You guys there’s so much work for us to do while the other side just seems content to tear sh-t down carelessly. It’s not happening gradually or with any kind of thought for the wide-reaching effects this will have on just about everyone in the entire world, especially the young people and generations yet to come. In fact the Republicans and their ilk seem so concerned that every potential baby be born, while leaving them a world that’s going to be much less hospitable than ever. Climate change is real, we need to protect the earth and we need to give basic healthcare to people who can’t afford it. Those measures will go far to help children and babies but it’s not about helping anyone, it’s about punishing women and children.
Planned Parenthood provides essential birth control to so many women in so many communities. They do provide abortions as well but this is a small part of their services, comprising about 3% of the care they offer. Without Planned Parenthood the amount of abortions will rise as women lose access to birth control, but facts and logic don’t matter to the men in power who are making decisions. Of course one of the sh-tton of punitive executive measures the pResident signed this first week was defunding international healthcare organizations. International healthcare organizations which receive government funding can’t even MENTION abortion as an option or they’ll lose US funding. It’s thought that defunding Planned Parenthood on a national level is next, and that dismantling the ACA/Obamacare is the first step.
Ali Larter is the latest celebrity to support Planned Parenthood. We heard Scarlett Johansson at the Women’s March explain how Planned Parenthood helped her as a teenager and now Larter is telling her own story. She was at a rally for the organization in Philadelphia and explained how they provided essential healthcare to her at a time when she really needed it. Larter urges us to call our representatives and let them know what Planned Parenthood means to us.
The actress and author made an appearance at the 2017 Philadelphia Action Forum on Wednesday, along with Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. More than 400 advocates gathered at the event for community strategy meetings aimed at organizing and fighting back against policies they feel are harmful to their cause.
Larter grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, just across the river from Philadelphia. “I was just so excited when they asked me to come to the Planned Parenthood Action Forum,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s something that I’ve really wanted to get involved with because I’ve been hearing about these attacks politicians have been making towards them and I really wanted to know more about what I can do.”
In a statement about the event, Planned Parenthood cited politicians like Speaker Paul Ryan, who have expressed interest in defunding the program. If this were to happen, the statement warns, millions of women would be denied “access to the cancer screenings, birth control, STD and HIV testing and treatment and other care they rely on.”
Like millions of other women, Larter revealed she has relied on Planned Parenthood in the past. “I am one of the 1-in-5 women that will use a Planned Parenthood health center in their lifetime,” she says. “And what I think is getting lost in this story is that people really use [Planned Parenthood] and it’s an essential part of health care for so many women in this country.”
Larter also spoke out against the politicization of Planned Parenthood. “This policy has nothing to do with abortion, this about cutting women off from cancer screenings, birth control, HIV and STD testing and treatment,” she says. “And that’s the biggest thing, this shouldn’t be a political issue. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican, Democrat or Independent. You should be able to have the right to choose your health care provider.”
The actress was 19 years old when she first moved to L.A. “I didn’t have any friends, I didn’t have a net, I didn’t know where to go and I didn’t have any doctors,” she says. “But I knew about Planned Parenthood and it was simple and accessible. I think that now more and more, especially for women in rural and underserved areas, this is their only access to be able to take care of their own bodies.”
Larter suggests reaching out to local politicians. “Call your representative and share your story about why it’s important to you,” she adds. “I’m shaken to the core at the thought of them defunding Planned Parenthood, leaving all these women with no place to turn.”
I have a Planned Parenthood story. In my late 20s I had a pregnancy scare when a condom failed. I was worried that I might be pregnant so I went to Planned Parenthood and the woman I worked with helped me look at a calendar and figure out which days I was fertile. I never understood the fertility window up until that point and luckily I was in the clear. I got peace of mind, a prescription for birth control and information that was invaluable to me. Planned Parenthood helps so many women and it has helped me. My representative is a total a-hole and he isn’t going to listen or care, but I’m going to call anyway. I have heard that calling is the best way to get your opinion heard. Also, donate to Planned Parenthood!
Did you guys see this meme? Here’s the link to the (satirical obviously) article.
I think it’s noble to call your representative, but it doesn’t “do” anything. They are already elected. The best think you can do for the cause is help restore the voting rights act, get your friends, neighbors and coworkers registered and help them get to the polls. If we end voter suppression, we will slowly but surely get back our rights.
it can work – the GOP reversed their decision to eliminate the Office of Congressional Ethics because word got out and people bombarded them with phone calls.
I very much agree regarding fighting voter suppression, but I think calling and contacting works also.
Disagree completely. Your reps are desperate to stay elected and are so concerned about what their constituents have to say. The recommendation to call comes from activists who have been tirelessly working long before this election. They’ve seen it work before. Ending voter suppression and gerrymandering are largely in the hands of the courts at this point.
