The "Meet Planned Parenthood" Series: Jennifer Cook

Planned Parenthood is an organization many of us cannot imagine living without. After my first few weeks here in the office, I realized that Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse region wouldn’t be what it is without all of the wonderful, passionate and supportive employees working behind the scenes. My next few blog posts here on “Sex. Justice. Change.” will hopefully allow you to become more familiar with the friendly professional advocates we have working at our University Ave. location in Rochester, NY.

One woman that all supporters should know about is Jennifer Cook. Jen is not only a professional, but a true activist inside and outside of the work place. Her down-to-earth personality and positive attitude are just a few of the many things that make her the perfect fit for her job as Community Affairs Coordinator. On Monday, Jen spent her day with a few volunteers phone banking for the Women’s Health Act. Half way through the day, Governor Cuomo’s mailbox was full of messages from supporters just like you! I sat down with Jen to find out more about her daily life, and how one person really can make all the difference.

Elise: How long have you held your position as Community Affairs Coordinator?

Jennifer Cook: I’ve been working as the Community Affairs Coordinator for the past year and a half, but I also volunteered at Planned Parenthood for 14 years.

E: Briefly describe a day in the life of your work.

JC: There is no typical day! I monitor legislative action, both good and bad, that could affect the work that PPRSR does, as well as helping to facilitate any community outreach work. I also help run the VOX chapters, which is our college outreach program.

E: What is your most fulfilling accomplishment, work related and non-work related?

JC: My most fulfilling work related accomplishment is the time that I spent in Mississippi, working on a ballot initiative based around personhood. My time spent there re-energized me to continue making people aware that the issues in Mississippi are not just in Mississippi. As for a non-work related accomplishment, I think just being able to feel like I have come into my own self. Figuring out that the little things don’t always matter as much is an accomplishment. Now, I feel like I can get through anything.

E: If you had one message to send to the public, and you knew they would listen intently, what would it be?

JC: Keep an open mind. Understand that you are not the only person on the planet, and that we need to care about each other no matter what.

E: Besides your work here at Planned Parenthood, what are you passionate about?

JC: My passion led me to my work! Trying new things and trying to experience as much as I can.

-Elise
Marketing Intern

College Week of Action: a recap

Last week was the first College Week of Action, an effort spearheaded by Planned Parenthood along with Family Planning Advocates of New York. The purpose of the College Week of Action this year was to get college age people to advocate for and support the Reproductive Health Act (RHA). The Reproductive Health Act is a comprehensive policy designed to protect personal decisions regarding reproductive health and implements a different perspective regarding abortion.

Three years before Roe v. Wade, New York State took a progressive step as one of the first states to decriminalize abortion. The current law framing abortion outside of criminal contexts has not been integrated into overarching New York State Law, however, so it has no security and abortion is still a crime in the penal code. Furthermore, the current law neglects the idea of the fundamental right to make private medical decisions as well as how abortion care is provided. In this context, New York has lagged behind – current laws are technically unconstitutional, and it is the only state that still regulates abortion as a crime.

Even considering the current outdated and narrowly-defined law, New York State can make another progressive step with the Reproductive Health Act. RHA not only guarantees the right to use or refuse contraception for everyone, but also ensures the right to abortion in the case of endangered health and takes abortion out of the penal code which means abortion would be treated as a matter of health – exactly what it is.

Seven other states have already passed laws like the Reproductive Health Act. At the same time though, several states passed abortion restrictions within the last year and over 450 bills restricting or banning abortion have come to several different state legislatures, each threatening Roe v. Wade. If this law is passed in New York, reproductive rights would be protected even if Roe v. Wade were overturned.

For more information about RHA, check out these sites:
NYCLU
NARAL Pro-Choice New York
NOW NYC

Jeri
VOX Student Intern

Women's Health Matters! Day of Action

Monday was the Women's Health Matters Day of Action in Albany, NY. After the "Stop Stupak" lobbying effort in DC in December, I knew I couldn't miss out on more lobbying, especially on a more local and tangible level. I'd never really been to Albany before, and was eager to channel my love for New York into support of family planning funding and other pro-choice initiatives.

On the bus ride up, we were all briefed on what we'd be lobbying for and I was sort of blown away by the scope of the situation. Here are the key points:

Family Planning Funding

• Funding has been frozen at 1993 levels since 1995. One speaker put this in perspective by saying "Can you think of any service that doesn't cost more now than it did in 1995?"
• For every $1 spent on family planning services in New York, $4 in Medicaid costs are saved - in the same budget year.
• For every Medicaid dollar New york spends on family planning, the federal government reimburses the state 90 cents.
• More in 6 in 10 patients receiving care at a women's health center (like Planned Parenthood) consider it their primary source of health care. In other words, this may be the only doctor many people see on a regular basis.

