Experiences in Jefferson City!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to work as a full time intern for Planned Parenthood in Missouri this semester. It's been an amazing semester, and I'd like to share some thoughts and experiences with you.

Honestly, before I got started with this internship, I considered myself pretty well-versed in women's issues in general and women's health issues in particular. To say I feel that I went from looking at a roaring furnace to being plunged into the flames would be an understatement. I had made the very common mistake (especially among those of my generation) of thinking that my reproductive rights were pretty well secured. I knew there was work to be done, but I didn't realize just how much. Let me tell you about some of the things I've seen in Jefferson City this semester:

• We (PP staff, volunteers and activists) have spent hours trying to explain the difference between EC and RU486, and attempting to convince legislators that no, you cannot in fact buy an abortion over-the-counter.
  
• We worked with the domestic and child abuse lobbies to fight legislation that would have given parents total control over all of their children's healthcare. This would not only have prevented teens from acquiring birth control, but would also have made examination and prosecution for child abuse impossible.
  
• We fought a bill that would have imprisoned pregnant women suffering from addiction, forcing them to give birth in chains before the baby was seized by the state rather than helping them seek treatment.
• We spent countless hours trying to explain to legislators that taking away an abused woman's right to choose abortion not only re-victimized her, but did nothing to address the problem of abuse that would likely be transferred to that child once born.
  
• We faced not one but TWO ballot measures that would have effectively banned abortion in Missouri.

The sponsor of the anti-abortion bill (HB1831) stated boldly and blatantly that he believed that women were too overwhelmed by the flood of their hormones (especially when pregnant), to be able to make an informed decision about abortion. This idea that women are incompetent to make decisions, especially when under pressure, was pervasive not only in the bill but in the minds of its supporters, including some women. I have to say, nothing has disappointed and angered me more than watching other women try to take away my right to make decisions about my own body.

In case you haven't yet caught where the anti-abortion lobby is going with all of this, there is an anti-abortion group planning to stage a nation-wide protest of the pill because they believe that any contraception constitutes an abortion, and should be banned. Ladies, just take a minute and think about what your life might be like if you had NO access to contraception.

And yet, despite all the potential for discouragement, this year's session was a huge victory! Hundreds of activists came to the capitol throughout session and held our elected officials accountable for their decisions. Many more of you called, wrote or emailed your representatives to give them a piece of your mind. To see so many women, young and old, come together and take part in their own governance was truly inspiring and empowering to me. The volunteers and activists around the state that I had an opportunity to work with truly blessed me with their enthusiasm, courage and often their keen insights. I also had the opportunity to work with some truly amazing pro-choice champions in the House and Senate that worked their butts off for us. Thanks to these efforts, the anti-abortion bill was never passed. The abortion ban initiatives didn't meet the required number of signatures needed to place them on the ballot in November. Because of all of our hard work, it seems that we are blessedly free of further restrictions on Planned Parenthood in Missouri this year.

But I still know I can't get too comfortable. Some officials are asking Matt Blunt to call a special session specifically to pass the anti-abortion bill, and we know that the sponsors of the abortion ban ballot initiatives will be back in 2010 for another try. The anti-abortion activists are not going to stop, and neither can I.

I caught the end of the movie Iron Jawed Angels the other night. The movie is about the women's suffrage movement, and it really struck home to me how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go. The fight has become more subtle, but make no mistake that it is still a fight. If there is any message that I have taken away from my experiences, and that I hope you take away from my thoughts here, it is this: don't stop the fight! It's up to us--you and me--to continue to defend the rights that women before us have worked so very hard for.

Thank you to all my friends at Planned Parenthood and to all the awesome volunteers that make Planned Parenthood's work possible! You will always inspire me to stay part of that fight!

by Kristen Walle

Another case of misinformation

Just when we thought we only had to worry about our students being misinformed about sex education in schools, (see HB1055) it turns out our newspaper editors need a lesson in fact-checking as well. Yesterday the Springfield News-Leader reported the "morning after" pill was briefly included on an anti-meth bill in the Missouri Senate. Actually, RU-486, or the abortion pill, was tacked on by the Missouri House to a bill tracking controlled substances by pharmacists - it's final inclusion was a clerical error. Even more erroneous is the reporting on the story. Not only is RU-486 not sold or dispensed by pharmacists, the article wrongly identified RU-486 as "an emergency contraceptive ingested orally to prevent or delay ovulation."

