Care & Compassion

CARE&

For Supporters of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

COMPASSION

Ohio Without Roe

Critical Care THE RISK OF TAKING TITLE X AWAY FROM OHIOANS

CELEBRATING OUR PARTNERS IN CARE ADOPTION ACCESS

PROVIDING PATIENTS OPTIONS

CARE & COMPASSION · FALL 2018 A Newsletter for Supporters of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio

Our mission is to protect, promote, and provide empowered health care and medically-accurate sex education for generations of women, men, and families across Ohio.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio operates 19 health centers serving nearly 65,000 patients annually and is an affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

YOUR COMPASSION

Board of Directors President and CEO Iris E. Harvey Board of Directors Jennifer McNally, Chair

Sandra Anderson, Vice Chair Kate Asbeck, Treasurer

Susan G. Quinn, OD, FAAO, Officer without Portfolio Hillary White, Secretary Ellen Barry

Barbara Broome, PhD, RN, FAAN Fritz Byers, JD

Mary Jo Green

Lyla Blake-Gumbs, MD

Derrick Hall, JD, PharmD, MBA Stephen Keyes, JD Rob Martens

Kimberly Moses, JD Lauren Norelli

Through your support, we offer interpreter services in over 25 languages, empowering all Ohioans to lead healthy lives.

“Patients need our understanding. I’m able to talk with each of them thanks to our translation services.”

– Lisa Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Clinician

Jonathan Petuchowski Deborah B. Ratner Joseph Ruby Victor Ruiz

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent determined by the Internal Revenue Service.

206 E. State Street Columbus, OH 43215 614-224-2235 | ppgoh.org 1

Regardless of income, immigration status, race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation, every person who encounters

Planned Parenthood receives supportive, nonjudgmental, equitable reproductive care. This is the care you allow us to provide in Ohio

communities every single day. Thank you.

Are you interested in learning more about the programs and services covered in the Care & Compassion newsletter? Our development officers are available to answer your questions, comments, and concerns. Send us your thoughts at newsletter@ppoh.org.

OUR THANKS Iris E. Harvey with keynote speaker, Dr. Willie Parker, at Planned Parenthood’s Partners In Care event.

Dear Supporters, Every day I spend in a Planned Parenthood health center

With you by our side, I promise:

the kindness and support they receive from our health

As long as those in power continue to attack access to

fills me with hope. I hear stories from patients grateful for center staff. I stand side-by-side with women and men who are actively protecting our basic human rights, including

reproductive health care and sex education, Planned

Parenthood will use our influence to stand in defense

health care and reproductive freedom.

of our patients.

While we face an uncertain funding future and Roe v. Wade

As long as those in our communities are marginalized

stands at a precipice, our accomplishments over the past

year deserve attention. We have helped more patients and educated more individuals than ever before. We saw vitally important programs, like our Peer Education Program,

grow in capacity and outreach, and we continue to meet

individuals where they live, in their communities, and offer the support they need to remain healthy. While the future

may be uncertain, we are committed to our mission and

based on income, immigration status, race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation, Planned Parenthood will

stand with all Ohioans as they access the care they need.

As long as individuals in need in Ohio’s rural and medically underserved communities are isolated from the essential services they so urgently require, Planned Parenthood

will continue to keep our doors open and provide the

the people of Ohio.

quality care we have for over a century.

We are most successful when we work as a team. Planned

These are my values, these are your values, and these are

Parenthood is the largest provider of reproductive health

care and sex education in Ohio because of our dedicated staff, the individuals who believe in our mission, and the

generosity of donors like you. When we meet at events

across the state, I am energized by your commitment to Planned Parenthood — a commitment that ensures that

women, men, and young people who you will never meet

the values that guide Planned Parenthood’s work in Ohio

communities every single day. Through your support,

Planned Parenthood health centers will remain a beacon

of safety and dignity for all people who seek care.

With deep gratitude,

receive the health care and education they deserve.

These moments buoy my spirit when the troubles facing

so many people in our state and nation weigh me down.