Reproductive Health Act

• On the bus, I learned that the law in New York that legalized abortion needs to be updated. For one thing, it doesn’t allow for abortion if a woman’s health is in danger during her pregnancy, like Roe v. Wade does. This means that if Roe Vs Wade was overturned (worst case scenario), a women would not have the same reproductive health care services available to her in New York that she does now. .
• This act ensures that a woman will be able to have an abortion if her health is endangered, regulates abortion care in public health law instead of the criminal code (where it has been since before 1970), and guarantees everyone the right to use or refuse contraception.
• New York was one of the first states to permit safe and legal abortion, but now the laws need to be strengthened to protect a woman's health and her access to comprehensive reproductive health care.

I was amazed at how dire these issues seem, yet I didn't really know anything about either one beforehand. I guess that makes it more pressing and more important to educate about.

Once we got to Albany, we were ushered to The Well, where we got to see a handful of really amazing speakers and supporters. Tracey Brooks, President and CEO of Family Planning Advocates opened the program; Hon. Thomas DiNapoli, State Comptroller, was remarkably candid and honest in his support of these pro-choice initiatives, and a group of six distinguished state legislators showed their unwavering support before the Governor got to the podium. I've always loved David A. Paterson, and he is a really wonderful, amicable speaker. On the issues I am passionate about, Governor Paterson is without a doubt the best person for the job.



The keynote address was by Michelle Goldberg, author of NYTimes Bestseller The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World. She put all her pro-choice views into a global, intersectional perspective and spoke about the lack of abortion laws in other countries. Without being patronizing or negative, she reminded us that the fight was nowhere near over, not in New York, and not anywhere. Her speech was so moving that my mom and I both ordered her book as soon as we got home (without realizing we were each doing it! So now we'll have two).

My mom and I only had one lobbying visit - state Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, from my district. Thankfully, she was already briefed on our positions, and turned out to be good friends with two of the women accompanying us. She was understanding and open, and our meeting turned out to be rather informal, which was nice. I had never met her before, and I was really pleased to see how much she already knew about family planning funding. She assured us that she would cosign the Reproductive Rights Act (adding that she might have done so already, and that she was pretty sure she had cosigned every reproductive rights bill ever. Very cool.)

One of the best parts of this day, for me, was spending the day with my mom (and her friend Denise! Hi!). She lobbied in Albany 30 years ago, and actually interned with Family Planning Advocates when she was at school at SUNY Albany. Being back in the thick of the action was really exciting for her, and made her want to be more involved again, like she used to be. And, not to toot my own horn, but I was the reason she came to Albany. She is really proud of me for being so active and vocal, but I wouldn't be so passionate if it wasn't for her involvement. A few people thought she had taken me on my first lobbying trip, but it was more like I persuaded her to join me. All in all, it was a cool way ensure that the pro-choice movement is still strong - that the younger generation is getting involved and lobbying just as hard our mothers did - and hey, maybe we're reminding our mothers how good it felt back then.

STOP STUPAK - National Day of Action

Yesterday I had the good fortune to be able to attend the National Day of Action against the Stupak Amendment in Washington, DC.

When I got the first email about the event a few weeks ago, I lamented the fact the Wednesdays I have class straight from 9:30 until 3:35, and couldn't rationalize missing a Wednesday. But after receiving a few more emails, and reading up about Stupak, I couldn't rationalize NOT going down to DC. Skipping classes wasn't even a question once I thought about it. Exercising my right as a citizen, and participating in democracy is infinitely more important than one day of my classes. And what is college preparing me for, if not this? So we went. A group from my WGS 301 class with Minnie Bruce Pratt drove down with a bunch of other other students, totaling at 11!

After an eventful drive down at 4am -- I'll spare you the details, (OK I won't - we ran over a dead deer! It was so crazy! So we lost an hour off the drive waiting for AAA to come help us out. But the damage is very minor, don't worry) we made it into DC just in time for the noon rally. We were ushered to an overflow room since the main room was over capacity - and when we sat down, we noticed that our party was standing right behind the podium! Our friend Andrea was on screen the whole rally! She was directly behind so many famous and influential women, I couldn't believe it. We kept cursing that deer for making us late!