LET'S GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT HERE! Emergency contraception, also known as EC, Plan B, or the "morning-after" pill, is a higher dose of birth control which if taken within 120 hours of unprotected sex can prevent pregnancy. EC will not affect a woman who is already pregnant or her pregnancy – EC is NOT an abortion. EC has been approved by the FDA for over-the-counter use for those over the age of 18. RU-486 on the other hand, or a medication abortion, can only be obtained from an abortion provider - not a pharmacist. Additionally, there is a 24-hour waiting period between education about RU-486 and the dispensing of the drug by an abortion provider.

Tell the News-Leader this is not a case of semantics; it’s a case of MISINFORMATION. Comment and write to the News-Leader asking them to correct their story here.

Crystal Brigman is the Grassroots Organizer for Planned Parenthood of Southwest Missouri

MISSOURI HOUSE PASSES ABORTION RESTRICTION BILL

Yesterday, the Missouri House of Representatives voted to pass HCS HB 1831 & 1472 (Onder), the Abortion Restriction Bill of 2008. As the bill moves to the Senate for consideration, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri denounce this bill as an effort to further mandate government intrusion between doctor and patient and create a new crime of 'coercion of an abortion.'

"Missouri already has some of the nation’s strictest laws requiring informed consent and a waiting period for abortion," said Peter Brownlie, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri1. "This is just another attempt by those backing these types of bills to place more unnecessary burdens on the woman and her doctor, and does nothing to actually prevent unintended pregnancies."

"This bill does nothing to protect or empower women but once again inserts politicians into personal and private health care decisions," said Kellie Rohrbaugh, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Southwest Missouri. “This particular measure is only one piece of a larger agenda backed by groups who are working toward an all-out ban on abortion care in Missouri."

This bill includes several provisions that would require 'the physician who is to perform or induce the abortion' to meet with the woman 24 hours before her procedure. Current law already mandates counseling but allows a woman to receive counseling from her own private or preferred physician. The bill also mandates that physicians use brochures and videos developed by state bureaucrats, rather than information provided by trusted medical organizations like the American Medical Association, and to post signs carrying false-promises of state-backed financial assistance if carrying the child to term.

"We already go through the utmost care to make sure that every woman is provided with medically accurate information and that she has spoken with our experienced, professional counselors to make sure she is aware of all her options," said Alison Gee, Vice President of Public Policy at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region. "The requirement that the counseling be done strictly by the physician who is to perform the procedure may well lead to a delay of days, or possibly weeks, between counseling and the procedure, since many of our physicians are only scheduled one day per week. This is nothing more than election year politics."

The bill also creates a new crime of 'coercion of an abortion,' that broadens the definition of 'coercion' and in many cases would prohibit the woman from consenting to an abortion if she has freely consented and believes this is the best decision for herself based upon her circumstances. In addition, it would make physicians—or anyone assisting them—criminals for helping women obtain an abortion “with knowledge” that the woman has been "coerced" under this new, overly broad definition of 'coercion'.

"This will lead women to stay silent regarding their personal life circumstances and change the informed consent counseling from open and honest conversation about the woman’s well-being to a bureaucratic checklist," said Tonia Stubblefield, CEO of Tri-Rivers Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood opposes HCS HB 1831 & 1472 and will do everything possible to prevent its passage in the Missouri Senate and to protect access to safe and legal health care – including the right to abortion care in Missouri.

For summary language and full text of the bill go to: http://www.house.state.mo.us/billtracking/bills081/bills/hb1831.htm.

####

1 Current Missouri law includes, but is not limited to, the following restrictions:

• A ban on state funding for abortion.
  
• A ban on public facilities or employees being used in the performance of abortions.
  
