April Is National Minority Health Month

Along with being National STD Awareness Month, April is also National Minority Health Month. Issues with minority health often go unnoticed in the United States, but African-American and Latino citizens have a much harder time obtaining quality health care than Caucasian Americans and significant disparities exist, particularly with regard to sexual and reproductive health.

It is estimated that African-American women with cervical cancer are twice as likely to lose their lives from the disease as white women. Of the U.S. population, African-Americans also account for 69 percent of gonorrhea cases and half of all Chlamydia, HIV/AIDS and syphilis cases. Among women diagnosed with breast cancer, African-American women are most likely to die from the disease.

Latinos experience higher rates of reproductive cancers, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections than most other groups of people in the U.S.  Latinas are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group — one-and-a-half times as likely as non-Latina white women.  Latinas have the third-highest death rates from cervical cancer.  The rates of gonorrhea for Latinos are double that of non-Latino whites, and Chlamydia rates among Latinos are nearly three times higher than they are for non-Latino whites.

The biggest issue here is that African-American and Latino women are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured, and so they often do not have the means to get care early and are frequently diagnosed later than others with the same health problems. This late detection results in higher death rates for minority women. Early detection is critical to avoiding serious health issues, and all people deserve equal access to health care, including cancer screenings and STD testing and treatment.

Planned Parenthood helps people of all races and ethnicities get early treatment for cancer and STDs.  Each year, Planned Parenthood provides family planning counseling and contraception to 2.2 million patients, including 280,000 African-American women and 500,000 Latinos in 2010.  We provide affordable, lifesaving cancer screenings; testing and treatment for STDs, including HIV tests; and birth control.

For many people in the United States,  accessing affordable health care is difficult.  In fact, for many of the people we serve at Planned Parenthood, we are their only source of health care.  That’s why we are committed to making our services readily available to those who need it most.

It is unjust that any person should be denied proper health care. We all deserve the opportunity to take care of ourselves and our families, and race, ethnicity or economic means should never play a part in what kind of care is available to us.

Join Planned Parenthood in celebrating National Minority Health Month!  Make it known that you support health care equality for all!

To learn more about National Minority Health Month, visit the U.S Department of Health & Human Resources Office of Minority Health at http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/actnow/.

Compiled and written by West Virginia Public Policy Intern, Jordan Bean.

What does a vote AGAINST Amendment One mean?

The North Carolina Primary Election is fast approaching. On May 8, in addition to voting on political candidates, voters in NC will decide on whether to write discrimation into our state constitution. As an organization, Planned Parenthood urges you to vote AGAINST this amendment, and here is why -

On May 8, the North Carolina Primary ballot will say:

 

 

 

 

 

All across the state, people have strong feelings about this amendment, but it is our duty as residents of this state to continue to share information about the unintended consequences of this amendment on women and families.

Read this reaction from NC Public Policy Intern, Ursula Mclean:
I consider myself a very informed and knowledgeable person, but for some reason I misconstrued the definition of what Amendment One would actually mean, or not mean, in my mind.  Amendment One is not changing the definition of what marriage means.  The language in this amendment is very specific, and the ramifications of voting for this amendment are many.

Amendment One states that “marriage between one man and woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized.” Four words from that statement — only domestic legal union — combine to make this amendment harmful to hundreds of thousands of North Carolina children and families.

Polls show that as many as 90% of North Carolinians still do not understand the harms of Amendment One even though early voting began last Thursday. These same polls also show that the more people understand the potential impact of the amendment, the less likely they are to vote for it.

What harm can not voting AGAINST Amendment One cause?

• Eliminate health care, prescription drug coverage and other benefits for public employees and children receiving domestic partner benefits
• Ban civil unions & strip domestic partnership benefits
• Threaten protections for all unmarried couples in North Carolina

Currently, North Carolina’s  existing domestic violence protections extend to single as well as married women – but that protection may conflict with Amendment One’s limited definition of what constitutes a family, leaving many unmarried women and children at risk. This occurred with in Ohio after they passed a similar amendment.  In Ohio, this allowed dozens of batterers to be released from jail, and cases were thrown out of court simply because abusers were not married to their victims. This put unmarried women and their children in danger until the Supreme Court stepped in three years later.

The below quote is from the Episcopal Church Leaders, who released a letter Denouncing Amendment One, that really resonated with me.

“Whether we agree or disagree with same-sex marriage, civil unions or unmarried couples co-habitating, we can agree as people of faith that, as the book of Genesis says, all human beings are created in the ‘image of God.’ That means that all persons are to be treated with the love, respect and dignity that befit a child of God. Therefore, we do not believe that the Bible or the Constitutions of our state and nation should be used to oppress, harm or restrict the human rights and dignity of any human being.”

Regardless of your beliefs, the law should NOT be used to oppress, harm, or enforce your values on others.

Early voting has already begun, and you have until May 8 to make a decision that will have a significant effect on many families and children in North Carolina.  Please don’t let what occurred in Ohio be repeated for women in North Carolina.