But the rally was incredible. So many women I admire so much! Cecile Richards was the emcee - it was weird seeing her right there - I'm so used to seeing her face as an icon at the bottom of all the emails I get from PPFA! Other memorable speakers were Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who got the crowd really pumped, and Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), who showed us an old campaign poster, when her slogan was "Pro-Choice. Pro-Change." My own representative, Nita Lowey (D-NY!) gave a rousing call to action that made me proud to be from the great 18th district of the Empire State. She's very vocal and wonderful and I love her a lot (She also hooked me up with tickets to Obama's inauguration, back in January!).

Many other important people spoke, and one woman relayed another woman's extremely moving story. The woman was never hugely concerned with abortion rights, since she knew that if she got pregnant, she wouldn't consider getting an abortion. But when she got pregnant with twins, and they were diagnosed with a very dangerous fetal anomaly, she was thrust into the abortion debate. The odds were that both twins would die, unless they elected to abort one in the hopes that the other survived. If the Stupak Amendment passes, this procedure won't be covered by insurance. Luckily for her, 80% of it was covered, and it seemed that it went well - she just finished paying off the bills, 3 years later. She reminded us that these diseases don't choose wealthy people, and that if she wasn't fortunate enough to be covered by issuance and be able to pay for her share of the abortion, there is no way she would've been able to have it, and she would've buried both her twins, not just one. It was incredibly moving, and refocused my thoughts on abortion and why it's necessary that it be safe and legal.

Our room began clearing out for another meeting, and the main room was open, so we went down and saw the end of the rally in person, holding up our signs and waving the our party standing behind the podium. Then we met up with KaeLyn Rich, who I'd never met in person! She told us about a free youth lunch, and about our meeting at 3:15 with Senator Gillibrand.

The lunch was one of the highlights of the day for me. Everyone says that our generation is characterized by apathy and inaction, but this lunch proved that all very wrong. It was full of youth activists and feminists, all passionate and excited. The room was buzzing with excitement. And furthermore, a host of my idols were there. I had spotted Shelby Knox at the rally, and couldn't figure out where I knew her from - and then I realized she's awesome and famous and I've seen her movie! She was at the lunch, as well as Miriam and Jos - two editors from Feministing. Latoya Peterson was there too, from Racialicious and a host of other blogs and media. There were also representatives from a bunch of other organizations that cater to youth, who were willing to talk to us and make connections. It was really a power-lunch, and I met a lot of people I admire. A lot.

Then we walked back to the Senate building to see my senator - Kristen Gillibrand - I wasn't sure it going to actually be her, I heard a lot of people would be meeting with Aides - but sure enough, she walked right in. I sat in the front row, and it was really cool. I've never really seen a politician up close like that. I thought about how powerful she is and how much impact she has on my life, yet she's just a normal lady who is against the Stupak amendment like me. And thankfully, she made that crystal clear. She was unwavering is announcing her opposition to Stupak and her support of our cause. We asked her what we could be doing to help - she said to blog about it, and spread the word. So here I am.

Then Chuck Schumer walked in! I literally gasped when I saw him walk in, I'm not quite sure why. He has so much leverage in the Senate, and is so well-known, I just was so amazed that he was there. And he, too, was very firm and positive about Stupak. He loudly voiced his opposition to any healthcare bill that restricted abortion even further than current laws. He said that what we could do is call our Representatives and tell them that they should yield to the Senate wording (assuming that no Stupak-esque language makes it into the Senate version, which is not yet guaranteed…) of the bill. My friend Mary stood up and told him where our group was from, and thanked him for his work on these issues, and he said Go Orange! It was so exciting! Someone asked him what he would do if the Stupak amendment made it into the final version, after the discussions - would he vote for it? And he basically said No. He sad that he would try to get his colleagues to urge the bill to be sent back, and for that wording to be taken out, before voting yet for healthcare. That was very reassuring to me - I hope he sticks to his guns. I emailed him today urging him to be strong on that promise.

This post is getting long, let me wrap it up. All in all, it was a very cool day. Being in DC, walking around the house and senate office buildings, felt so good and right - this is what we should be doing: making our voices heard. Being surrounded by other pro-choice activists felt so right. It was such an amazing, empowering day. And I left feeling reassured by Schumer's comment - let's all urge our senators to put a stop to these restrictions. We can't let this language make it into the healthcare reform. Women's rights are human rights - it's as simple as that.

With liberty and healthcare for all,
Sammy

PS - read about some of the concerns I had about the day, and some of the tension we felt, over at Conscious Media, the blog for my "Race, Gender and Media" class!

Oh! And that's me on the left!

Cecile Richards Is Awesome

I've always had a cool-person crush on Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Aside from seeing her name the bottom of emails I get from PP, she's always right there, on the front lines, doing the crucial work that Planned Parenthood does every day. If you want to know why I call Cecile Richards one of my heroes, read this interview.

