South Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

It’s up to us, ladies!

According to AP article, Obama gains with women: Jobs, social issues help, “It's looking like President Barack Obama may be back in the good graces of women.”

For Obama, there is no more crucial constituency than women. They make up a majority of voters in presidential elections, and a bit more of them identify with his party. He would not be president today without topping Republican John McCain in that group in 2008. ‘Women are used to making decisions and running their lives,’ said Linda Young, president of the National Women's Political Caucus, which favors abortion rights. ‘To hear their right to contraception questioned in 2012 is shocking, and it's gotten a lot of people's attention.’

This all ties into the Blunt Amendment that would allow health plans to deny coverage for any service that violates the employer’s beliefs, which could include HIV/ AIDS treatment, maternity care for unmarried women, or contraception.  Read the full article here.

~Carmen, Planned Parenthood Advocate

Rally for Birth Control!

Thank you to everyone who braved the snow in support of birth control for ALL women this afternoon in Sioux Falls! Our supporters are the BEST!

Congress is expected to vote as soon as next week on a measure introduced by Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) that would not only overturn the birth control coverage benefit, it would undermine the entire notion of health insurance.

In short, the Blunt proposal says that employers and insurance companies do not have to provide coverage for ANY essential health service that they object to on the basis of personal religious belief or moral convictions.

That means employers and insurance companies can not only deny access to birth control, they can deny access to any essential health care service, including maternity care, HIV/AIDS treatment, mammograms, cancer screenings: you name it.

The Blunt proposal is designed to eviscerate critical protections included in the Affordable Care Act and to completely undermine a fundamental principle of the health care law—that everyone in this country deserves a basic standard of health insurance coverage.  

~ Carmen, Planned Parenthood Advocate

NOT "Just a Few Dollars"

Politicians like Rick Santorum say that this birth control issue isn't a big deal because it "costs just few dollars." REALITY CHECK! Enter your age and contraceptive of choice and find out how much you could expect to pay for birth control through the average age of menopause.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans will cover women’s preventive services, including contraception, without charging a co-pay or deductible. 

Unfortunately, this fight continues in Congress. One bill, the Rubio-Manchin bill, would allow any business or corporation, on the basis of personal religious belief or moral conviction, to take away birth control coverage from their employees. Another bill, sponsored by Senator Blunt (R-MO), would drastically undermine women’s health and allow any employer or health plan to refuse to cover any health care service they object to on religious or moral grounds.

Planned Parenthood will continue to remain vigilant in protecting women’s access to health care at the state and federal levels.

Unofficial TTRT Book Club - The Baby Thief

This is the crazy, true story of an evil woman, southern politics, and adoption. I thought this book was fascinating from start to finish: this woman posed as social services to take babies away from mothers she thought unfit, she put photos of babies in the newspaper at Christmas-time asking for people to adopt them, and the gave babies to judges, lawyers and law officials to gain favor in the community.

The author writes from an interesting perspective as she adopted her own daughter. Georgia Tann’s antics of trickery and theft helped to shape many current adoption laws, for better and for worse. This book was expertly researched and well-written.

I recommend this book for those anti-abortion folks who think that adoption is the best choice for “everyone.” Georgia Tann tore apart many families in her quest for wealth and “good” families.
I’m certain our TTRT readers will enjoy this pro choice book as well. Happy reading!

~Carmen, Planned Parenthood Advocate

Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood - What a Week!

Even if you were literally living under a rock, it would have been impossible to miss the avalanche of activity surrounding the SGK decision to stop funding grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast health, cancer screenings, and prevention education. Personally, I read as many articles as possible—and I’m certain I only made it through a third.

The Team Roe Times February Issue!

We are excited to present to you the second issue of The Team Roe Times in 2012, a joint project between Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and NARAL Pro Choice South Dakota!

 

Packed inside this fabulous issue is a book review of one of the most interesting books I’ve read on adoption, “The Baby Thief”, updates on the South Dakota Legislature, the birth control employer refusal, and two new choice words AND SO MUCH MORE! Please enjoy and share widely.

Download The Team Roe Times Vol 2 Issue 2

President Obama Reaffirms Commitment to Women’s Access to Birth Control; Fight Continues in Congress

In the face of an outrageous assault on women’s health, the Obama administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring all women will have access to birth control coverage, with no costly co-pays and no additional hurdles, no matter where they work.

“Our number one concern is making sure women have access to basic health care, including access to contraception, and Obama’s announcement today means that all women will have that access no matter where they work or who their employer is,” said Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS). “The compliance mechanism does not compromise a woman’s ability to access critical birth control benefits.”

The Obama Administration’s announcement clarifies how religious organizations can comply with the law and means that health insurance companies, not Catholic businesses, will absorb the cost of the co-pay for contraception. The president strongly stood up to those who were trying to deny this benefit to women who work in religious institutions.

Planned Parenthood continues to believe that those institutions that serve the broad public, employ the broad public, and receive taxpayer dollars, should be required to follow the same rules as everyone else, including providing birth control coverage and information.

“As a trusted health care provider to one in five women, Planned Parenthood’s priority is increasing access to preventive health care. This birth control coverage benefit does just that,” Stoesz continued.

Unfortunately, this fight continues in Congress. One bill, the Rubio-Manchin bill, would allow any business or corporation, on the basis of personal religious belief or moral conviction, to take away birth control coverage from their employees. Another bill, sponsored by Senator Blunt (R-MO), would drastically undermine women’s health and allow any employer or health plan to refuse to cover any health care service they object to on religious or moral grounds. 

Planned Parenthood will continue to remain vigilant in protecting women’s access to health care at the state and federal levels.

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Contact: Jen Aulwes, 651-755-9557

Statement of Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, on the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Decision to Reinstate Funding for Breast Cancer Screenings at Planned Parenthood Health Centers Nationwide

The outpouring of support for women in need of lifesaving breast cancer screening this week has been astonishing and is a testament to our nation's compassion and sincerity.

This show of support underscores what a critical resource Planned Parenthood is in the fight to detect and prevent breast cancer.  We were so heartened by the calls and emails we received from people in our region, who made it clear that they did not like to see politics playing a role in women’s health care. 

Planned Parenthood Statement on Komen Foundation Succumbing to Political Pressure and Ending Breast Cancer Prevention Funding

Planned Parenthood today expressed deep disappointment in response to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation’s decision to stop funding breast cancer prevention, screenings, and education at Planned Parenthood health centers. Anti-women’s health groups have repeatedly targeted and boycotted the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation for partnering with Planned Parenthood to provide these lifesaving cancer screenings and news articles suggest that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation ultimately succumbed to these pressures.

“As a health care provider to more than 60,000 women in our community, Planned Parenthood is trusted a leader in helping women identify breast cancer early. Women are deeply alarmed that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation appears to have succumbed to political pressure from a vocal minority”, said Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS). “For years, opponents of women’s health have waged an aggressive pressure campaign aimed at the Susan G. Komen Foundation at the expense of women’s health and lives.”