I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone. BUT, an intern will answer the phone and pass the information to the legislative correspondent who will send out a batch response. It can be effective, esp in large inflammatory situations, such as the Ethics Office. In terms of the #Resistance, every little bit helps and again I don’t want to discourage anyone, but the problem occurs where people give themselves a huge pat on the back for making a call, and it’s going to take a lot more than that to resist this fascist. Every person in America needs to ACT, needs to get out in their community, needs to give money to PP, and MUST swing the election in 2018.
they aren’t elected for life though- unless they already announced their retirement, keep calling.
They’re supposed to document and respond to constituents. The phone logs are public records (names can be redacted if necessary) If they say they are voting with their constituents, they can be challenged to back it up with phone and mail logs.
It will make them reconsider their stance if they haven’t already. For a mid-term election, one of my state’s politicians ran on the platform of ensuring reproductive rights. The politician lost. If, on the other hand, politicians see that PP is an important issue to their constituents, they will work towards what will keep them in office. Most of the time, politicians don’t have hard stance belief systems; they will say anything to get themselves elected. Which is why I worry about the Dems because the opposing party ran on a platform of hate and won, so what Dem politicians will think is that they shouldn’t care about minorities or women because their issues don’t help the Dems win.
LONG time reader but never posted a comment but I decided to share my PP story. I’m 25, the day after the election I called my gyno and asked for appointment to get an IUD and for an ELLA prescription. She was booked until March and she refused to give the prescription for Ella unless I took a blood test to prove I wasn’t pregnant By the time the time the results would be ready Ella would be useless. So I called Planned parenthood and I was able to get an appointment two days later. The nurses were so nice, they did blood work to check for STD’s (I’m clear) and when I sat down with the doctor he not only gave the prescription for Ella but gave me 8 refills even though he said I wouldn’t need it after the Iud. It took a week for my insurance to approve the IUD, a week later I was back at PP and the doctor “installed” my IUD. I love PP they pass no judgement and they just want you be healthy and save. I was so impressed by the PP facility in Miami. Everything was new and clean. Very impressed
I went to planned parenthood for the first time when I was 22. I had just finished college and was off my parents’ plan but I didn’t get insurance through my own job and before the ACA, it was far too expensive to buy privately. For the most part, being young and healthy, I rolled the dice and just didn’t go to a doctor. But I’ve got a family history and breast cancer and my sister had a lump (turned out to be benign) removed when she was 19. So the yearly trip to an OB-GYN was not optional and PP was the only affordable place to get it done. Being 22 and having to walk through that gauntlet of protesters screaming at me and calling me a murderer, throwing trash at you…it would be terrifying at any age. All for a Pap smear, breast exam, and birth control pills. I used PP for 6 years until I finally got a job that offered insurance, and in thanks to their good work, I’m a volunteer with them now. It blows my mind that for 3% of procedures, people want to shut this essential service down.
Thanks for sharing your story Babs, you inspired me to share mine. I was 26, went to PP when my boyfriend and I “lost” the condom. Not a fun situation. Couldn’t find it anywhere, and thus assumed the worst: that it was stuck. Yep, stuck up there. I was scared and embarrassed. I thought, I will be the girl that died from condom poisoning. I didn’t have enough money to visit an expensive private practice. PP scheduled me right away, gave me an exam, talked me through it, told me this happens all the time. Men don’t go through this stuff!
Yes there is universal health care for the time being, but without access to it where does that leave women? without the services PP provide women we will continue to miss out on opportunities to better out lives and that of our families. It is at our expense that these laws are being passed by people who dont understand our lives or struggles. Their own righteousness seems to be their only concern.
This is all so crazy and foreign to me as a Canadian. I can go to my doctor anytime and get a prescription for birth control, company health care plans cover the prescription and if you don’t have coverage the pill costs $20/month and if you cant afford that you can go to any health clinic (there’s one in every neighbourhood) and get them at a reduced rate of $5/month and if you cant afford that the government will subsidize it. Our universities have health centers that provide condoms, tampons, pads and help with birth control. Abortions are free under our universal health care and can be done in hospitals or at a number of clinics, no questions asked.
I had an abortion at 16 and all I did was call in and make an appointment, didn’t need parental consent, just gave my health card when I came in.
I say this all as a member of the Conservative party of Canada, it’s crazy to me how different the mentality and the extent of conservatism in the USA compared to here.
I am Canadian as well, but know several people who have had abortions and all of them had to be paid for. The amount depended on where it was done. I am not saying free abortions aren’t available but it’s maybe not as easily accessible to everyone. Maybe it’s a provincial difference? I am not trying to dispute you but I am wondering why everyone I knew had to pay?
