South Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

What We're Watching...

While this video is now a few weeks old and thankfully the bills brought up in it appear to have been stopped for now, this video is still a must watch.

In the Huffington Post Live video you will hear from Ohio Senator Nina Turner, Delegate Jennifer McClellan from Virginia House of Delegates, Emily Shaw a patient of Planned Parenthood in Ohio, and the President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Great Ohio, Stephanie Kight along with host Alicia Menendez.

In the segment they discuss the bill in Ohio that was seeking to defund Planned Parenthood. The “heartbeat” bill also was briefly mentioned.

GUEST: "October Baby"

Many of our readers of The Team Roe Times may have heard about a new film called October Baby making the rounds. The makers of the movie are donating a portion of their profits to a network of anti-choice groups.

These groups – known as “crisis pregnancy centers” – are anti-choice operations that pose as abortion clinics. Once a woman walks through a crisis pregnancy center’s door, she could be subjected to anti-choice propaganda and lies about abortion, birth control, and even pregnancy.

Ten percent of the profits from October Baby go to fund organizations that match the description of anti-choice CPCs. And the movie's website lists Care Net and Heartbeat International, two umbrella organizations that support CPCs, as partners.

If filmmakers want to make a movie with an ideological message, that is entirely their right. But American moviegoers also have the right to know whether their ticket dollars are going to fund organizations that deliberately mislead women.

~Alisha Sedor, NARAL Pro Choice South Dakota

The "New Face" of Feminism

As our pals over at Dakota Women acknowledged last week, there’s been a bunch of talk lately about the fact that, surprise!, there are young feminists out here working for a breadth of women’s issues, including choice. The misperception that young women aren’t involved in feminist activism likely spreads from the fact that activist movements look different in 2011 than they did in 1920, 1970 or even 1990.

The world has moved online, and thus somewhat out of the streets, but that doesn't make the work young women are doing for the movement any less valuable.

Courtney Marin, of Feministing.com, recently wrote a piece for The Nation in which she said, “the belief that online activism isn’t “real” or deserving of financial support isn’t just an insult to entrepreneurial bloggers and organizers; it’s creating a crisis in the feminist movement.” Some potentially fantastic online work is being hindered by the fact that this work isn’t seen as “legitimate” in the eyes of many funders.

An article in USA Today titled “As NOW Marks 45 Years, Is Feminism Over the Hill?” saw an outcry of letters from feminists across the age spectrum. In their letter, Steph Herold and Shelby Knox urge USA today to interview the young feminists, the ones who “keep feminism fierce and vibrant.”

Organizations across the progressive movement, including our own, are making a conscious effort to engage millennials (otherwise known as all folks born after 1980) which is extremely important. I am excited to look at new ways to engage my generation. However, I think it is also important to acknowledge that many of us are already engaged; our efforts just look different from those of previous generations. By reaching out to the millennial generation in ways that make sense to them, I think we can accomplish great things for the pro-choice and women’s movements.

Where are the young feminists? We’re right here, on the front lines, gearing up to move feminism forward.

~Alisha Sedor, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota

P.S. Courtney Marin also did a great TED Talk on this very topic last year

No Woman, No Cry

In her new documentary, No Woman, No Cry, Christy Turlington Burns shares the very personal story of how unexpected hemorrhaging after the birth of her first child nearly led to her death. The life-threatening experience led Turlington Burns to investigate the medical conditions faced by women with similar pregnancy complications around the world.

No Woman, No Cry contrasts Turlington Burns’ own ready access to emergency medical care with the deadly consequences faced by 358,000 women who die annually from pregnancy-related causes in countries with less developed health systems. The film features the work of Dr. Linda Valencia in the prevention of unsafe abortion and the treatment of its consequences in Guatemala. Dr. Valencia directs Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s (PPFA’s) support for programs in Guatemala.

Abortion is illegal in Guatemala, except to preserve the life of a woman. These legal restrictions do not prevent it from taking place, but rather drive women to seek black market procedures under unsanitary conditions. Each year, 65,000 unsafe abortions are performed in the country, resulting in the hospitalization of over 20,000 Guatemalan women.

Dr. Valencia leads PPFA’s efforts to improve access to reproductive health care for women and their families in Guatemala. Click here to view a film trailer featuring Dr. Valencia.

~ Carmen, Public Affairs Manager, Planned Parenthood Advocate

Welcome to WE CARE!

A group of young women and men in the Black Hills area have launched a new movement in support of choice, calling themselves Working for Equality, Choice & Accurate Reproductive Education (WE CARE) SD. The purpose of WE CARE is to organize and unite pro-choice women (and supportive men) in South Dakota, specifically in the Black Hills area.

In mid-May NARAL Pro-Choice South Dakota and the members of WE CARE SD joined forces to present a screening of the HBO documentary “12th and Delaware.” This documentary shows the opposing sides of one of America's most polarizing issues - abortion - as the documentary explores one Florida intersection with an abortion clinic on one side of the street and a Crisis Pregnancy Center on the other.

Happy Earth Day! Check out our new video!

 

 

 

 

by Karina
Web Editor
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

Over the past couple of years, Planned Parenthood has become increasingly involved in the issue of environmental toxins and how they affect our reproductive health. Scientists are continually finding that many of the chemicals contained in products we use daily are having a negative effect on our health—particularly our reproductive health. As protectors of reproductive health, we are committed to addressing this looming environmental issue.

