Legislative Funding Priorities A Painful Reminder

I am outraged.

Today, a friend and colleague who works for the school-based clinic at Emerson High School dropped by my office to pick up some resources for her patients, clients, and students. It's a common occurrence because we have some great resources to share with teens. This visit was a bit different, though. This time, my friend also dropped by to say goodbye.

In case you did not catch the local news last month (which you probably didn't because the media has been unusually silent on the subject), our legislature stopped all state funding of two incredibly important and successful programs targeting teen parents.

For years, the Margaret Hudson program in Tulsa and the Emerson Teen Clinic have provided on site health care, including prenatal and postnatal care for teen moms. These clinics provided so much more than health care to keep teens and their babies healthy. They were reliable sources of education on childcare, parenting, pregnancy prevention, STI and HIV prevention, and other important life skills for all teens in the area. They were models of how a good program should and does work.

But now, because our legislators were looking for easy targets for budget cuts, both programs are likely to be closed. State taxpayer support has ended. Now, the connections between access to health care, education, health, and responsibility will be severed for some of our most vulnerable populations.

So I am outraged. I am outraged that the majority of Oklahoma's legislators are short-sighted and that they care more about their own prejudices and agendas than they do sound public policy.

I am outraged because our state and most of our legislators present themselves as "pro-life" and anti-abortion. If this was really the case, why cut the state's only two programs dedicated to medically supporting teens who have chosen to carry their pregnancies to term? Why would they end access to other social services by ceasing the operation of these two programs, both of which have built intricate social service partnerships and networks across the state?

I am outraged because the bulk of the legislature is not "pro-life." In fact, it seems that once an abortion is averted, our elected officials lose interest in what happens next to a teen parent struggling with all the obstacles ahead. The Emerson and Margaret Hudson programs helped teens negotiate the challenges and overcome the obstacles. But no more.

I am outraged that the legislature passed an unnecessary bill that required abortion providers to report statistical information that could potentially threaten the medical privacy of patients. Why does this outrage me? For one, this new law will cost taxpayers an estimated $280,000 a year, and the additional information to be reported does nothing but put a greater burden on abortion providers. Correction - it does nothing but put a greater burden on abortion providers and take funding away from worthwhile programs like the clinics at Emerson and Margaret Hudson that actually decrease the need for abortion.

At first glance, neither of these terrible legislative actions has anything at all to do with R.E.A.L. education. But they do. Sexual health education with accompanying access to health care is proven to reduce the rates of second pregnancies (and therefore, abortions) among teen parents. A legislator who was truly "pro-life," I would hope, would see the wisdom in expanding programs like those at Emerson and Margaret Hudson to other parts of the state. Although education alone does have an influence on health and healthy decisions, it is even more effective when it's backed up by health care services, social support, and a motive to plan for the future. That is what the school clinics provided - not only to pregnant and parenting teens, but to all students who had easy access to their services.

When I get really, really busy (which is most of the time), I sometimes forget about the collaboration between individuals and agencies that it takes to make a difference in people's lives. The recent legislative funding priorities, though, are painful reminders that we don't function in a vacuum. We operate as a system. And when one or two important components are taken away, we all suffer.

Defining Medical Accuracy in Sexuality Education for Oklahoma

On February 5, 2009, the governor’s Interagency Coordinating Council for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (ICC) adopted the following definition of medically accurate information.

“Medically accurate information used in sexuality education and HIV/STD prevention programs is information relevant to informed decision-making based on the weight of scientific evidence, consistent with generally recognized scientific theory, conducted under accepted scientific methods, published in peer-reviewed journals, and recognized as accurate, objective, and complete by mainstream professional organizations such as the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Public Health Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics; government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health; and scientific advisory groups such as the Institute of Medicine and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The deliberate withholding of information that is needed to protect life and health (and therefore relevant to informed decision-making) should be considered medically inaccurate.”

Although the group does not have the authority to make state policy or law, the ICC represents a variety of highly respected constituencies in Oklahoma, including professionals in health care, education, and youth development. A statement from ICC on its accepted definition of medically accurate information in sexuality education is an exciting step toward ensuring that the young people of our state receive the highest quality sexuality education.

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

In recognition of the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) today called for public funding of comprehensive, medically accurate sex education programs to reduce the alarming rate of unintended teen pregnancies in this country.

“Teens deserve honest, accurate, age-appropriate information about how to protect themselves,” said Terry Dennison, Director of Education for Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma. “They need sex education that provides information about healthy communication, responsible decision making, as well as abstinence and contraception as ways to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.”

The U.S. teen birthrate increased for the second year in a row, according to data released in March by the National Center for Health Statistics. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reports the U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy among comparable countries. An estimated 750,000 American teens become pregnant each year.

Planned Parenthood affiliate educators nationwide reach more than 1.2 million young people and adults with medically accurate sex education each year. As a trusted health care provider, Planned Parenthood knows firsthand the power of education to help teens make responsible decisions about their health. Every year we provide three million women, men, and teens nationwide with health information and services to prevent unintended pregnancy and protect their health.

Providing teens and young people with the information they need to make responsible decisions is the commonsense solution to reducing unintended teen pregnancy. Numerous studies have analyzed abstinence-only programs and found them to be ineffective.

A study conducted by the University of Washington found that teens who had comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to become pregnant than teens who had no sex education or who were in abstinence-only programs. A study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reports that two-thirds of the examined sex education programs that focus on both abstinence and contraception had a positive effect on teen sexual behavior. And a 2008 Guttmacher Institute report found that most abstinence programs did not delay initiation of sexual activity.

President Barack Obama has consistently supported comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education. As a senator, President Obama was an original co-sponsor of the Prevention First Act, which would ensure that all taxpayer-funded federal programs are medically accurate and include information about contraception.

Planned Parenthood is a 2009 national partner of the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, an effort to help teens understand the importance of avoiding unintended pregnancy. For more information, please visit The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Author Jessica Valenti talks about the Purity Myth

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Earth Day at UCO

Yesterday was Earth Day and PPCO celebrated at the University of Central Oklahoma! Now I know you're thinking, why was PPCO at the Earth Day celebration? Well, it's about population control. The more people in the world, the more consumption of resources. All we want is for individuals to plan when and whether they want to have a family.

It was a beautiful day and we handed out many condoms and information to students, faculty and friends!

Really?

The biggest teen pregnancy story in the United States last year was this young man and a certain presidential candidate's daughter. Was safe sex practiced? Really?

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Check out this article...

U.S. News and World Report did a story on the uninsured and the need for Planned Parenthood. Check out this article! Just a reminder, here at Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma we are a low-cost, high quality health care provider but we do not receive any federal funding so we are a fee for service organization.

Call 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment today!