Saturday, February 26, 2011

Women or the State?

Who will control women's reproductive lives? Women themselves, or the State?

Republicans want the government to be in control. Planned Parenthood wants women to be in control.

Here's what Planned Parenthood is doing to help women.

The United States has one of the highest teen birth rates in the Western world, and North Texas has the most repeat births to teens in the United States.

Planned Parenthood of North Texas if the only nonprofit network provider of family planning services in Tarrant County.

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the United States. Approximately one million Texas women have no access to reproductive health services, including Pap smears.

Planned Parenthood of North Texas provides vital preventive healthcare -- birth control, family planning counsel, well=woman exams and more -- for its patients, most of whom have no insurance or not enough.

Children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at low birth weight, and twice as likely to suffer abuse and neglect. Texas has the 44th lowest rate of women receiving prenatal care.

Planned Parenthood of North Texas uses medically accurate sexuality information -- providing health information and outreach programs to prevent unintended pregnancies and protect maternal-child health.

About 10,000 U.S. women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually and 4,000 of those die of the disease, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths to women worldwide.

Planned Parenthood North Texas performs more life-saving cervical cancer screenings than any Texas healthcare provider.

Abortions comprise only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood-provided services nationwide. Eighty-two percent of their clients receive services to prevent unplanned pregnancies, services that help prevent 621,000 unplanned pregnancies. Other services included Pap smears and breast exams as well as tests to detect sexually transmitted diseases and treatment if needed.

The bottom line?

Planned Parenthood works to give women control over their reproductive decisions. And that's what makes it anathema to Republicans, who want to cut all funding for the organization.

Republicans say abortion is a "forever decision with forever consequences."

Well, so is an unplanned pregnancy -- even more so now that Republicans are cutting health care for children, education for children, food stamps for children, and on and on.

So speak up, women. Your right to control of your own body is at stake here.

3 comments:

Elizabeth Kaeton said...

Please visit PP or RCRC to sign a petition that will go directly to your state Senators. Then, make a contribution to Planned Parenthood, and if you've got some spare change, send some over to RCRC as well (Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice).

Make no mistake: The Republican Majority has declared war on women. The pen - on paper and on your checkbook - is mightier than the sword of this proposed legislation.

judyalter said...

Makes you proud to be a Texan, doesn't it? Well if not, at least proud to be a Democrat! And a woman who joins the fight for women's rights.

MissMeliss said...

As a late-teenager and early twenty-something living in California, I put my body on the line, and helped defend clinics from anti-choice attackers.

As a woman who has just hit forty, I am terrified at the current Republican agenda. Aren't these the same people who claimed that the creation of jobs was their first priority.

I may live in Texas, but this is one of many reasons I will never call myself a Texan.