Iris E. Harvey President and CEO

CARE & COMPASSION: A NEWSLETTER FOR SUPPORTERS OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER OHIO

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OHIO WITHOUT ROE

Without the full protection of Roe v. Wade, Ohio could become one of the most restrictive states for reproductive freedom.

We live in unprecedented times. What was unthinkable

over the last 45 years is perilously close to being our new reality: life without Roe.

“I knew I would never be safe from my ex-boyfriend if I carried the pregnancy to term.”

We face the very real risk that the individual liberties,

privacy protections, and reproductive freedom guaranteed

by Roe v. Wade will no longer be the law of our land. With the retirement of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony

Kennedy this year and the nomination of a judicial candidate who is eager to revisit the legality of abortion, we are more likely than ever to see the ruling undermined and abortion

rights decided on a state-by-state basis.

How might that happen? The most likely scenario (and the strategy that conservative politicians have been

following for years) is that a highly restrictive state law,

such as a six-week ban on abortion, will make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. With conservative appointees tipping the balance, the court will most certainly rule

that such a law does not pose an “undue burden” on the

individual seeking a safe, legal abortion.

“I became pregnant as a college sophomore in 1964 and received an illegal abortion. Because of unsanitary conditions, I had an infection and almost died.”

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Such a Supreme Court ruling in a conservative state, like

Ohio, would further restrict the legal concept of “undue burden” established in the Roe decision. It would give

states greater power to prohibit abortion.

“The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, her well being, and her dignity.”

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice Supreme Court of the United States

“My husband and I refused to put our family through such prolonged pain after discovering a fetal anomaly.”

While Roe might not be reversed outright, it would be

weakened in such a way as to leave an individual’s ability to end a pregnancy up to state legislatures and courts.

We would live in an America in which reproductive rights vary across state lines.

Americans are already at the mercy of state legislatures in regard to medically necessary reproductive care. States

have enacted nearly 1,200 separate abortion restrictions

since 2011 according to the Guttmacher Institute. In Ohio,

Governor John Kasich has signed 20 abortion restrictions into law during his tenure in office.

It is unthinkable that any government official should have the power to overrule an individual’s private decisions

about their pregnancy. Everyone who has an abortion

makes the decision for intensely personal reasons. No

two lives are affected in identical ways by a pregnancy.

No two individual circumstances are the same.

“I fought in court for the right to safely terminate the pregnancy and reclaim my body after being molested by a family member.”

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Roe’s promise is that all Americans have the right to

autonomy over their bodies and privacy in their most

intimate reproductive choices. This fight will continue

Americans have been fighting to control

their reproductive destinies for generations.

until all people across this country have the guaranteed right to contraceptive access, abortion, medically-

accurate sex education, and the ability to control their

own reproductive destinies.

“Any right that requires you to take extraordinary measures to access it is no right at all.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton Former Secretary of State

This is not a time to despair — this is a time to strengthen our resolve. Keep marching, keep sharing your truth,

and keep raising your voice. Planned Parenthood is in this fight with you, because we will never again allow

Americans to be criminalized, maimed, or killed for exercising control over their bodies.

Today, the generations of women who fought for Roe are joined by passionate and empowered younger

generations, and we will continue marching towards a

future where reproductive freedom is guaranteed for all.

At Planned Parenthood, we recognize using women as shorthand for all people who can menstruate or get pregnant is neither accurate nor inclusive of trans people. It is a human tendency to try to make sense of the world by categorizing things, including people — but gender, in its true diversity, defies categorization.

Throughout this newsletter, it has been our intention to use gender neutral language whenever possible.

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1916

Planned Parenthood is founded on the idea that women should have the information and care they need to make reproductive choices. Distributing birth control devices or information is illegal.

1948

Planned Parenthood awards a small grant to a team of biologists whose research leads to the development of the birth control pill.

Reproductive Freedom: Our Ongoing Fight Planned Parenthood has been a driving force, an advocate, and a health care provider throughout our

nation’s long and ongoing struggle for reproductive freedom — and we always will be, no matter what.

1960

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the sale of contraceptive pills. Some states ban all forms of contraception.

1972

Eisenstadt v. Baird allows anyone — single or married — to access birth control from a doctor.

1978

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment discrimination against pregnant women.