• A prohibition on insurance companies offering abortion coverage as part of their regular benefits package.
  
• A mandate that women both sign a consent form saying that her decision is free and voluntary and wait at least 24 hours before having an abortion.
  
• A requirement that minors have written parental consent before having an abortion.
  
• A ban on abortions after viability unless necessary to preserve the woman’s life or health.
  

Every year for the past 5 years the Missouri legislature has passed restrictive bills or eliminated programs designed to prevent abortion through family planning and sex education. To view current Missouri law related to abortion care go to: http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/c188.htm

1 in 4...

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released an incredibly shocking report. It found that one in four teenage females has a sexually transmitted disease, a rate that increases to one in two for African American teenage females. It also showed that one in five teenage females has HPV, and about half of all teens are having sex.

If you think 'She won't get pregnant if she's on top' is as bad as the myths get, how about these?

• If you mix together baking soda and vinegar and drink it you can get rid of gonorrhea.
• If a guy puts a Q-tip in his ear, gets some ear wax on it and then touches it to the tip of his penis and it burns, then he's got an STD. If it doesn't burn he doesn't have anything.If a girl inserts a tampon after sex it will absorb all the sperm and she won't get pregnant.

In Jefferson City, ignorance is the new black. Rather than supporting the Prevention First Act (PFA) - a bill that promotes proven prevention methods, including comprehensive sex education - Representative Rod Jetton and many other members of the House of Representatives are pushing anti-prevention, anti-choice bills through the legislature time and time again. It's time for the politicking to stop - Missouri teens are in grave danger.

It's time we stopped arguing abortion and started thinking about whether that one teen is ours. We cannot accept this statistic as satisfactory and we certainly cannot allow our legislators to do so either.

Lawsuit Filed

Monday, March 3, 2008: Jefferson City, MO - Today, the Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri (PPMO) and the Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (MORCRC) applauded a legal challenge, filed by Mary Hickey of St. Louis, to the second initiative petition submitted by Illinois-based David Reardon in so many months. This version was certified on February 21st.

“We will fight this initiative because it is dangerous and extreme,” said Peter Brownlie, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. “I don’t believe the people of Missouri want politicians and bureaucrats deciding what treatments grown adults can receive or what treatments doctors can recommend.”

“The measure is so poorly written with vague and undefined terms so that no one is completely sure what it does, how far it goes or how it could be enforced,” stated Paula Gianino, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region. “What is clear is this measure would force doctors to provide questionable and in some cases false information to their patients instead of the open honest discussion that is best for patients.

“This measure will hurt women and deny them access to the professional health care they deserve because of David Reardon’s politically motivated goals,” stated the Reverend Rebecca Turner, Executive Director of Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

“This measure may seem to target women – but it sets a precedent that politicians and bureaucrats can dictate what treatments any patient can qualify for and what treatments doctors can prescribe,” said Tonia Stubblefield, CEO of Tri-Rivers Planned Parenthood.

The vast majority of Missourians[1] believe that decisions about medical care, including abortion, should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor. Planned Parenthood and MORCRC stand behind this belief and will stand up for Missourians on this issue. “Missouri already has some of the nation’s strongest laws requiring informed consent and a waiting period for abortion – so it’s clear that the measure is not really about that, it is about extreme politics,” said Kellie Rohrbaugh, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Southwest Missouri.

Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Religious Coalition oppose both of Mr. Reardon’s initiatives and will do everything possible to protect access to safe and legal health care, including the right to abortion care in Missouri.
For the summary language and full text of the initiative go to:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2008petitions/08init_pet.asp#2008027

NOTE: Tuesday, March 4 is Protect Women’s Health Lobby Day. Teams of activist will be at the Capitol urging their elected officials to support the Prevention First Act and vote NO on HB1831 and SB1058 should they come to a vote.
[1] 63% of Missourians strongly believe the government should not interfere with private healthcare decisions made between a patient and her doctor: Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Sept 07—more information: www.ppmissouri.org

Missouri "abortifacient" bill both wrong and wrong

Well, clearly they've fixed everything else in Missouri, as lawmakers there are now able to turn their attention to fatuous bills addressing pretend situations. The recently introduced HB 1625 would -- contrary to the position of the Food and Drug Administration and virtually the entire medical community -- classify emergency contraception (as in Plan B) as an "abortifacient." It would also allow pharmacies to refuse to dispense both Plan B and RU-486 (mifepristone), shielding them from any resulting legal action.