I know. I’m British and every time I read a Celebitchy article on this kind of topic it’s as shocking as the first time. Here, you just go to your GP for contraception of all kinds and get it for free. Same if you need a termination (98% of terminations are funded by the NHS). If you need the morning after pill you can queue at a walk-in clinic and get it for free or just go to any pharmacy and pay £18. Same for screenings for cervical and breast cancer. Same for STD screening and treatment.
It REALLY brings home the fear and trepidation American women are experiencing over what’s going on.
Another grateful Canadian here. Chris, I don’t know about your friends or why they had to pay; there must be a difference in regions then? I remember when I was very young and found out I was pregnant; I thought I would have to get my parents permission for an abortion and I was terrified that it would cost a lot of money. I called a number that I saw on a sign on a bus… it said “are you pregnant and scared? we can help”… and it turned out to be one of those religious “medical advice” places. They were horrible.
Long story short, I went to a local walk-in clinic, scared and by myself, and they gave me ACTUAL information about my options, made an appointment for me and did the necessary tests, and it cost nothing and required no parental permission. I was so grateful and relieved, and to this day I have no regrets. I can’t even fathom what women in the USA are going to have to go through in the coming years… it makes me so angry that you are having to fight for the most basic right to decide what happens inside your bodies. I can’t even.
We have a consent framework here for reproductive health treatment for under 16s – Gillick competence/Fraser guidelines. So even under 16s can access contraception or even termination without informing parents if the doctor assesses that they meet the consent standards.
Thanks to all for sharing your stories. I’ll be making a donation today. Such a scary world we are living in that an idea like basic care for women is being attacked and dismantled.
I also gave my first donation to PP today.
I didn’t have to worry when I got my IUD 3 years ago in February because being disabled I’m on my dad’s work provided health insurance + state benefits for life. also I was given the IUD because my mom is allergic to the birth control pill/patch and has had breast cancer twice so the IUD was a safer route for me. planned parenthood clinics are often in minority neighborhoods so that’s why people who are a lower percentage of the population as a whole have a higher percentage of abortions. it’s one thing if you have to have an abortion because of a genetic abnormality in the baby that makes them unable to live outside the womb like potters syndrome among many others. Ali should keep her mouth shut her health care is partly subsidized by the screen actors guild and will be for the rest of her life like Joanne Woodward still is even though she retired from the big screen nearly a quarter of a century ago
Ali has a first amendment right to open her right whenever she wants.
ETA: pretty sure Joanne Woodward is on Medicare, for which she paid with quarterly earnings and monthly premiums, at this point in her life.
Ali has good insurance NOW. She didn’t before, and lots of people (soon to be a lot more) don’t now. That’s why she’s speaking up, and standing up for those less fortunate.
Wow, I almost never come to this site anymore but so amazing that Courtney is still here, posting obnoxious garbage that randomly name drops Joanne Woodward. That is next-level commitment to the cray, girl. There should be a special DSM entry for you.
I have great insurance now, but when I was in college full time and working full time I didn’t. I’d already been kicked off my parents’ insurance and had a generic policy through my college that basically only provided coverage if I was in a horrible accident. So I got my birth control through planned parenthood. And because of planned parenthood, I never had any unwanted pregnancies and the possibility of needing an abortion wasn’t an issue.
I don’t understand why people who are against abortion think that limiting access to health care and birth control will prevent them.
I posted this in the Trump story but I’ll say it again because it’s so scary. We all need to call. The H.R. 586 bill gives single cell embryos personhood. Therefore a woman going through IVF would be required to implant all embryos. This is so risky for both women and babies!!!
As a Brit I’ve always been in the fantastically lucky situation of having our wonderful NHS to look after my health, right from contraception, through abortion, smears, cancer & all the other assorted crap life throws at everyone. I lived in the States for a few years so I’m well aware of what all the Stateside posters have to contend with. I just wanted to say how much I admire you all, sharing your stories & actively getting involved, helping to offset & curb the new administration’s despicable actions across the board.
You have millions of supporters across the globe & we’ll do what we can to support you over the next four years. Good luck!
Seconded.
I’ve been lucky and have never needed to use PP’s services myself. However, my grandmother died from breast cancer. Her daughter and her niece were both saved by early detection. Every time I make a donation, I do it for them.
Planned Parenthood saved my life. I was 23 in NYC, temping, no insurance. I needed a refill on pills, but thankfully they required an exam first. The Pap revealed abnormal cells. PP performed the biopsy at a reasonable cost and kept me on a testing follow-up schedule. Eventually I had to have pre-cancerous cells removed, but it was caught very early and 20 years later I am fine and have a beautiful child. It’s hard for me to think about what might have happened if Planned Parenthood had not offered low-cost services.
Planned Parenthood does perform Pap smears, breast exams, etc. Women in poor demographic areas have so many needless death due to cervical and ovarian cancer. So for that reason pp is needed. However when it comes to abortions unless the mothers health is at risk or she was raped then your bad choices of having unprotected sex is your problem not mine