1973

Roe v. Wade guarantees women the right to an abortion and establishes a framework for privacy in personal reproductive decisions.

1965

2010

The Affordable Health Care Act is signed into law. Under this law, private health insurance companies must provide birth control without co-pays or deductibles.

2016

The Supreme Court strikes down onerous abortion clinic regulations in Texas that were forcing clinics to close, ruling they violated the U.S. Constitution by placing an undue burden on abortion access.

Griswold v. Connecticut ruling legalizes birth control for married couples.

Photo by Lorie Shaull

People share why they chose to have an abortion: 25% Not ready for a(nother) child/timing is wrong.

23% Can’t afford a baby.

19% Completed childbearing, other people depending on them, or children are grown.

8%

Don’t want to be a single parent or having relationship problems.

7%

Don’t feel mature enough to raise a(nother) child/feel too young.

4%

Would interfere with education or career plans.

4%

Physical problem with their health.

3%

Problems affecting the health of the fetus.

6%

Other.

Source: Planned Parenthood Federation of America

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63% of Ohioans who depend on Title X care rely on Planned Parenthood health centers.

Title X access

helps Ohioans prevent 16,500 unintended pregnancies a year by providing birth control.

No other provider

could serve all of the Title X patients who rely on Planned Parenthood for contraceptives.

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LOSING OHIO’S SAFETY NET Protecting vulnerable patients’ access to affordable care through Title X. Beth is one of the thousands of Central Ohioans

Lucas, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Summit,

recovering from opioid addiction. At 28, she had not

Trumbull, and Wayne Counties, Planned Parenthood is

took over. After finding a part-time job she still could not

STI testing and treatment, and well-woman exams.

let alone the birth control she wanted to resume.

Planned Parenthood provides specialized

been to an ob-gyn in the two years since her addiction

afford the out-of-pocket cost for her gynecologic exam,

“I felt hopeless about getting back on my feet, when I

couldn’t even pay for birth control,” Beth said. Losing an

the only provider of affordable Title X contraceptives,

reproductive care for Ohioans facing serious

barriers to health care — especially low-income

individuals in rural areas and other medically

ectopic pregnancy contributed to her downward spiral

underserved communities.

again, not when her sobriety was so new. A friend in her

Although Title X has had bipartisan support since the

into opioid addiction. She couldn’t risk getting pregnant

addiction recovery group suggested she go to a Planned Parenthood health center in Columbus.

When Beth arrived for her appointment, the staff

determined that, based on her income, she was eligible for a free exam and birth control through the Title X program.

Title X is a decades-old popular and effective federal

program designed to ensure that everyone has access

to basic preventative reproductive health care like birth

control, cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, and well-woman exams.

1970s, the Trump-Pence administration is trying to change Title X funding in favor of abstinence-only programs,

rather than providing access to FDA-approved, effective

contraceptive methods. The administration has issued a gag rule, making it illegal for doctors and nurses to

discuss all options including safe and legal abortion with their patients.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, along with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and other affiliates, is fighting to preserve Title X and protect reproductive

health care access across our state and nation. In Ohio,

no other provider network can serve the volume of Title

Beth decided on a long-acting reversible contraceptive

X patients that rely on Planned Parenthood: In 2017, we

she was ready to consider pregnancy. Because she was

of Ohio’s Title X patients.

receive her preferred method of birth control for no cost,

At Planned Parenthood we are dedicated to providing

(LARC) implant that she felt would best protect her until

able to walk into a Planned Parenthood health center and Beth was free to focus on her recovery.

Every year, 59,000 Ohioans like Beth depend on

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s 17 Title X

health centers for reproductive care provided on a

sliding-fee scale. For patients like Beth in Athens,

received 47% of Title X funds in Ohio, yet served 63%

all Ohioans with high-quality preventative care and

contraceptives they can afford. Because all patients,

not only a privileged few, deserve an equal chance to

lead healthy reproductive lives. “If I didn’t have Planned

Parenthood to get birth control so quickly, I don’t know where I’d be,” said Beth.

CARE & COMPASSION: A NEWSLETTER FOR SUPPORTERS OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER OHIO

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PROVIDING CHOICES Adoption is a path pregnant patients can explore at Planned Parenthood.