Where do we start?

1. Pharmacies don't dispense RU-486 in the first place. You get it from your doctor. This is disingenuous.

2. Pharmacies don't dispense anything. Pharmacists do. As NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri'sMississippi as the only state to extend "conscience protection" to pharmacies, conferring the broad right to opt out of dispensing emergency contraception without outlining any grounds for doing so. The wholesale opt-out would be unenforceable at best. executive director, attorney Pamela L. Sumners, notes: Pharmacies are corporations, not individuals with "consciences" or "conscience rights." Solid precedent holds that nonsectarian private companies "do not have 'religious' views that are entitled to legal protection." (See United States v. Lee, 1982.) Were the bill to pass, Missouri would join

3. The bill may also violate Missouri's Human Rights Act, which forbids discrimination based on sex, and possibly even Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

It's a bad, bad bill, politically and legally. Too bad to become reality? Maybe, maybe not. And it's hard to see how the reproductive-rights situation can get much worse in Missouri to begin with. Still, we can't dismiss this bill as harmless grandstanding. Why not? Well, it's like when a courtroom lawyer says "[question] withdrawn" or a judge asks for something to be stricken from the record. Either way, the jury still hears it. And in this case, what people hear is:

1. Emergency contraception and RU-486 are the same (sic).

2. Women can get abortions, along with mouthwash and Milk Duds, at their local Walgreens (sic).

All of which plays into -- and reinforces -- the frequently peddled notion that women need reining in, as does our alleged qwik-abortion culture. It all adds up, even drop by drop, and helps cement public perception. So even if those misconceptions don't actually get this bill passed, the damage, in no small part, will still be done.

Article by Lynn Harris - as posted on salon.com

1984?

"The "Party" has taken over all aspects of life... Winston is painfully aware of the telescreen, which is both a receiver and transmitter at the same time. It incessantly relays messages from the Party and simultaneously allows the dreaded "thought police" to tune into the activities of any individual at any given time." www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984

The most recent claims to reproductive fame by Rep. Therese Sander was handling the abominable sex mis-education/abortion restriction bill last year. She was also the sole sponsor of a bill that would have ascribed a 'conscience' to corporations, employers, and insurance companies allowing them to deny health services to patients based upon personal beliefs and ideological values. Among the many terrible bills with Rep. Sander's name are:

• a bill that would protect denying pharmacists;
• a bill that would require parental consent for birth control for teens; and
• a bill establishing an 'alternatives to abortion' program that categorically cannot provide family planning services (the best 'alternative to abortion').

But her piece de resistance - filed this year - is a bill that would require doctors who perform abortions to ask women why they are seeking an abortion, then report that information to the state government!

It is filed as HB1984; could that be intentional, or is it some kind of Orwellian slip?

1984...hmmm, makes a girl think back to high school and learning the definition of dystopia.

Can you spell 'Big Brother'?

Alison Gee is the Vice President of Public Policy at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region

What We've Done.

Governor Blunt claims he wants to help and protect Missourians. He says that everything he does is ‘for Missourians’. Problem is, there’s a world of difference between what Governor Blunt thinks that we want to hear and what we are demanding to know. In Missouri, political rhetoric constantly trumps women’s healthcare and thousands of Missouri students sit in classrooms where sex ed lessons are medically, factually inaccurate - something Blunt considers a "mission accomplished". Our Governor has failed. In a state that encompasses cities with some of the highest STI rates in the country, Governor Blunt traded his sense of ‘protecting Missourians’ long ago in order to gain political clout with his group of hardline fans. Unfortunately, regular Missourians don’t feel so 'protected.'

