pregnancy and promote reproductive health to now be used for anything but that.
We've known for some time that anti-choice extremists have wanted President Bush to deliver them some sort of "gift" before he leaves office. This rule change is just that gift. And here's what one of the most egregious results could be:
Right now, anti-choice groups run so-called "crisis pregnancy centers" in communities all around the country — often a block or two away from Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers. These facilities look like health centers, but in reality are run by anti-choice zealots who deliver only the reproductive health care options that fit their agenda. No birth control, no abortion — and no choice for women and families who need it.
If this rule takes effect, they're likely to receive a massive influx of our tax dollars to expand their deceptive operations and to attract hundreds of thousands of women who think they'll be getting medical care but instead will receive a large dose of anti-choice ideology.
We believe that tricking women when they are most vulnerable is wrong — and the federal government shouldn't pay people to do it.
It gets worse. The rule would also require entities that receive family planning funding, like Planned Parenthood, to certify that we will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control. Between deceptive "crisis pregnancy centers" delivering woefully incomplete care and legitimate health centers with extremely limited funding, hundreds of thousands of women are at enormous risk.
We have a chance to stop it. So, beginning right now and with your help, we are
One more thing — Planned Parenthood Federation of America has been standing up for and serving women, men, and families in this country for more than 90 years. The next few days and weeks will be an immense challenge, but know this: We are here for this fight. We need you here with us.
hopeful