Vote AGAINST Amendment One!

Information reported on this blog was found on the Protect all NC Families website.  Please click here http://www.protectallncfamilies.org/ for additional information about the consequences not of voting AGAINST Amendment One, or the consequences of not voting at all.

Your Health Questions Answered: How to get rid of excessive facial hair?

For many women, light facial hair is a common occurrence.  But have you ever had an excessive amount of unwanted facial hair and wondered about a safe and effective way to eliminate it? If this sounds like you, please read the below advice of our health professionals to learn more!

Reader Question: I have excessive hair growth on my face, especially under my chin.  If I don’t use clippers, I’m afraid that I would have a full beard. Is there a birth control or a medicine that I can take to lower the hormones that are causing this to occur?

Answer from Nurse Midwife W: Excessive, dark, coarse hair growth in women on the upper lip, chin, chest, back and abdomen is called hirsutism. Hirsutism can be caused by higher amounts of male hormones (androgens) in the body and this sometimes runs in families.  Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can also be a common cause of hirsutism.  The ovaries overproduce male hormones and can cause not only excessive hair growth, but also acne, difficulty losing weight, irregular or absent periods, and diabetes.  There are several ways to deal with the excess hair, including shaving, waxing, bleaching, and plucking the hairs with tweezers. Permanent hair removal methods include laser and electrolysis.  Some methods of hair removal can cause scarring.  Losing excess weight, birth control pills and certain other medications can be used to reduce hair growth. If the hirsutism occurs suddenly, there are some rare conditions that could be causing excess male hormone levels.   It’s important to see a health care provider about your options, especially if the hair growth is sudden and rapid.  Blood tests and a physical exam can be done to try to determine the cause of the hirsutism, but often no cause can be found.  You don’t have to suffer with this distressing condition alone, your Planned Parenthood clinician can help.  Give us a call or make an appointment online.

Click here to make an appointment at local Planned Parenthood health center.

Many thanks to our practitioner for helping our reader with this question. Also, don’t forget to send your health questions to us anonymously by clicking HERE!

Interning with PPHS: One WV Public Policy Intern’s Perspective

I’m Julie Cooke, and I just wrapped up my experience as a Public Policy intern with Planned Parenthood Health Systems in West Virginia.  Initially, I applied for the internship because of my interest in what Planned Parenthood does for women.  I have thought for a few years how I would like to work within a women’s nonprofit organization, and this seemed like it could be a good fit for me.  The Public Policy portion came second for me, at first.  I’ll admit I wasn’t always up on the issues going on in politics and the news, but this internship has definitely given me a change of heart.  I realize how important it is in order to make change!

My duties included (but were not limited to) writing blog posts and contributing to Planned Parenthood’s social networking on Twitter, covering a variety of subjects such as birth control, upcoming events and general women’s health issues. Some of my posts were directed towards subjects that helped me learn more about Planned Parenthood and the political aspects involved. I helped with phone banks and phone banked every week during the legislative session about important bills, such as Insurance Fairness and the Blunt amendment.  I did a lot of volunteer recruitment, which I discovered is very difficult to do but extremely important.  I planned a Her Health Happy Hour in Huntington to engage new supporters, and it ended up being a success, as well as a lot of fun!

I learned a lot of new things through this internship.  I gained a new perspective on current events in the world of women’s and reproductive health. I learned more about the structure and workings of a non-profit organization, and it really has opened my eyes to how strong my beliefs are.  I now feel slightly more comfortable talking to people I don’t know about issues related to women’s health and reproductive rights due to my phone banking experience, which was hard for me at first.  I learned that our volunteers are so important, and I really enjoyed meeting some of them.  It’s really motivating to understand the interworkings of women’s reproductive issues in politics, and it really has pushed me to want to continue doing something about it!

I strongly advise anyone to try out an internship if they aren’t sure what type of career they are looking for.  Even if you are sure, taking on an internship can really bring on a new perspective!  It was an amazing experience for me!

Written by West Virginia Public Policy Intern, Julie Cooke.

National Volunteer Week

It’s National Volunteer Week April 16^th-21^st! Planned Parenthood Health Systems would like to extend a very generous thank you to all of our loyal volunteers who donate so much of their time phone banking, showing up to PPHS events in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, writing letters to editors of local news outlets, and meeting with legislators to forward our cause! We really couldn’t do it without you.

On a personal note, I was touched by how many incredible people showed up to West Virginia Lobby Day for Women’s Lives in Charleston in February. So many dedicated volunteers were at the Capitol all day demonstrating, talking with legislators and pushing our cause forward. It was an incredible display of selflessness, that these men and women would spend their day focusing on this cause that benefits so many people. We made a huge impact at Lobby Day, and it couldn’t possibly have been done without so many dedicated volunteers.

