ACA Rally Celebrates this Week's Victory

Yesterday, PPIL joined approximately 150 people in 100 degree heat in Chicago's Daley Plaza, praising the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act as a profound victory for American consumers. With this seminal Supreme Court decision, the constitutional debate over the law ended and the quest toward affordable and accessible healthcare moved triumphantly forward. Healthcare advocates said that 30 million more Americans can now be covered and that the worst insurance company abuses will become a relic of the past.

William McNary, co-director of Citizen Action/ Illinois, called on Illinois lawmakers to continue to press forward on health care reform, saying, “Today’s decision was a historic moment for affordable health care in Illinois. Now, our legislators must seize the opportunity to pass a high-quality health benefits exchange and restore the cuts made to family care by participating in the expansion of Meicaid. There should be no more excuses for inaction.”

Because the ruling was a resounding success for women, families, and the uninsured across Illinois and the nation, the tone of the rally was positively exuberant. Representatives from PPIL, as well as other health care advocacy organizations such as Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition and Access Living, gathered in Daley Plaza to hear speakers discuss the benefits Americans will observe throughout the coming months and years and recognize the work that still needs to be done. 

We would like to thank all the organizations and their supporters that attended this empowering event for their continued hard work in the battle for quality, affordable health care for all.  To keep updated on all future events, be sure to follow PPIA on facebook.

Have a great weekend!

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, ACA, Citizen Action Illinois

Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act - Victory for Women's Health!

Today the U.S. Supreme Court decided to uphold the Affordable Care Act, a decision that will have a profound and concrete impact on millions of people’s lives. The Affordable Care Act is the greatest advance in women’s health in a generation - it will provide access to birth control and cancer screenings without co-pays, guaranteed direct access to OB/GYN providers without referrals, and an end to discriminatory practices against women, such as charging women higher premiums and denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

We're absolutely thrilled about this decision. Affordable, quality health care will now be available to millions of women who had no coverage or inadequate coverage before.

At Planned Parenthood of Illinois, we know how important this law and this decision are for women and families, because we see the need for affordable health care every day. Nearly 50% of our patients live at or below the federal poverty level and struggle to pay for cancer screenings, birth control, and other health services. The Affordable Care Act will make essential health care available to all women across the country.

How will the Affordable Care Act impact Americans?

· More than 45 million women nationwide have already received coverage for preventive health screenings at no cost since August 2010 thanks to the Affordable Care Act – including mammograms and Pap tests – and millions more will be able to get free screenings in the coming years.
· 3.1 million young adults nationwide have already been able to stay on their parents’ insurance because of the Affordable Care Act. In the next year, millions more who would have otherwise lost coverage will continue to be insured under their parents’ plan.
· Women are guaranteed direct access to OB/GYN providers without a referral, as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
· Starting in August, birth control will be treated like any other preventive prescription under the Affordable Care Act, and will be available without co-pays or deductibles.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, 17 million women nationwide will be newly insured, including 469,469 women in Illinois.

This is a huge victory for the American people, and we thank President Obama and the members of Congress who passed the Affordable Care Act for their leadership on this issue. And of course we thank you - supporters of women's health for making your voices heard about the importance of the Affordable Care Act.

We're looking forward to continuing to provide quality reproductive health services across Illinois. Our 17 health centers currently provide health care to more than 75,000 women, men, and teens every year. More than 90 percent of our health services are preventive, including cancer screenings, birth control, and STD testing and treatment.

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, Affordable Care Act, Women's Health, Birth Control

PPIL Hits the Streets During the Pride Parade

Two of our interns: Katie & Kim

As you may already know, June is traditionally Pride Month for the LGBT community. This month celebrates the diversity and culture around the community and simultaneously advocates for equal rights for people of all sexual orientations. Such events typically culminate in a parade, or in the instance of Illinois, the Chicago Pride Parade. 

Chicago Pride has grown to be one the largest Pride events in the world.  This year marked the 43rd year of the Chicago Pride Parade.  With over 850,000 estimated in attendance, this year was the largest pride parade in Chicago yet.

Kyle Ann, Sara, Melissa, Ari

Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being.  As such, PPIL strongly supports all efforts towards equalizing rights between people of different sexual orientations.

This year we had a group of fantastic PPIL volunteers and interns at the parade, helping celebrate while asking attendees to sign petitions in support of comprehensive sex education. Noel, one of our volunteers, described the support she received as overwhelming: "When they saw my pink Planned Parenthood t-shirt, people were literally running over to me to express their support and ask if they could sign my petition. I heard the phrase 'We love Planned Parenthood!' repeated at least a dozen times."

Ari and Melissa asking parade-goers to sign petitions

Planned Parenthood believes that comprehensive sex education is the key to lowering teen pregnancy and STI rates and promoting healthy sexual decision making. We support comprehensive sex education that requires educators to teach medically accurate, developmentally and age appropriate, and complete information, providing young people with the tools necessary to make responsible and intelligent choices.

Our interns and volunteers were excited to spread this message to the Pride attendees, and found support and reassurance in many of the people they conversed with. "Many of the participants in the parade agree with the types of reform that Planned Parenthood seek to pass," said our intern Sara, pictured above. "I remember specifically talking to one man about the sex education we received in school. We both went to very different high schools and were of very different times, but yet had the same abstinence-only sex education.... Contraceptives were never discussed as a means of reducing STI's and pregnancy." Sara, Noel, and the other volunteers and interns also had a chance to enjoy the parade and all of the festivities it had to offer. We'd like to thank our volunteers and interns for their amazing work!