Governor Blunt just announced he is not running for re-election. Just as well ... Missouri voters, like you, understand that votes matter and have already told us that you strongly support state funds for family planning (69%*), that you believe pharmacies should dispense birth control without discrimination or delay (65%*), that you believe sex education should be comprehensive (76%*), and that the government should not step between a patient and her doctor (63%*). Not what Governor Blunt wants to hear. But, together, we say "enough is enough to failed policies and failed politicians." [*statewide poll conducted September 2007]

This legislative session, we need your help to keep pushing forward. In Jefferson City, there have already been seven bills introduced that restrict Missourians' access to Planned Parenthood programs and services. Then there's the shadowy Task Force - the sham group Governor Blunt created that could - any day now - release unscientific and unhelpful 'results.'

Let your friends know about the REAL Task Force to Protect Women’s Health and Lives. Let them know that we are the informed majority and that this Session, we are showing our power in the Capitol through activists and supporters across this state.

Gov. Blunt announces on anniversary of Roe that he will not seek re-election

On Tuesday, Governor Blunt announced that he would not be running for re-election. While this was interesting and welcome news on the day pro-choice advocates celebrated the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we do not share in his delight at his ‘mission accomplished’ where healthcare is concerned. Under his watch, and with his support, Governor Blunt has:

• Refused to fund the successful state Family Planning Program that provided services to 30,000 women;

• Eliminated 19-year contracts with Planned Parenthood health centers in Springfield and Joplin for breast and cervical cancer screening services;

• Cut healthcare for more than 100,000 Missourians—many of them women and children;

• Promoted ineffective and harmful abstinence-only education for public school students, denying teens information about contraception;

• Supported protecting pharmacists who deny women birth control;

• Diverted thousands of taxpayer dollars to crisis pregnancy centers that mislead women, lie about birth control, and use scare tactics regarding abortion;

• Continued to increase funding to the Alternatives to Abortion program that explicitly may not fund family planning services—the very best ‘alternative to abortion’ services;

• Established a sham task force to study abortion made up entirely of individuals who are 100% opposed to both abortion and contraception.
  

In three short years, Matt Blunt has undone years of hard won improvements to women’s health and set back the healthcare of hundreds of thousands of Missourians. But this was not done single-handedly. And, while we are pleased he will no longer be in a position to endanger women and teens, the legislative leadership that helped achieve these goals remains in place. We sincerely hope this leadership will now choose to value prevention and wellness and join with us to Put Prevention First.

Alison Gee is the Vice President of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region

Abortion Ban Task Force meeting update

Greetings from the Missouri State Capitol! Less than one week into the 2008 Missouri Legislative Session and, as the lobbyist for Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri, I can tell you things are heating up. Let’s take today (1/15) for example, from 12-2, I suffered through a meeting of Governor Blunt's sham of a Task Force on the Impact of Abortion on Women where anti-choice ideologues spouted the most puzzling and outrageous things regarding abortion. None of Blunt's Task Force members have a day’s experience providing safe, medically reputable contraceptive, sex education or abortion care - nor have they asked anyone who has that experience to testify before them!

The award for the most hypocritical statement of the day goes to a Task Force member who is a lobbyist promoting abstinence-only sex education which withholds life-saving information from teens. He surprised me with this statement:

"Since when do we, as a culture, value a lack of information."

Good thing he wasn't looking at a mirror when saying that one.

They spent a lot of time reviewing medically inaccurate doozies presented in previous meetings and brainstorming ideas that show they have no idea about current counseling or reporting practices and requirements.

To give you a virtual front-row seat in the Missouri Legislature, I’ll be posting periodically throughout the session. To get a real front-row seat, come join me in Jefferson City and I’ll show you around. Just contact your local Planned Parenthood Organizer.

'Til Later, Michelle Trupiano, MSW,
Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri Lobbyist

Abortion panel an embarrassing waste

An open letter to Gov. Matt Blunt: I am writing to express outrage at your violation of the public trust through convening a committee of ideologues who will support your belief that abortion is harmful to women and children, beliefs that are not supported by credible scientific research. I am not alone in this outrage. The American public is tired of public officials putting ideology before science and appointing unqualified people to make scientific decisions. As governor, you have an obligation to all of the people of Missouri, not just your fundamentalist base.