It's important to remind people how important Planned Parenthood actually is - beyond the politics. When I was tabling at the State Fair, if people looked skeptical, we reminded them that it's about Women's Rights! And Women's Health! Cecile Richards does that for a living (and much much more!) and she is wonderful.

Here are some of my favorite parts:

Planned Parenthood is this incredible organization that is a legacy organization – it's 92 years old – and yet, as relevant today as it was when Margaret Sanger started it.

The incredible thing about Planned Parenthood is we're in every state. We're not just in blue states or just red states or just in in-between states. We're everywhere.

We are the largest reproductive healthcare provider in the country…Ninety-seven percent of our work is preventive care—contraception, STI testing and treatment…Last year we did 1.3 million cervical cancer screenings.

During the last few years, we've seen this country [USA] with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western industrialized world, and we have now one in four teenage girls in America has a sexually transmitted infection. So this is like, it's not just a theoretical problem, it's a healthcare problem.

And if you love her like I do, follow her on Twitter!

Out FIRST WIN in Health Care Reform

From Planned Parenthoof Federation of America

We got our first win in health care reform today, thanks to a strong, coordinated federation-wide effort. Senator Mikulski’s Women’s Health Amendment #201 passed the Senate HELP Committee 12-11. This amendment captures Planned Parenthood’s priorities in health care reform by doing two key things: 1) it provides coverage—with no or limited cost sharing—for women’s preventative health care and screenings; and 2) ensures patients’ access to essential community providers, such as HIV/AIDS clinics, public hospitals, and women’s health centers like Planned Parenthood.

While we still have a long way to go, the first step towards victory is often the most important. And the Women’s Health Amendment would not have happened without all of your hard work. Since the amendment was filed late Tuesday, Planned Parenthood volunteers logged in 374 calls into Senate HELP Committee members—a huge number of calls for such a short period of time. Thank you! The Senate HELP Committee will continue marking up their bill tomorrow, and we expect to see votes on some of the more than 15 amendments that were filed this week attacking women’s health. We will keep you posted on the outcome of those amendments.
On the Senate Finance Committee front, we have generated more than 12,000 e-mails and phone calls since last week, urging Committee members to ensure that women don’t lose access to reproductive health care services. We are hearing that those e-mails and calls have made a significant impact, but we won’t know for sure until we see bill language. The Senate Finance Committee hit another roadblock this week and is not expected to release bill language this week, as originally planned.

The three House Committees are in the midst of last-minute negotiations on their joint bill and could release it as early as tomorrow. It’s possible the Energy & Commerce Committee may begin marking it up as early as Monday afternoon. This is a tough Committee, so we really appreciate all the affiliate-organized calls to E&C members—highlighting the critical message that women should not be worse off under health care reform . As we have seen with our success today, our power is in our organizing. Thank you again for all of your work!

Late Abortion Services Will Return to Kansas

Not long after the tragic murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, his family announced that they had decided to not reopen his clinic. The decision is entirely understandable considering the horrifying circumstances, and the many years that they have personally dealt with anti-choice harassment, intimidation and violence. It was, however, also a major blow to abortion access, as Dr. Tiller's clinic was one of only a few dozen clinics that provided late abortions in the United States, and one of only three that provided abortions for health reasons and fetal anomaly that late.

Thankfully, however, a provider has since stepped forward to take Dr. Tiller's place, and ensure that women's access to dire medical care does not become more limited. Dr. LeRoy Carhart, who has provided abortions for over 20 years and was a friend of Dr. Tiller's, has announced that he will begin performing late abortions in Kansas:

A Nebraska doctor said Wednesday that he will perform third-term abortions in Kansas after the slaying of abortion provider George Tiller, but would not say whether he will open a new facility or offer the procedure at an existing practice.

Dr. LeRoy Carhart declined to discuss his plans in detail during a telephone interview with The Associated Press, but insisted "there will be a place in Kansas for the later second- and the medically indicated third-trimester patients very soon."

"I just think that until everything is in place, it's something that doesn't need to be talked about" in detail, Carhart said a day after Tiller's family announced his Wichita clinic was permanently shutting its doors.

Whatever Dr. Carhart's full plans for providing late abortion services in Kansas look like, there is no doubt that he has just stepped in to do a brave and necessary thing. Thank you, Dr. Carhart, for your dedication to women's health, belief in reproductive justice, and willingness to stand up where you are needed!

