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2007 News
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Congress Puts Women's Health First
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August 8, 2007
On July 19, 2007, U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-IN-6) offered an amendment to H.R. 3043 (the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill) regarding Title X of the Public Health Service Act. Pence explained, "Today I offer an amendment that is simple in its language, yet significant in its impact. The Pence Amendment states that no funds under Title X may be granted to Planned Parenthood."
The U.S. House of Representatives voted the Pence Amendment down 231 to 189, an enormous victory for Planned Parenthood patients. Planned Parenthood and its affiliates remain eligible to receive Title X funding, allowing millions of women and men nationwide—including 17,000 Hoosiers—to continue to receive reproductive health services.
Thank you to the members of the Planned Parenthood Action Network who emailed their legislators to oppose the Pence Amendment, and thank you to those members of the House of Representatives who recognized the crucial role Planned Parenthood plays in helping Americans to prevent unintended pregnancy, and defeated this amendment, including Indiana's own Rep. Julia Carson (D-7), Rep. Baron Hill (D-9), and Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-1)!
Rep. Pence is striking out at Planned Parenthood because some of their non-Title X health centers do provide abortion services. But removing federal funds from a key provider of family planning is a shortsighted move that would inevitably result in more unintended pregnancies and, as a likely consequence, an increase in abortions. Access to quality, affordable reproductive health care is essential to leading a healthy, productive life.
Fortunately, at least some of our legislators get that—but the Pence Amendment proves once again that not enough legislators understand or care about the importance of access to quality sex education and family planning services. Birth control is basic health care, and real sex ed should be a given in everyone's life. That's why we'll keep working on Prevention First—and why we ask that you email us if you'd like to help.
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What is Title X?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Family Planning, the Title X program was designed in 1970 "to provide access to contraceptive services, supplies and information to all who want and need them." In addition to birth control, many Title X funded clinics provide related preventive health services, including: breast and cervical cancer screening; education, counseling, testing and referral for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), including HIV / AIDS; and pregnancy diagnosis and counseling. Title X funds are not used to provide abortions.
Approximately five million women and men are served through Title X funding each year. Many of the patients receiving these services are low-income, uninsured and at or below the poverty level. Title X funding increases access to family planning and reproductive health services that many citizens would otherwise be unable to afford.
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Pharmacy refuses to dispense all birth control
Prevention First measures are crucial
May 31, 2007
Snyder Drugs, a pharmacy in Great Falls, Montana is refusing to distribute birth control to women. When attempting to fill her birth control prescription, a 49-year old woman (who uses the pill to treat a medical condition, not for contraception) was told the pharmacy will no longer carry birth control.
Instead, the pharmacist told her that birth control pills are dangerous to women, and handed her a copy of the new owners' official policy: the pharmacy will not dispense birth control. To anyone. For any reason. Regardless of what she and her doctor decided was best for her.
You can read more details on the Montana refusal at the Planned Parenthood Daily Kos diary entry and Montana Netroots. Not surprisingly, as news of this injustice spreads, women across the country are outraged. Birth control isn't dangerous—in fact, access to birth control has been proven to reduce maternal and infant deaths.
This pharmacy is denying women their right to basic health care, and while Snyder Drugs of Great Falls, Montana, is now at the cutting edge of pharmacy refusals, many Hoosier women have also been denied access to contraception. We have worked with CVS and Walgreens to help resolve some situations, but there is a particular independent pharmacy here in  Indiana whose owner-pharmacist consistently chooses to confiscate prescriptions and lecture unmarried women on morality rather than dispense needed preventative medicine.
Birth control is basic health care. Women should plan their pregnancies—not pharmacists and not politicians. The Patient Protection component of Prevention First will ensure that Hoosier women can get their prescriptions filled, and avoid unintended pregnancy.
Sign the Prevention First petition, and volunteer to help introduce Prevention First measures in the next legislative session!
Prevention Now!
Rally at the Statehouse a success!
About 400 people from across the state attended the Prevention Now rally at the Statehouse Thursday, Feb. 8 in support of legislation that will provide access to birth control and will require medically accurate sexuality education in Indiana schools. Read more about the Prevention First legislative package.
The resounding message of the day—repeatedly chanted by the enthusiastic crowd—was "Prevention Now." After the rally, many participants took the opportunity to meet with legislators.
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The day was an enormous success and we want to thank all of you who attended the event or supported its efforts!
There is still work to be done. The 2007 legislative session is in full swing, and we are working to keep legislators focused on preventing unintended pregnancy, rather than on limiting access to abortion. You can support prevention measures by joining the Planned Parenthood Action Network, and by donating to our advocacy work.
Prevention Now t-shirts are still available. Order yours and show support for common sense solutions to unintended pregnancy! |
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Prevention Now!
Planned Parenthood Advocates to rally at the statehouse February 8, 2007
Years of divisive debate have not helped Hoosier women and families—but you can!
Join us for the first ever Prevention Now rally at the Statehouse on February 8, 2007.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana has joined with organizations statewide to host the largest rally in Indiana history in support of family planning, sex education, access to health care and other efforts that will help reduce abortion and empower Hoosier families.
13% of Indiana women aged 15-44 live in poverty. [1]
Nearly 53% of all Indiana births are paid for by Medicaid. [2]
Indiana ranks 49th in the nation in preventing unintended pregnancy. [3]
Teen childbearing cost Indiana taxpayers over $3.6 billion between 1991-and 2004. [4] |
Need a ride?
We are deploying buses around the state to bring you to the statehouse.
Don’t miss the bus!
Reserve a seat now! |
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Access to family planning services and sex education can help increase the quality of life for all Hoosiers. That's why we're working with legislators to introduce the Prevention First Act in Indiana in 2007.
The Prevention First Act will improve access to birth control and sexuality education services. It will bring medically accurate information to Indiana's vulnerable teens. It will strengthen parents' dialogue with their teens about vital health information.
Lawmakers need to hear from you. They need to see you standing in your statehouse calling for the long overdue help that Hoosier families need. Help us go to work for real solutions for the women and men of Indiana!
In the last 35 years, the Indiana General Assembly has considered over 135 bills to restrict access to abortion and less than a dozen to help Hoosiers prevent unintended pregnancy. We're tired of divisive rhetoric, and we're ready for some common sense solutions which unite us all in the mission to help Hoosiers prevent unintended pregnancies, the spread of STDs and to curb misinformation.
Stand with us at the statehouse on February 8 and demand Prevention Now! Visit Planned Parenthood of Indiana for details and transportation information.
Stay informed of the Prevention First legislation—and the anti-choice legislation that we'll have to battle again—as it moves through the house and senate by joining the Planned Parenthood Action Network.
Volunteers from all over the state are needed to make the rally (and the legislative session as a whole) a success for Indiana citizens' reproductive rights. Email us to volunteer.
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