Calling the committee you have convened "scientific" adds insult to injury. The committee consists of members who are not only biased but also unqualified to assess research methodologies. Some research does claim abortion is harmful to women. For example, your committee is likely familiar with the Elliot Institute and its director, "Doctor" Michael Reardon, who claims abortion causes serious health problems despite research to the contrary by the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association. It’s important to consider that Reardon received his "doctorate" through an online diploma mill called Pacific Western University, which was investigated by the Government Accounting Office as one of four "diploma mills and unaccredited schools" that the federal government should not fund. Reardon did not labor through six to eight years of post-graduate education to gain expertise in research methodologies - nor did he pay the expenses. This is not just a question of scholars making differing arguments about the impact of abortion, but one of the quality and credibility of scholars and the research they produce.

The most extensive research done to date on abortion was the Koop report funded by the Reagan administration with the hope of proving the harmful effects of abortion. State officials told the news media the outcome of the research was inconclusive. This was not true. In 1989, the Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations held an investigative hearing to review the findings of the report. The review indicated the report had concluded that "abortion is medically safer than pregnancy and childbirth, both in terms of mortality and morbidity," and that "delays in obtaining an abortion, for whatever reason, jeopardize the physical and mental health of the mother." Koop, who opposed a woman’s right to abortion, also commented on his disappointment with the "poor quality" of research produced by the anti-women’s rights groups.

Koop was a person of integrity who refused to prostitute his professional standards for ideological correctness. Can the same be said of the committee you have convened? To guard against "poor quality" research, it is imperative to convene a committee of members with expertise in different research methodologies and who have differing views on abortion to critically analyze all research claims.

In his testimony, Surgeon General Koop also said "psychological problems from abortion are rare and not significant from a public health viewpoint." When you study the research on "post-abortion syndrome," be sure to include the research of the incoming president of the American Psychiatric Association, Nada Stotland, who concludes it is not a serious health-care problem. Carole Joffe, a sociologist who studies reproductive health care and the abortion issue at the University of California at Davis, has similarly said, "The repeated attempts by opponents of abortion to allege negative mental health effects of abortion - so-called ‘post abortion syndrome’ as well as negative physical effects, such as a link between abortion and breast cancer - have been discredited as ‘junk science.’ The alleged link between abortion and breast cancer was repudiated by a consensus conference called by the National Cancer Institute. If opponents have moral objections to abortion, they should state those. They should not rely on false statements to make their case. "Readers can go to the American Cancer Society’s Web site to find its conclusion that "Research studies, however, have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer." The ACS also discusses the "bias" in earlier studies that led to this conclusion.

It is obvious this committee has been convened to support the denominational doctrine of its members, who not only oppose abortion but sex education and birth control. The international research of the World Health Organization concludes, however, that providing accessible birth control reduces the number of abortions. The reduction in abortion rates with access to birth control is evident in Eastern Europe, especially Russia, where very high abortion rates have been decreasing over the last decade as birth control options have become available. Making abortion inaccessible will not stop it. It didn’t in the United States before its decriminalization. Right now in Brazil, a mostly Catholic nation where abortion is illegal, there are 800,000 illegal abortions annually. About 4,000 women die as a result of those illegal abortions, making it the fourth leading cause of maternal death in Brazil.

Convening this committee is disingenuous and an embarrassment to the state of Missouri. How about using taxpayer money to convene a committee about post-traumatic stress syndrome among Iraq veterans or battered women and children? How about finding out how those women and children whom you have cut off of Medicaid are doing? We need role models in political office who demonstrate respect for science, religious pluralism and the public good. How dare you sacrifice the health of Missouri’s women and children on the altar of political expediency, ignorance and religious intolerance?

Victoria Johnson is a faculty member in the Sociology Department at the University of Missouri and a member of Faculty, Staff and Students Concerned about Democracy and Public Knowledge.