Understanding Late Term Abortions

In light of the murder of Dr. George Tiller there has been much media attention surrounding his work and the type of person he was. Unfortunately there has been a lack of information on what actually constitutes Late Term Abortion; this in turn has left the issue open to interpretation for people whom are uneducated on the procedure. I think it is important to fully understand the issue before speculations arise. The Republican Majority for Choice is an organization which supports principles of the Republican Party in regards to limited government and personal freedom. They have posted a blog outlining the "truth of late term abortions" that we believe would be vital for any audience to read so that they may become more informed on the inspiring work that Dr.Tiller performed.

The Tragic Loss of a Friend

The tragic death of Dr. George Tiller, a Kansas-based abortion provider, yesterday has sent waves of shock and sadness throughout the women’s health community.

Cecile Richards, President of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, issued a statement on Sunday addressing the tragedy. “The entire Planned Parenthood family is deeply saddened by the murder of Dr. George Tiller. While he was not a Planned Parenthood provider, he was an integral part of our community and his loss is felt by all of us”, said Richards. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and those close to him who are suffering a personal tragedy.”

For decades Dr.Tiller provided critical reproductive health care services, including abortion services to women facing some of the most difficult medical circumstances. He was continually harassed by abortion opponents for much of his career - his clinic was burned down, he was shot by a health center protestor, and he was recently targeted for investigation only to be acquitted by a jury just a few months ago. None of this stopped George Tiller from his commitment to providing women and their families with compassionate care that others were unwilling to offer.

President Barack Obama released a statement yesterday echoing the thoughts of many in regards to the recent tragedy. “I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning,” proclaimed President Obama. “However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.”

Dr. Tiller was the epitome of high quality medical care underscored by deep compassion for his patients. Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region wants to emphasize the condolences uttered by Cecile Richards. “His death is an enormous loss for the patients who relied on him, his dedicated staff, the medical community and for women and their families across America.”

Follow up: Male Birth Control

(I wrote about male hormonal birth control a few weeks ago - check it out here)

So, it looks like male birth control, or "the male jab" has actually surfaced!

First of all, is there any use of the word "jab" that I'm unfamiliar with? Some English usage? A "jab" isn't usually something good - to me, it means pain and discomfort. Not new choices, new freedom, new advancements like "male birth control" ought to conjure.

When I asked my mom what she thought about male BC, she quickly shook her head and said "It'll never fly." Men don't want that responsibility, she said. Since she was in college, she took issue with the way that women have to deal with BC (much like the way I do now!). She doesn't seem to think men would be willing to take on that burden that BC has become. And I'm not sure calling it a "jab" will change their minds.

Anyway, I tend to think any new advancements in BC options are wonderful! And I'm sure that if this catches on and goes viral (no pun intended, ouch), it'll be a viable option for lots of couples. Why not? I still need to think some more about what I said previously - about physical consequences of pregnancy on females rather than males - but it feels good to see some scales tipping for equality of sexual responsibility.

(PS: Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy, who is the best mom in the whole world and whose amazing [feminist] spirit has brought me where I am today. And to all the moms who taught us right from wrong and how not to be sexist, racist or homophobic. Moms are great. Especially mine.)

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Today, May 6, is the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy!

Though teen pregnancy is often discussed in the media in a sensationalistic manner, we rarely have a chance to sit down and have a serious discussion about the causes of teen pregnancy and how the rates of teen pregnancy can be lowered. Among comparable countries, the U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate (pdf). That might be shocking to hear, but it's also important to know! Because with rates like that, it's about time to get serious about the issue.

Study after study has shown that comprehensive sex education works, and abstinence-only education fails. Teens who use condoms, of course, are less likely to become pregnant -- and in order to use condoms, teens need to know both how to put them on and how to negotiate condom use with a partner.

Read more at Stand Up South Dakota, and while you're at it, tell Congress to support comprehensive sex education. Because isn't it about time we gave all teens the information they need to keep themselves safe?

(If you're a teen looking for information on how to prevent pregnancy, head on over to Teenwire to find what you need.)

Affordable Birth Control On College Campuses (one hurdle to go!)

After 2 long years of fighting to get affordable birth control back onto college campuses and into providers like Planned Parenthood, we are one short hurdle away from success.

Do you remember birth control pills being as cheap as $5 on your college campus? I don't. I don't remember BC ever being that inexpensive. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to BC prices when Congress inadvertently cut safety net providers (like college health centers) from obtaining birth control at low prices, with the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act in the fall of 2007. A legislative error in this bill caused birth control prices to skyrocket - as much as 900%.

