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My Planned Parenthood
Jul. 6th, 2011 10:36 pmI am the second generation of my family to be helped by Planned Parenthood of Indiana. When my parents moved to Bloomington right after their wedding nearly 30 years ago, my father's income was $0. They couldn't afford birth control, but they could afford a child even less. Planned Parenthood gave my mother birth control at no charge, thanks to their sliding scale.
Years later, when the time came that mothers worry about what their daughters are doing, she took me aside and said that I should never be afraid to talk to her. But if I was, or if I had no insurance for some reason, or just couldn't afford it on my own, I should go to Planned Parenthood and let them help me. She repeated the advice a few times, and it sunk in.
When the time came that I needed birth control, I went to Planned Parenthood, ironically enough, also in Bloomington. There I found the answers to my questions, and help without judgment. For four years, through not being ready to have “that” conversation with my mother, not having health insurance, job changes, or moves to three different cities, Planned Parenthood was there for me. It was a sense of relief for both me and my husband that regardless of how much money we had (or often, didn't have), or where in Indiana we lived, or what jobs we had, that we had affordable access to birth control. And although I no longer use them as my birth control provider, it's still a sense of relief to me to know that if I need them again, they will help me.
These arguments over funding affect so much more than whether or not people get abortions in Indiana. They affect whether people are able to choose when and if to have children. They affect how soon people in this state find out that they have STDs, or cancer. These political battles jeopardize the health and welfare of women and men in this state, and lawmakers don’t seem to care. They don’t look at the other aspects of this story, or the consequences of their actions.
My husband and I are childfree. We feel that our family is just fine with the two of us and our two dogs. If I accidentally became pregnant one day, I can't say with certainty what my decision would be. But I do know this: thanks to Planned Parenthood of Indiana, it's a decision I've never had to make.
Planned Parenthood's battles, both here in Indiana, and across the country are far from over. I ask on their behalf; if you've got a little room in your charitable donations budget, please consider donating to them. To donate to Planned Parenthood of Indiana, visit their website. If you would prefer to donate to the national organization, or want to find out how to donate to your local Planned Parenthood, visit the national website
(Also, many thanks to my mother, both for the good advice, and for letting me tell her story too. Love you Momma!)
To read the other blog carnival entries, check out the master list
Years later, when the time came that mothers worry about what their daughters are doing, she took me aside and said that I should never be afraid to talk to her. But if I was, or if I had no insurance for some reason, or just couldn't afford it on my own, I should go to Planned Parenthood and let them help me. She repeated the advice a few times, and it sunk in.
When the time came that I needed birth control, I went to Planned Parenthood, ironically enough, also in Bloomington. There I found the answers to my questions, and help without judgment. For four years, through not being ready to have “that” conversation with my mother, not having health insurance, job changes, or moves to three different cities, Planned Parenthood was there for me. It was a sense of relief for both me and my husband that regardless of how much money we had (or often, didn't have), or where in Indiana we lived, or what jobs we had, that we had affordable access to birth control. And although I no longer use them as my birth control provider, it's still a sense of relief to me to know that if I need them again, they will help me.
These arguments over funding affect so much more than whether or not people get abortions in Indiana. They affect whether people are able to choose when and if to have children. They affect how soon people in this state find out that they have STDs, or cancer. These political battles jeopardize the health and welfare of women and men in this state, and lawmakers don’t seem to care. They don’t look at the other aspects of this story, or the consequences of their actions.
My husband and I are childfree. We feel that our family is just fine with the two of us and our two dogs. If I accidentally became pregnant one day, I can't say with certainty what my decision would be. But I do know this: thanks to Planned Parenthood of Indiana, it's a decision I've never had to make.
Planned Parenthood's battles, both here in Indiana, and across the country are far from over. I ask on their behalf; if you've got a little room in your charitable donations budget, please consider donating to them. To donate to Planned Parenthood of Indiana, visit their website. If you would prefer to donate to the national organization, or want to find out how to donate to your local Planned Parenthood, visit the national website
(Also, many thanks to my mother, both for the good advice, and for letting me tell her story too. Love you Momma!)
To read the other blog carnival entries, check out the master list