“Giving our patients all of their options accurately and with support is a cornerstone of what we do,” said

Gretchen Tepper, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s

Lead Practice Manager. “Choice Network is an important partner because it provides patients access to all of their

options, including open adoption with support.”

“If pregnant patients do not have access to all of their options, they have no options.”

A positive pregnancy test can change a person’s life. For

Molly Rampe Thomas, founder of Choice Network

pregnant patients who are considering their options — to

end a pregnancy, actively parent, or explore adoption — Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio helps patients

determine the best path for them.

“Pregnant people deserve to safely and factually explore all of their choices,” said Molly Rampe Thomas, founder of

When a Planned Parenthood patient chooses adoption, our

Choice Network. The idea that all pregnant people deserve

Parenthood refers patients to in Ohio, walks lovingly with

connect people who choose adoption with waiting families

partner agency, Choice Network, the only agency Planned them through every step of their journey, from forming an

through their open, nonjudgmental adoption process.

Choice Network’s open-adoption process allows

Choice Network has served

adoption plan to connecting them with a waiting family.

pregnant people to research waiting families and

choose the right home. Choice Network provides

assistance, acting as a resource and mediator between adoptive families and birth mothers, should they

choose to remain connected.

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support and love is central to Choice Network’s mission to

175 families and over

500 women making abortion, parenting, or adoption plans.

CARE & COMPASSION: A NEWSLETTER FOR SUPPORTERS OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER OHIO

“Choice Network, as an

adoption agency, may seem like an unlikely defender of

Planned Parenthood,” said

Thomas. “We are fierce in that

defense because we know that

if pregnant people do not have

access to all of their options, they have no options.”

An annual event honoring our faith, medical, and philanthropic partners.

Over 700 of Planned Parenthood’s

strongest supporters in Northeast Ohio

came together for our inaugural Partners In Care awards luncheon on April 25,

featuring Reproductive Justice advocate Dr. Willie Parker.

Together, we celebrated the selfless Drs. Cheryl and Mickey Weinstein receive their Partner In Health award.

dedication of our 2018 Partners In Care honorees: Partner In Faith honoree

Rabbi Jon Adland, a moral leader and

compassionate advocate for reproductive freedom and health care access; Partner

In Health honorees Dr. Cheryl Weinstein and Dr. Mickey Weinstein, supporters dedicated to protecting the sanctity

of the doctor-patient relationship; and

Lainie Hadden Volunteer Award honoree Mrs. Jean Sarlson, who over 30 years

has raised more than $1 million for our Board President Jennifer McNally with Partner In Faith honoree, Rabbi Jon Adland.

patients as chair of the biennial Celebrate! antique sale and fundraiser.

Planned Parenthood of Greater

Ohio treasures the compassion and

commitment of our 2018 Partners In Care honorees — and the dedication of each one of you who stands up for the right

to access reproductive health care. Our

partners and supporters make it possible for the thousands of Ohioans who rely on Planned Parenthood to determine their Lainie Hadden with Lainie Hadden Volunteer Award honoree, Mrs. Jean Sarlson.

reproductive destinies. Thank you.

“As long as we live in a nation where we allow people to politicize the basic human rights of contraception and reproductive control, and to do so in the name of religion, we as a nation forfeit our right to pray to God, as long as we tolerate the humiliation of women.”

-Dr. Willie Parker, Partners In Care keynote address.

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206 EAST STATE STREET COLUMBUS, OH 43215

WHY I GIVE What Planned Parenthood means to me...

“When I became sexually active, I realized how terrified I was of becoming pregnant. Because of this experience, it is very

important to me that family planning and Planned Parenthood

be taken seriously. For so many, Planned Parenthood is the

first line of access to health care.”

Planned Parenthood helps my community.

“We can protect and enhance our communities by empowering Ohioans to make their own choices and providing access to care.”

- Cita Strauss, dedicated supporter

“In Southeast Ohio, there are health deserts where you don’t

have access to nearby care. It is definitely hard in rural areas, where people have to drive far to receive care. We can’t let

poor access to reproductive care dictate how people live their lives.”