To that end, we’ve created a video that explains why environmental health is an issue that pro-choicers should care about. This Earth Day please take a moment to watch this video and then share it with your friends and family, as well as with your networks on facebook and twitter. For more information visit greenischoice.org

 

If you are interested in learning more, please come to our at Earth Day Education event at our Uptown office TONIGHT. We are also thrilled to have presenter, Dr. David Wallinga, Director of Food and Health program from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, join us for a great discussion on this issue. Our Teen Council will also instruct participants on making their own environmentally-friendly cosmetics and cleaning supplies. The event is tonight from 6-8pm at our office in Minneapolis located at 1200 Lagoon Avenue. For more information or to RSVP please email volunteers@ppmns.org.

EARTH DAY VIDEO: Environmental Health and CHOICE

by Karina

Web Editor
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

Happy Earth Day!

Well happy almost Earth Day! You might be wondering why a Planned Parenthood blogger is wishing you a Happy Earth Day.  Yes, I am a bit of a tree hugger, but I’m not the only one.  Over the past couple of years, Planned Parenthood has become increasingly involved in the issue of environmental toxins and how they affect our reproductive health.  Scientists are finding that many of the chemicals contained in products we use daily are having a negative effect on our health—particularly our reproductive health. As protectors of reproductive health, it’s time for Planned Parenthood to get involved in this issue.

To that end, I’ve created a BRAND NEW video that further explains Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the environmental health issue and explains some of the ways our reproductive health is affected by the chemicals we encounter in our every day lives. Check it out and please be sure to share this video with your friends and family and post to facebook and twitter as well. We need your help to get the word out about this critical issue.

 

Also, be sure visit our new website, greenischoice.org to find information on healthy alternatives to these chemicals. And stay connected with environmental health issues by following GREEN IS CHOICE on twitter.

VIDEO: STOP STUPAK!!

Alright pro-choicers, this is the real deal here. When the House of Representatives passed its historic health care reform bill, it unfortunately contained an amendment that is antithetical to health care reform.  I am, of course, talking about the Stupak amendment—and if it makes its way into the final bill, it would effectively ban abortion from public and private insurance plans for millions of American women.  This would amount to millions of women actually losing coverage under health care reform—a possibility that Planned Parenthood and millions of pro-choicers that support women’s access to a safe, legal abortion, cannot accept.

Health care reform is about expanding access to health care—not taking coverage away.

We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the Stupak Amendment does not make it into the final bill. But we can’t do it without your help.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

SIGN THE PETITION
If there has ever been a petition to sign, this is the one. Please sign Planned Parenthood’s petition asking President Obama, Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Pelosi to make sure that this insidious amendment does not make it into the final health care reform bill.

When you’re done signing, please use the “tell-a-friend tool” to ask 10 of your friends to join you in signing.

SHARE OUR VIDEO
Share this youtube video above on facebook, and twitter. Here’s a link: http://bit.ly/2SIrZk   OR  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvdxOKNDruI

FACEBOOK
Donate your facebook status to the cause. Use the following message:

Health care reform is about expanding access to health care—not taking coverage away. If you agree, please join me in signing the petition to make sure that the Stupak Amendment does not make it into the final health care reform bill. Then copy this message and donate your status to the cause. http://bit.ly/3XvWOY

TWITTER 
Share this post on twitter. Use the following message:

I’m doing my part to STOP STUPAK—are you? http://bit.ly/3XvWOY #stopstupak

Thank you for your support.  Together we can pass health care reform that moves our country forward—not backward.

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VIDEO Let's Talk Month Conversation Tool

by Karina

Web Editor
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

October is Lets Talk Month, a community campaign to encourage parents and families to talk together about sexuality and their family's values, and to support them in building and maintaining healthy family connections.

This year Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota is focusing on the importance of family meals to encourage communication and connection. To that end, we've created the Planned Parenthoods Lets Talk Month Tablemat, a tool to help get mealtime conversations started. Learn more about our Tablemat and how it can help you improve communication between you and your child.

 

For more info, check out a recent blog post from education staff about brain development, dinner, and Let’s Talk Month. Or check out the Let’s Talk Month section of our website.

Download the tablemat in English or Spanish using the buttons below.

 

VIDEO Inside the President's health care reform rally in Minneapolis

by Karina

Web Editor
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

Last week, we shared a video of our own Tim Stanley talking about Planned Parenthood’s role in the health care reform debate at a visibility event the Planned Parenthood Action Fund held outside of the Target Center.  Planned Parenthood supporters had gathered outside President Obama’s health care reform rally to show all who attended that women’s health matters.
 
After the visibility event, many of our supporters headed inside to see President Obama speak and attend the rally.
 
Check out this video, shot from the floor of the Target center, to see what the rally was like!

Thanks to all those who attended!!

You can subscribe to our videos and audio podcasts by subscribing to our podcast in itunes. 

Looking for ways to get involved? 

1.     Tell us your story: Politicians need to hear real stories to understand the importance of improving women's health, so  we are collecting stories! Have you been to Planned Parenthood? Have you received free or affordable birth control? How about an annual exam, STI test, or a cervical cancer screening?  Tell us your story and why Planned Parenthood was an important health care provider for you.

2.    Write a Letter to the Editor: If you've been reading your local newspaper, you've probably noticed that there's an awful lot of crazy things being said about women's health, family planning, birth control, and abortion—- can you help us dispel the misinformation by writing a letter to the editor? Contact Sally at shassell@ppmns.org , so that we can contact you when come across a letter that requires a pro-choice response chock full of some good ol' fashioned facts. Contact Sally.

3.    Email Congress: and tell them that you won’t support health care reform that leaves women worse off than they are now. More info.