Birth control isn't a privilege, it's a right. In these tough economic times, no woman should have to choose between a week's worth of grocery shopping and a month's worth of birth control. Cecille Richards put it bluntly, "Now more than ever, government needs to remove — not create — unnecessary barriers to health care services."

All that needs to be done to correct this error is a simple technical correction, in the form of an appropriations bill. This FY09 Bill is a no-cost provision, and includes no federal funding. It has passed already in the House, and just passed Tuesday in the Senate.

Believe it or not, there was some opposition in passing this commonsense correction. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) positioned this legislation as an "unnecessary earmark" and tried to halt its progress. In a Facebook update, Kendall from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund said, "I don't know about you, but I've had enough of anti-choice politicians hiding their opposition to family planning behind claims of fiscal responsibility." It rings especially true considering that this bill costs nothing to the US government.

We urged senators not to allow DeMint to strike our provision from the bill, and they listened to us. They voted for the appropriations bill, including the provision known as the "Affordable Birth Control Act," that will help American families make responsible choices in these difficult economic times.

All that's left now is the desk of Barack Obama, who we are confident will sign it. We at Planned Parenthood salute Congress for recognizing the need for affordable birth control and fixing this problem.




PS! Hi! I'm new here at Sex. Justice. Change. - my name is Sammy and I'm a sophomore at Syracuse University, hailing from White Plains, NY. I'm delighted to be a part of this community, and excited for the future - Thanks for reading!

Send Your Comments on the "Consicence" Rule to HHS!

President Obama has, as promised, thankfully decided to repeal Bush's last minute, anti-choice "conscience rule." The HHS regulation prevents health care providers from “discriminating” against all levels of anti-choice employees who refuse to provide services, and is intended to not only restrict access to abortion, but also birth control and reproductive health care in general.

The 30 day comment period for the public to send in their thoughts on the proposed change opened earlier this week. And just like it was important for you to send in your opposition to the rule when Bush proposed it, it’s important to send in your support for its repeal now! After all, pro-choice causes, women's health and access to reproductive health services need all of the public support that they can get. And the anti-choice opposition will certainly be making their voices heard, so it's time that we do, too.

Click here to send your comments to the Department of Health and Human Services. If you happen to have trouble with the form, you can just email your comments directly to proposedrescission@hhs.gov. And then, make sure to spread the word and ensure that all of your friends send in their comments, too!

Keeping Abortion Private

Check out this really great Newsweek article by Anna Quindlen, celebrating the benefits of the availability of RU-486, also known as "the abortion pill":

RU-486 flies in the face of anti-abortion orthodoxies, and not simply because some physicians who have never dreamed of performing a surgical abortion have no qualms about making the medication available. It counters the irresponsibility myth, which suggests that women who end pregnancies are thoughtless, feckless, and have not bothered with birth control or matrimony, despite the fact that many women who have abortions are married and were using contraception that failed. RU-486, which now accounts for 14 percent of all abortions nationwide, demands a high degree of responsibility. A woman has to ascertain early that she is pregnant and then take charge of the process herself, choosing to deal at home with the results. With every new political power shift the abortion issue arises again, with talk of a search for common ground and the future of Roe v. Wade. But change in party or philosophy cannot change this undeniable fact: women who do not want to be pregnant will try to end their pregnancies. They will do it because they don't have enough money, or enough support, or they think they are too young or too overwhelmed by circumstance. They always have, and they always will. Rat poison, Lysol, ergot, bleach—oh, the historical list of desperate measures is long. Over the years some have died, leaving motherless children behind.

Medication abortion is not the best option for every woman seeking an abortion. Many women prefer the faster process of a surgical abortion, and though quite small, medication abortion does carry its own risks. But for those women who have early abortions, who prefer to have their abortions in the privacy of their own homes, and who may otherwise not have access to abortion services, medication abortion is indeed an option definitely worth having. And just like every woman should have a right to access abortion when she needs one, every woman should also have the right to choose the abortion method that is safest and most comfortable for her own circumstances.

Read the full Newsweek article here.

North Dakota House Passes Bill Giving Rights to Fertilized Eggs

Yesterday, a bill in North Dakota that would give the rights of personhood to fertilized eggs passed the legislative House.

A measure approved by the North Dakota House gives a fertilized human egg the legal rights of a human being, a step that would essentially ban abortion in the state.

The bill is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that extended abortion rights nationwide, supporters of the legislation said.

Representatives voted 51-41 to approve the measure Tuesday. It now moves to the North Dakota Senate for its review.

The bill declares that "any organism with the genome of homo sapiens" is a person protected by rights granted by the North Dakota Constitution and state laws.