In West Virginia, since the Put Prevention First campaign was launched in 2010, volunteers statewide have been working to protect women’s health and improve access to reproductive and sexual health care and education through a variety of advocacy efforts.  In 2011, 62 volunteers spoke with 2,075 registered voters in targeted districts acrossWest Virginiathrough phone banks and door-to-door canvassing about increasing access to birth control, testing and treatment for STIs, and pregnancy care. As a result, 421 constituents contacted their legislators through phone calls and handwritten letters or postcards to urge them to end attacks on reproductive health care. The constituents encouraged legislators to protect women’s health and put prevention first. In addition, thanks to these and other volunteer efforts, hundreds of new supporters inWest Virginiajoined Planned Parenthood’s email action network, which resulted in an additional 714 constituents contacting their legislators through e-mail!  So far this year, volunteers in West Virginia have been hard at work phone banking, collecting postcard and petition signatures, meeting with their legislators, and writing letters to the editor.  In the coming months, we will need even more volunteers to continue building this movement through additional phone banking, canvassing, letter writing, postcard collection, voter registration and event planning.

In North Carolina, volunteers have been working hard to prepare for the 2012 North Carolina Legislative Session in April. Over 1,000 postcards have been accumulated in the past six months, and volunteers are currently preparing them to be sent to legislators state-wide. The cards urge the General Assembly to stop attacks on reproductive health and instead improve access to basic health care. In the last few months, over 30 volunteers have come together in NC to phone bank and ask PPHS supporters to join our action network. In addition, a team of six interns recently began working on a large-scale civic engagement program in each community for which there is a health care center inNorth Carolina. The program will work to encourage underrepresented voters to be civically engaged in 2012. This program is the largest of its kind ever developed by Planned Parenthood.

The support and work of volunteers is absolutely necessary to the success of our mission—to provide accessible, high-quality health care and information to clients and to serve as advocate and educator to the community on responsible human sexuality. Volunteers help Planned Parenthood work towards realizing our vision—a world where everyone’s right to choose when or whether to have a child is protected and honored, where every child is wanted and loved, and where every woman is in charge of her own destiny.

Clearly volunteers are doing incredible things for Planned Parenthood nationwide and right in your own backyard! This is your week, and we want to know about your experiences volunteering with PPHS. Please go to our Facebook or Twitter page and share your volunteer experiences! And thanks again for dedicating yourself to our cause.

To learn more about volunteering with Planned Parenthood Health Systems, please contact:

Kira in West Virginiaat kira.miskimmin@pphsinc.org

Tanya inVirginiaat Tanya.semones@pphsinc.org

Patty in North Carolinaat patricia.dillon@pphsinc.org

Compiled by Jordan Bean, PPHS WV Public Policy Intern.

Her Health Happy Hour!

Planned Parenthood is holding our first Her Health Happy Hour TOMORROW in Huntington!  If you are interested in getting involved with Planned Parenthood inHuntington, then please plan to join us.

At this casual get together, we will have some fun, enjoy the company of other pro-choice West Virginians and discuss potential upcoming projects inHuntington!

 

So come on out and enjoy drinks and half-price appetizers, meet new friends, and find out about our awesome advocacy opportunities!  Her Health Happy Hour will be held at Fat Patty’s at 1935 3^rd Ave, tomorrow April 11^th from 5:30 to 7:30.  All are welcome!

Contact Julie Cooke if you have any questions at juliecooke22@yahoo.com.

Get Yourself Tested at Marshall University

Get Yourself Tested is coming to Marshall University this month!

West Virginiais one of the worst states in the country for sexual health, but we can change that! By educating ourselves and staying aware of our bodies, the young people of this state can change not only health, but the problems we face with misinformation and stigmas surrounding sex.

A strong sexual connection with another person is exciting and fun, but worrying about the potential negative consequences can make it frightening and stressful. Getting tested is an easy way to relieve the stresses that come along with sex and to make sure your protecting yourself and others.

The Student Health Center offers free STD testing every week forMarshall students, and they even have a shuttle that transports students without cars to and from campus. Huntington STD Testing also offers quick tests at about $79. Also, many Huntington doctors offer inexpensive STD tests and results are almost always available the same day.

Get Yourself Tested at Marshall is in collaboration with Hair from the Herd, an event where anyone can get their hair cut for free by beauty school students and donate it to Locks of Love, and also in collaboration with Be Hope To Her, an event where students walk a mile around campus carrying a large bucket of water to bring attention to the lack of clean water inAfrica. All of these events are entirely student-organized and student-run.

Come by the Memorial Student Center on Marshall’s campus on April 26th between 10am and 3pm to sign up to get tested at Student Health, pick up informational materials on STDs and sign our pledge to help keep West Virginia healthy!

RSVP to the Facebook event here: http://on.fb.me/Hkb409

Visit the Student Health site to read about free STD testing for Marshall students: http://bit.ly/Hqsk3x

Visit the Huntington STD Testing site for info about affordable tests: http://bit.ly/Itwk28

Compiled and written by WV Public Policy Intern, Jordan Bean.