The fundamental rights of women have faced severe scrutiny under the Trump Administration- including the right to an abortion as protected under the Supreme Court Case, Roe v. Wade. Despite the continuing effort to ban abortions across the United States, Planned Parenthood has remained a vital and valuable resource to anyone seeking out sexual and reproductive health care services.
I interviewed Julianna Classe, Brand and Marketing Manager of Planned Parenthood Nassau County (PPNC), to find out why the health care provider is necessary to have in every community.
“We are proud to be one of the most recognized providers of comprehensive, medically-accurate, age-appropriate sex education,” Claase stated. The necessity of Planned Parenthood facilities lies in the heart of what they do, and the inclusivity of their services. According to Claase, “Planned Parenthood provides the full range of sexual and reproductive health care services.”
Specifically at PPNC, these services include, “birth control, STI testing and treatment, HIV testing and counseling, PrEP (preventative HIV medication), emergency contraception, breast and cervical cancer screenings, pregnancy tests and all options pregnancy counseling, prenatal care and abortion care,” as explained by Claase.
PPNC also provides certain primary care services such as flu shots and Type II Diabetes screenings. Of all the services provided by PPNC, STI testing is the most accessed, with birth control being the second most accessed.
One of the biggest misconceptions regarding Planned Parenthood is that it provides services to women only. However, Claase explained that, “Planned Parenthood provides health care to all… people of all gender identities utilize [their] services.”
Moreover, PPNC does not enforce age restrictions, “with the exception of PrEP,” according to Claase. It is currently not offered to anyone under the age of 18. Other than that exception, “people of all ages can access services.”
PPNC is also accessibly to people at all income levels, with 41% of patients being “at or below the federal poverty line,” as made clear by Claase. She explained in depth how each patient determines the cost of their visit.
According to Claase, “48% of our patients use Medicaid and Managed Care, 28% use commercial insurance, 15% utilize our sliding fee scale based on income, and 9% pay full fee.” PPNC is incredibly proud to offer the sliding scale fee, as it allows for their services to be accessible to anyone seeking sexual and reproductive health care.
Services performed by PPNC are not limited to health care- they also dedicate themselves to educating the community, as they believe, “information about how to live and stay health is both power and empowering!”
Claase explained the full scope of their educational mission, stating, “At PPNC, we have an incredible team of educators who facilitate trauma-informed workshops in school and community-based venues to engage people of all ages in conversations about their sexual and reproductive health. Topics range from birth control, to healthy relationships, consent to condom use skills, and so much more. Research shows that when people gain a better understanding of their sexual health, they are more likely to make healthy and informed decisions.”
Within the duration of the Trump Administration, Planned Parenthood facilities have been attacked, as the organization provides access to abortions. One of the biggest ways Trump has attacked the facility was by forcing Planned Parenthood to withdraw from the Title X program, or, “the nation’s largest funding stream for family planning and reproductive health care,” as explained by Claase.
She further stated that this withdrawal, “severely impacts health centers’ abilities to serve patients. In fact, Title X funding has historically helped underwrite our costs, and we were able to pass significant savings onto our patients — offering them free or low cost care through our sliding fee program.”
Since his inauguration, Trump has passed the “Gag Rule,” declaring that, “health care providers who receive Title X funds cannot also provide, refer for or talk about abortion — even though the funds aren’t used for that service because of a law passed in 1976 (the Hyde Amendment).” Claase went on to explain that PPNC has received donations from PPNC donors, as well as the New York State Department of Health that have helped them continue their mission.
Claase shared the unfortunate news that because of the Title X withdrawal, “two Planned Parenthood health centers in Ohio had to close their doors,” within the last week.
In order to protest this attack, Planned Parenthood has launched the #NoGagRule and #ProtectX campaigns. These two campaigns, “have been instrumental in helping the public understand the Trump-Pence administration’s coordinated attack on our health and rights, and enlists our supportive elected officials to stand in solidarity and fight for their constituents through legislative action,” Claase described.
To help support and contribute to PPNC, you can volunteer or provide a monetary donation.
To volunteer: www.bit.ly/PPNCVols
To donate: www.ppnc.org/donate