As the bill's sponsor Dan Ruby notes in this article, the bill is indeed a direct challenge to Roe vs. Wade. The goal is to outlaw abortion not only in North Dakota, but also to overturn a Supreme Court decision and render the procedure illegal in many states across the nation.

The bill would also quite arguably outlaw many types of birth control as well as abortion. This is because some types of birth control are believed to potentially prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. Implantation in the uterus is the first moment from when we can know that a pregnancy has been established -- indeed, it is how "pregnancy" itself is defined. And so, there actually is no way of knowing when a fertilized egg has been created without implanting; and therefore no way of proving that birth control does not have this kind of effect. This presents a whole host of logistical problems, potential court battles and almost certain rollbacks in women's rights and bodily autonomy. The practice of IVF would also be at serious risk, as it requires creating embryos while knowing that there is a high risk of them not implanting, or even not being used in an attempt to establish a pregnancy.

For more on all of these issues, see this previous post on the very similar Human Life Amendment. In the meantime, we will have to wait to see how this issue plays out in the North Dakota Senate, and hope that in a time when so many more important issues are on the table and the government is already strapped for cash, they will do the right thing by their citizens -- especially the female ones.

President Obama Repeals Global Gag Rule

Last Friday, on his third full day in office, our new president Barack Obama lifted the Global Gag Rule via executive order.

The Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, was first instated by President Ronald Reagan (then repealed by President Bill Clinton, and reinstated by President George W. Bush), and restricts U.S. funding to international reproductive health organizations that discuss the option of abortion with patients. U.S. funds were already not allowed to go towards actually providing abortions, but the Global Gag Rule put many additional restrictions in place. For the first time, organizations that provided abortions with other funding sources could not receive U.S. funds. Even worse, those organizations that did not provide abortions but discussed them as an option for their patients or promoted pro-choice policies in their home countries were also not eligible for funds.

In other words, under the Gobal Gag Rule, health providers were forced to chose between lying to their patients or having their funding cut off. Many of those providers who refused to lie to patients about their options subsequently closed down, making birth control and other reproductive health services inaccessible to many very poor women. Those who continued to accept funding were not allowed to tell patients how to receive an abortion even when they asked, or even if their lives were in danger from continuing the pregnancy. As a result, the Global Gag Rule resulted in more unintended pregnancies, more unsafe, do-it-yourself abortions, and the deaths of innumerable women -- all for the sake of anti-choice ideology.

Planned Parenthood proudly supports the decision to overturn the Global Gag Rule, knowing that it will protect women's heath, save lives, and prevent more unintended pregnancies among the world's most underprivileged women. We can hope that it's a sign that President Obama understands that access to honest, safe reproductive health care should not be a privilege for the world's wealthy few, but a right for all.

Blog for Choice: A New Day for Women's Health

Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that secured the right to safe, legal abortion. Bloggers across the globe are celebrating this day by participating in Blog for Choice Day. The anniversary of Roe comes just two days after the historic inauguration of President Obama. Fittingly, the Blog for Choice Day question is, What is your top pro-choice hope for President Obama and/or the new Congress?

Well, Planned Parenthood is first and foremost a health care provider. We are unique because we are a provider and advocate, speaking out for the women, men, and teens we serve to promote reproductive justice and protect women's health.

With a new President leading the way, we have an opportunity to engage the country in a conversation about the importance of women’s health, and ensuring that women’s health is an integral part of the efforts to fix our health care system. There will be efforts in states across the country to undermine a women’s right to make personal health decisions, but we believe the American people have clearly spoken that they are ready for a new day.

We look forward to working with President Obama and the new Congress on three critical health priorities:

• First, we need to make sure that everyone has access to affordable, quality health care, especially women.
• Second, we need common sense policies that reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and teen pregnancies.
• Third, we must expand access to affordable family planning and prevention care, both domestically and internationally.

Go to our website to learn more about our health care priorities and top issues and to find our how you can get involved.

Kicking the Year off Right in Albany!

On Monday, January 12, the first day of the new legislative session, over 300 advocates gathered in Albany to proclaim "Women's Health Matters!" to our legislators and state officials. Of course, Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region was there with a bus full of Rochester and Syracuse advocates to join in the celebration and the fight. We gathered in the Well, a central location in the Legislative Office Building where we knew we'd get lots of attention.

