Planned Parenthood’s roots may be traced back to the birth control movement founded by Margaret Sanger and her partners, who established the nation’s earliest birth control clinic in a poor neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 1916.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., is an American organization that has worked as an advocate for studies and professional rights in the fields of birth control, family planning, and access to birth control since its inception in 1942.
Planned Parenthood clinics offer a wide range of reproductive health care services, such as abortion, sex education, maternity care, infertility treatment, and therapeutic interventions for sexually transmitted diseases, as well as immunizations and cancer screenings to millions mostly of low-income and rural patients.
History of Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood clinics were regularly the focus of angry anti-abortion (“pro-life”) protests, causing several states to pass legislation prohibiting demonstrators from barricading admission to the organization’s facilities.
Clinics and their workers have also been targeted violently in arson, bombings, and killings.
Some anti-abortion groups sought to weaken political backing for Planned Parenthood by using falsely produced undercover movies alleging to show the organization engaging in unlawful behavior.
Following the release of one of that kind clip in 2015, which falsely inferred that Planned Parenthood was illegally selling fetal tissue from abortions, Congress enacted laws that would have cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood (via Medicaid reimbursement rates and Title X family-planning grants); the criterion was vetoed by President Barack Obama.
Was Sanger “not very comfortable with black people”?
Sanger’s birth control effort did receive support in black areas, beginning in the 1920s with African-American leagues in Harlem. Sanger also cooperated closely with NAACP cofounder
W.E.B. DuBois on an “N Project,” which she saw as a method to provide African-Americans with safe contraception.
Sanger wrote in 1946 about the need of allowing black parents and choose how many babies they would have.
“The N race had also reached a point in its history where every effort must be made to have every kid count as a positive contribution to America’s future,” she wrote.
STD Screening, Treatment, and Vaccines
STDs may be contracted by anybody who has oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse or genital skin-to-skin contact with some other person – in fact, nearly all sexually active people contract one at some time in their lives.
STDs are typically asymptomatic. So being tested is the only way to really know if you or a companion has an STD.
However, the great news is that being tested is typically quick, simple, and painless. Furthermore, STDs can be treated or controlled with medicines.
Some STDs are dangerous, while others aren’t – in either case, getting treatment if you really need it is a great step to stay healthy.
How often should one get checked for STI?
At least once a year, STI testing is advised. Some illnesses might take many weeks or months to show up on a test.
We recommend that people be tested every time they meet a new partner, or every 3-6 months if they have many relationships.
Because most individuals don’t notice symptoms, it’s critical to be checked even if you feel great.
Burning when peeing, pain during sexual activities, spotting after sex or between periods, itching, strange odor or discharge from the genitals, and lumps, bumps, or blisters are some of the symptoms that individuals may experience.
Planned Parenthood offers same-day STD testing for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Herpes, HPV, Genital Warts, Syphilis, and Trichomoniasis.
Anyone can get an STI, and it does not make them a horrible person. There are a lot of stigmas associated with STIs, which can keep people from talking to partners, getting tested, and being treated.
Some of these symptoms might be caused by other common vaginal infections, such as Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), yeast infection, or a urinary tract infection (UTI).
The n Our nurse practitioners there can accurately diagnose yeast and BV, but not UTIs. So, if you have a UTI, you will have to go to a walk-in facility or phone your pharmacy or family doctor.
Important Facts You should know
1.It is the nation’s leading provider of high-quality, affordable reproductive health care
A nonprofit, nonsectarian organization, Planned Parenthood provides reproductive health care to women nationwide.
This nonprofit corporation is a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Its roots can be traced back to Brooklyn, New York, where Margaret Sanger founded the first birth control clinic.
In 1916, Sanger drew international respect for her work in the American birth control movement.
The organization now operates more than 600 health centers nationwide and is the nation’s largest provider of reproductive health care.
2.It is a non-profit organization
An organization that does not operate for profit is classified as a nonprofit.
Such an organization is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt organization, allowing it to benefit the public while furthering a social cause.
Examples of nonprofit organizations are national charities, hospitals, and universities, as well as volunteer service organizations, political parties, labor unions, and professional associations.
Even some governmental agencies are nonprofit. Here are some examples of nonprofit organizations and their benefits.
3.It charges copays
If you are looking for a low-cost abortion, you should be aware that Planned Parenthood charges copays for most services.
Depending on your health insurance plan, your copays can be as low as $10 or as high as $35.
Most plans cover pregnancy tests and annual wellness exams, but many other services have a copay, so check with your provider before you visit.
Planned Parenthood also offers online health services, including an interactive patient portal that you can access to view medical records, refill prescriptions, and send secure messages.
4.It argues for access to care for people who are trans and non-binary
The number of transgender people is growing; estimates range from one million to two million. This represents between 0.4% and 0.6% of the adult population.
These figures may be even higher among the next generation. According to a recent GLAAD Institute study, 12% of Americans aged 18 to 34 identified as a gender other than cisgender.
Despite these high numbers, there is a lack of research on transgender people and their sexual and reproductive health needs.
In addition to health insurance, other government agencies may not fully cover medical services for transgender people.
In fact, some of these services could be deemed inappropriate for a person in the transgender community. These organizations argue that the denial of care is discriminatory.
They say that the discrimination against transgender people is wrong and that health care providers should not be able to deny services for sex reassignment because of the patient’s gender identity.
Sandra is a health blogger based in San Diego, California. She is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. She loves being outdoors and exploring new places with her husband. She is a mom of two awesome kids and a dog named Luna!