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Fund for Choice
Prevention Initiative for South Carolina
Website Access to Emergency Contraception
Prevention Education through Teen Mentoring
Prevention Education for Teens and Their Parents
Campaign to Build a PP Health Center in Charleston
Health Care for Low-Income Women
Fund for Choice
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 57% of women who have an abortion in the United States are economically disadvantaged and are likely living without health insurance. Even if a woman is on Medicaid, public funding for an abortion is available only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest in both South Carolina and North Carolina. An abusive partner, drug addiction, health risks, teen pregnancy and fetal anomaly are among the additional reasons for having an abortion that are not covered by public funding.
Obtaining money for an abortion can be difficult, if not impossible, for someone who is unemployed and/or struggling to feed their family, pay rent, buy school supplies for their existing children, pay the electricity bill, etc.
These issues create an environment where abortion becomes a middle and upper-class right, instead of a choice for all women. Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc. is committed to ensuring that all women have access to safe and legal abortions.
The Fund for Choice was created in 2003 as a means of financially aiding economically disadvantaged woman in having an abortion. When we provide funding for an abortion, we also take time to educate the woman about birth control so another unintended pregnancy can be avoided.
Living below the poverty line or having limited financial resources should not discount a woman’s access to the choices legally available to her, choices that ensure every child is a wanted child.
For more information about the Fund for Choice, please contact Lisa Bryan at 704.535.4793 or lisa.bryan@pphsinc.org.
Prevention Initiative
The Prevention Initiative facilitates a public dialogue where we are no longer on the defense against anti-choice rhetoric, but instead are on the offense with real solutions for health care problems. This initiative involves a targeted, strategic public advocacy campaign that engages the Carolinas in the legislative process, and raises public awareness and support for reproductive health and education.The Prevention Initiative will promote policies related to education, contraception and family planning. Planned Parenthood contends that if individuals have access to medically accurate information and reliable contraceptive services and supplies, there will be a considerable decline in the number of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infection (STI) cases, and abortions.
South Carolina Prevention Initiative = $242,000 over two years, beginning in July 2007. Two donors have granted a total of $210,000. Balance to complete the project: $32,000.
North Carolina Prevention Initiative = $235,000 for one year, beginning in July 2007. Funds raised from two donors total $98,000. Balance to complete the project = $136,847
Website Access to Emergency Contraception
Planned Parenthood Health Systems is proud of our interactive website launched last summer at www.pphsinc.org. With this launch, PPHS is the first in the south to offer emergency contraception online. Offering EC over the Internet is breaking new ground, and has the potential to significantly reduce unintended pregnancy. In addition, our website is designed to reach the new millennium generation with prevention education. Our innovative logo, “Have a plan. It’s the best choice”, encourages visitors to be proactive and make informed decisions about their health and sexuality. While we are pleased the FDA has approved “under” the counter availability of EC for women 18 or older, barriers to access continue for teens and for women in rural areas. We are pleased to be reaching rural women, given their challenges in accessing affordable reproductive health care and education.
Total Project Cost = $101,000 over two year. An anonymous donor in South Carolina granted $39,000 in seed funding to get started. The Lalor Foundation in Boston also contributed $25,000. Balance to complete the project = $37,000
Prevention Education through Teen Mentoring
To support teens in making healthy, informed choices regarding their sexuality, and to promote positive changes in youth norms related to preventing unintended pregnancy and STIs, Planned Parenthood has launched an innovative peer-mentoring program called "Teens Taking Action.” Research indicates that peer education is the most effective means of influencing teen behavior in regard to sexuality issues and reducing risky sexual behaviors. Trained teen educators aged 15 to 19 will conduct peer education groups about such issues as puberty, hygiene, abstinence, safe sex, teen pregnancy, contraception, STI/HIV, self esteem, peer pressure, and healthy dating relationships. In Charlotte, we reached almost 1,000 at risk teens during the program’s first year. In Greensboro’s our peer mentoring program, just completed its first year and was honored as the recipient of the 2007 Youth Achievement Award from the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina.
Total Project Cost = $66,000 for a two-year investment to implement this program
Prevention Education for Teens and Their Parents
Providing adolescents with comprehensive sexuality education and combining that effort with good parenting is a powerful approach to educating youth and reducing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Education outreach is particularly important for teens unable to access Planned Parenthood clinical services because of cultural, geographical and other barriers. We offer two innovative and proven programs for teens and their parents. "Making Proud Choices!" is an eight-module curriculum designed to empower adolescents to change their behavior in ways that will reduce their risk of disease and pregnancy. "Are You an Askable Parent?" is a series of classes for parents and teens to learn how to effectively communicate with each other about healthy sexuality. Both of these programs are offered in conjuction with additional educational outreach to youth groups, churches and health fairs.
Total Project Cost = $32,000 to launch these programs over one year in a South Carolina community
Campaign to Build a PP Health Center in Charleston
Recognizing the enormous need for our preventive services in coastal South Carolina, we identified Charleston as a priority area for a Planned Parenthood Health Center. Although Charleston can boast of a strong medical and public health community, incredible health disparities exist, including high teen pregnancy and STI rates, constrained service delivery models, significant poverty, and high number of uninsured. Although we are always alert to organized challenges to our efforts, we have successfully cultivated the support of many community movers and shakers, public health officials and faith leaders. Eighteen months ago we launched a $1.2 million capital campaign; to date we have secured $510,000 towards that goal. If all goes to plan, we will open our doors in August 2009.
Total Project Cost = $1.2 million. Donors of $25,000 or more to the Charleston Campaign will be recognized as one of our “Founding Families.” Donors of $10,000 or more will be offered naming opportunities for the new Center.
Health Care for Low-Income Women
The typical patients we serve at Planned Parenthood are 20-24 year old working women without health insurance. Without Planned Parenthood, she would be unable to afford an annual exam – including cancer screening – and birth control. Even with below-market fees, and additional subsidies for our teen clients, many of our patients struggle to pay for services. We welcome donations to help cover the cost of our health care services. For gifts of $25,000 and above, we can establish endowments to generate funds for health care subsidies for low-income women. Providing women with preventive care makes huge economic sense: every $1 spent on preventive care saves $4 in treatment costs.
For more information or to support any of thsese initiatives please contact:
Alice Alexander
Vice President for Development
919-833-7534 x128 (Raleigh)