If you'd like to learn more about comprehensive sex education in Illinois, visit our website and check out our podcast series here!


Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, Pride Parade, Comprehensive Sex Education

U.S. Teen Pregnancy Rate Reaches Historic Low

A recent study, completed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, shows that there has been a significant drop in teen pregnancy- 40% from 1990 to 2008, indicating the lowest teen pregnancy rate since 1976. The study even claims that there is evidence pointing to an additional 15% drop from 2008 to 2010.

It seems clear that much of this success can be attributed towards an increase in sexual education. Leslie Kantor, Vice President of Education for Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), said that "Sex education and access to birth control have made a significant difference in pregnancy rates among teens and young adults... but the teen pregnancy rate in this country is still far higher than it should be and we need to be particularly concerned about continued disparities in the progress that has been made."

Despite this observable progress, there is still much work to be done. The study also indicates a massive discrepancy between African-American/Latino teens and white teens, with the former groups having pregnancy rates 2 to 3 times larger than the latter.

Kantor goes on to explain, "We know how to reduce the teen pregnancy rate in this country: years of research shows that high-quality sex education, encouraging parents to talk with their children about sex, and ensuring access to health care services makes a measurable difference. So when we see disparities like this, it means we still have work to do to ensure that all young people have access to the education and services they need to prevent unintended pregnancy.”

For nearly a century, Planned Parenthood has been providing women, men, teens, and families with healthcare information concerning prevention of unintended pregnancy, prevention of STDs, and family planning. Last year alone, Planned Parenthood provided educational services to over 1.1 million people and birth control to more than 2 million women.

To learn more about our educational services, access key information, or get involved in educating your community, please visit PPIL's education and training page. Planned Parenthood believes information and knowledge on reproductive health should be convenient and accessible for everyone, so feel free to contact our education department with any questions you may have.

On twitter? Talk to us! @PPIAction. Enjoy the weekend!


Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, Sex Education, Teen Pregnancy

Get Registered to Vote!

If you've been following us online, keeping track of the current political campaigns, or simply picking up the morning paper over breakfast, then you understand that this electoral year is crucial for women's health and reproductive rights. 

As it stands, many issues hang in limbo.  The Affordable Care Act, which has already provided 45 million woman with free preventative testing such as mammograms and pap tests and may provide services to countless more American women, is being examined by the Supreme Court.  Irresponsible groups of law-makers and commentators have attacked women's reproductive rights through harmful legislation and rhetoric, with over 40 bills, 600 measures, and countless explicit comments.  Women, seeking to defend their rights through responsible grassroots and governmental means, have been met with resistance, discrimination, and censorship. 

Advocates of women's reproductive rights must recognize the importance of the upcoming elections and the formative, tangible effect they will have on us all.  For this reason, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action urges all over the age of 18 to register to vote now.  Registration is easy: you only need to fill out the linked form and mail it in.  The registration form is also available in Spanish. 

Unsure if you are already registered to vote?  Enter your name and zip code here to find out.  If you would like to register in person or don't know where to go to vote on election day, you can find the nearest location for registration and polling locations here.  Any other questions about registration and voting can be answered by the State Board of Elections homepage.

To stay informed on women's health issues and news from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, be sure to follow us on twitter (@PPIAction) or like Planned Parenthood Illinois Action's page on facebook.

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, Voter Registration, Elections

National Men's Health Week

Every year, Planned Parenthood celebrates National Men's Health Week during the week leading up to Father's Day. This week serves not only as a means to raise awareness about common men's sexual health issues, but also as a way for us to remind you that we offer health services for men.Yes - you read that correctly! While most people are familiar with our women's health services, many do not know that we also offer men's health services, including: sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing and treatment, HIV testing and counseling, vasectomy services, and more.

Annually in the U.S., 19 million new instances of STDs are transmitted and $17 billion are spent by the U.S. health-care system on treatment of STDs. While men account for less than half of the total annual count of common diagnosed STDs, the percentage of both men and woman with common STDs has been dramatically rising over the last decade. It is also reported that less than half of all adults who require STD screening do not receive it. Ignorance about one's own sexual health can create or intensify long-term health issues, such as the contraction of HIV or the development of infertility. 

Long-term health problems can be easily prevented in many instances by simple STD screenings. Planned Parenthood of Illinois offers Male Reproductive Health Exams at all 17 of our locations. These convenient and affordable exams test the patient for common STDs and prepare men to responsibly deal with short-term problems, preventing them from turning into more severe, long-term issues.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois also recently started providing no scalpel vasectomy services. Vasectomy is a great option for men who have completed their families or are certain they do not want to have biological children in the future - due to personal preference, a partner's health risks, or the fear of passing on a hereditary illness or disability. Planned Parenthood of Illinois offers vasectomy consultations for men considering the procedure. Consultations can be done at any Planned Parenthood of Illinois location. The vasectomy procedure is provided at the Near North Health Center located at 1200 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL.

To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-230-PLAN, or use Planned Parenthood's Appointment Requestor.  To locate the nearest Planned Parenthood Health Center, use our Health Center Location tool.

Happy Fathers Day!

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, Men's Health, STDs, Vasectomy