The new President and CEO of Family Planning Advocates, Tracey Brooks, kicked off the morning rally. There was an awards presentation honoring our courageous advocates in the NYS legislature. The Margaret Sanger Award was presented to Senator Eric Schneiderman and Assemblymember Naomi Rivera and the Champion of Choice Award was given to Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

There were many exciting speakers, including Assembly Speaker, Assemblymember Sheldon Silver; NYS Commissioner of Health, Dr. Richard Daines; NYS Comptroller, Thomas
DiNapoli; Senate Majority Leader, Senator Malcolm Smith; and Executive Deputy Attorney General for Social Justice, Mylan Denerstein. The excitement in the air was palpable and it was clear that 2009 would be a year of great hope and progress in Albany!

I had the honor of introducing the keynote speaker, a woman I have immense admiration for, 23-year-old sexual education activist, feminist, and youth empowerment organizer, Shelby Knox. Shelby spoke eloquently about her seven year fight for comprehensive sex ed, literally coming to tears when she predicted that in 2009, the Healthy Teens Act will finally become law in New York.

After the rally in the Well, advocates scattered throughout the Legislative Office Building and Capitol to meet with legislators. Our group met with twenty-one elected officials from the Rochester/Syracuse region, advocating for the Healthy Teens Act, Reproductive Health Act, and investing funding in family planning services. When the bus rolled into Rochester for the last drop-off at 7:00 PM, we were tired, but we knew our actions made a difference.

Who Decides?

Yesterday, NARAL Pro-Choice released their 2008 "Who Decides?" annual report, which tracks pro-choice and anti-choice trends throughout the country and gives a pro-choice grade to each state based on policy and legislative make up. (Note: Planned Parenthood of the Rochester/Syracuse Region is non-partisan and takes stances only on policy, not candidates for office.)

NARAL ranks New York State as an A-, which makes it one of the most pro-choice states in the nation but means there's still room for improvement. You can read the full state profile here.

Other key findings include the fact that while more anti-choice legislation was considered than pro-choice legislation (502 measures vs 459 measures), significantly more pro-choice legislation was successfully adopted. Surely, with 16 states enacting 24 anti-choice measures in 2008, there's still a lot of work to be done -- but 23 states enacting 39 pro-choice measures is definitely nothing to sneeze at!

For more, check out the federal profile, state profiles, pro-choice policy key findings, and anti-choice policy key findings. And here's to a pro-choice 2009!

Bush Poised to Implement Dangerous DHHS Rule

I've written before about the proposed DHHS rule that would undermine women's health by preventing government-funded providers from "discriminating" against employees who oppose abortion and/or contraception. The rule would limit women's access to information on all of their available options and make some options inaccessible -- potentially without women even knowing what they're being denied.

[T]he rule--issued as a draft proposal by the Health and Human Services Department in August and under public review through late September--could complicate legal and financial life for any federally funded institution, said Adam Donfield, senior public policy associate at the New York-based Guttmacher Institute.

About 580,000 federally funded institutions--including 89 percent of all hospitals--would be affected, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Under the rule, any worker involved in the delivery of health care--including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, volunteers and interns--would be able to refuse to provide any medical procedure or medication based on moral, ethical or religious beliefs if they work at an institution that receives federal aid.

Given the widespread moral and religious opposition to abortion, the rule is widely seen as a gambit to restrict access to abortion or to enable medical professionals to avoid referring patients to abortion services. However, the conscience rule also would allow health care providers to refuse to provide a range of reproductive health services, including abortions but also birth control, including emergency contraception, without exception.

"It appears that one penalty under this regulation will be to lose the federal funds under a specific program," said Donfield, adding that that could extend to all Medicare and Medicaid funds upon which hospitals critically depend. "Effectively, it means medical institutions will have to disobey their own state laws to keep their access to funding."

For these reasons and more, many prominent organizations and individuals oppose the proposed rule, despite the fact that President Bush seems determined to go ahead with it.

But three officials from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including its legal counsel, whom President Bush appointed, said the proposal would overturn 40 years of civil rights law prohibiting job discrimination based on religion.

The counsel, Reed L. Russell, and two Democratic members of the commission, Stuart J. Ishimaru and Christine M. Griffin, also said that the rule was unnecessary for the protection of employees and potentially confusing to employers.

[. . .]

[T]he National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, 28 senators, more than 110 representatives and the attorneys general of 13 states have urged the Bush administration to withdraw the proposed rule.

The good news is that President-Elect Barack Obama opposes the rule and says he would attempt to overturn it if enacted. Further, Senators Hillary Clinton and Patty Murray have introduced legislation that would prevent the rule from going into effect. Unfortunately, though, the process of overturning the rule could take three to six months, and legislation could take even longer to pass, if it does at all. In the meantime, great damage might be done.

There's still time to take action and strongly voice your opposition to this rule being implemented. It only takes a minute, and could make a big difference.