Planned Parenthood

As a rule, and out of respect for the varied opinions of the people who read my blog most loyally, I rarely go into political rants on this Little Pink Blog. The Wild and Absolutely True Adventures of Meg is about, well, my adventures, and how I see the world. And recently, how I'm looking at the world has been colored a bit by the actions of the House of Representatives, who voted to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding. This has me red with rage, for many reasons, and I've been struggling to form my thoughts into a coherent blog post about why I'm so angry about this. This morning, I got the idea to write a letter on my little-read blog. It won't make as much difference as contacting my senators (both liberal, both women) and local Rep (who, I'm proud to say, voted in favor of women's health) does, but I really need to vent. There you have it.

Dear Every Person Who Thinks Cutting Planned Parenthood's Funding is A-Okay,

I've been thinking that I ought to call my local Planned Parenthood and set up an appointment. Before you squawk with outrage, let me put one thing out there: I don't need an abortion. See, this is not about abortion. Yes, yes, Planned Parenthood provides abortions, and I get it, you are outraged at the thought of abortion. You're also outraged at the thought of helping low-income families once those precious zygotes grow into human beings and are born, so your arguments against abortion hold little water with me, but I don't want to get into that issue right now. I just need some birth control pills.

What's that? Oh, I see. I should keep my legs shut. Well, here's the thing: The choices I'm making regarding sex are not your business. Kindly stay out of my bedroom and I won't get into yours. I am neither for or against premarital sex, I simply believe that adult women should be able to make a choice about who they have sex with and when they have sex, and I'm happy to make the best choices for my body, heart and mind.

Choice is good, wouldn't you agree?

And I need the Pill to help regulate my hormones. In the past few months, I've noticed that my non-Pill periods are heavier, with worse cramps, more lethargy and general malaise, and my acne is out of control.

I can see the wheels in your head turning. I should just ask my doctor, right? Well, that's a great idea...except that I don't have a doctor. I'm unemployed.

Now, now, stop your screeching. I am looking for jobs. I am also living in a state that is bankrupt, with high unemployment. It's not an easy position to be in, but I'm surviving with a little help from my parents and a lot of frugal living. I've even come very close to getting a teaching position here and there, only to be narrowly beat out by someone with slightly more experience or slightly better interview skills. I'm actually thinking of leaving the state I love, maybe even my country, to find work.

I have no health insurance. I worked hard through my youth to do well in school, so I could go to college. I worked hard in college so I could get a degree and a job. I have worked hard in eight years of teaching to be the best teacher I can be and to learn and grow in my profession. I did everything I was supposed to do--it's the American Way, right? And in 2010, I found myself unemployed, uninsured, and quickly running out of birth control pills.

My only option right now is Planned Parenthood. I would like a physical and a pap smear, so I know that my body is running smoothly. I'd like a low-cost prescription for the Pill to regulate my overactive hormones.

Is it really too much for you, that I ask for some compassion, some understanding, and some support for an organization that can help me while I'm in a tight spot?

I know you've saved your biggest argument for last. Yes, yes. Someone has to think of the kids. On this point we agree...and disagree.

You have to understand something about many of the areas in which I have taught. These are neighborhoods filled with hard-working, honest people. People who didn't have the advantages I had, of parents pushing them hard to get into college. These are people (and they come in every possible race, culture, religion and creed you can think of, such is the wonderful diversity of California) who must have more than one income coming into the home to keep afloat. Mom works. Dad works. Sometimes there's only one parent, and that parent works two jobs. They do their best to supervise their children, to know what the kids are up to.

They miss things. Hell, my parents missed things, and they were on me all the time. They still don't know of little rebellious things I did in my school days. The sad reality is that yes, children are having sex.

Children are having sex. I can tell you stories of pregnant 12-year-olds, of 8th graders cutting school to get birth control at Planned Parenthood. Of a friend I had in 8th grade whose high school-aged boyfriend coerced her into having sex. Children are growing up quickly and, as they have since time began, they want to prove that they're becoming adults. Some kids can be reasoned with. Some kids can be guilted into not having sex. Many kids, however, cannot resist the pull of temptation and peer pressure.

I am thinking of the kids when I say that they need access to the education and resources that are offered, free of judgement, through Planned Parenthood. Throwing abstinence-only sex education at them is doing nothing. What will work? Education, education, education. What is sexual intercourse? There are kids who believe that you're still a virgin if you've had anal or oral sex. "If I'm a virgin, I can't get an STD!" But guess what? You can get an STD from anal and oral sex.

We need to be teaching our children, showing them what can happen. Not scaring them, just educating. Because we can rant and rave at them until we pass out that they are too young to have sex, et cetera, et cetera, blah, blah, blah, but they will not stop. Not all of them. Trust me on this. I don't like it any more than you do, but I know from first-hand experience that denying this simple truth isn't going to do anyone any good.

One more argument--when a thirteen-year-old girl gets pregnant, what are you going to do? Are you going to try to shame her? What if her boyfriend was some high school kid who threatened to break up with her if she didn't give in to sex with him? What if she was raped? Maybe she simply chose to have sex thinking, "Pregnancy and STDs can't happen to me!" At any rate, you chose to deny her access to education and services...are you going to help her raise a baby now?

And what about me? Are you telling me I don't have any rights as far as my body is concerned? Are you really going to look me in the eye and tell me that I shouldn't have access to affordable reproductive health care simply because I lost my job?

How do you sleep at night?

Can we stop the shaming now? Can we seperate ourselves, for one minute, from the knee-jerk reation we all seem to have to the word "abortion?" I propose we step back from our emotions for a moment and look at the facts. The facts are that Planned Parenthood is a necessary and vital part of keeping all of America healthy.

Sincerely,

Meg of the Little Pink Blog.