Planned Parenthood: Healthy Families, Healthy Women

By Sarah Dawson
Staff Writer

The Planned Parenthood Political Action Committee (PAC) is the eyes and ears of Fargo when it comes to raising awareness about women legislators. Less than 16 percent of ND legislators are women.

Starting in 2009 and still in its infancy, it is the only Pro Choice PAC in ND (most states have more than one). Planned Parenthood PAC is PRO-WOMAN, PRO-FAMILY, and PRO-CHOICE. Its goal is not to be polarizing and to prevent crisis in a non-extremist matter.

This PAC believes that having more women involved in the legislature will make it more friendly to issues/subjects important to women, particularly women’s reproductive health, that are often ignored.

Women Need Pelvic Exams! It is a fact that the greatest single reason for the occurrence of cervical cancer is not having pap smears. Women need to be provided with breast cancer screening and sexually transmitted disease screening.

Education, counseling, medical and direct contraceptive services need to be made available to those interested in spacing the birth of their children and/or limiting family size. Culture, income, and ages, all can be factors in whether a person has access to good family planning and reproductive health care.

Low-income women’s childbearing is frequently stigmatized in the media and in the realm of policy. Women who access to welfare are often perceived to be adding to state welfare costs when they have children. Welfare policy contains requirements that seek to limit low-income women’s reproduction (e.g., family caps, “illegitimacy” bonuses).

Then there is pregnancy “intendedness,” which impacts the health of the infant because there are greater risks associated with women whose pregnancy is unintended. These and other risk factors for North Dakota women with mistimed or unwanted pregnancies include:

• Stress from not taking folic acid or having health insurance before becoming pregnant, and not starting prenatal care in the first trimester.

• Arguing more with her husband/partner

• Having bills they can’t pay

• Having someone close to them who has a bad problem with drinking or drugs

• Having a husband/partner who doesn’t want the pregnancy

An important postpartum issue, which is rarely addressed, is whether a mother experiences depression after her delivery. North Dakota needs more public acknowledgement of postpartum depression. We need greater involvement of husbands/partners in education and counseling about depression. Additionally, we need to have medical professionals available to discuss mental health issues and counseling as a part of routine checkups and covered by insurance.

The Planned Parenthood PAC is looking for the community’s help in contributing to legislative candidates that focus on issues affecting women.  One such candidate is Prairie Rose, (“Feminist, but I understand it more as humanism.”) When asked why she was running for legislative office, she stated, “I want to better people’s lives”. She believes in social justice, parity in economic development, economic access to quality affordable health care, and investment of resources into the community programs.

The Planned Parenthood PAC wants to create healthier healthy families. To do this means reaching optimal health and well-being for all women in North Dakota, promoting health and wellness by facilitating a range of health-care services, education and support for women of all ages, furthering sex education in schools, delivering abstinence education as another avenue of protection.

We the people have powerful voices; we just have to use them. The Planned Parenthood PAC wants the community to know that they aim to target the everyday person and that legislators are available and do listen.

PAC is encouraging people to support, and look at past bills, statements, and insider info on candidates (the last legislative session wasn’t good).They are accepting contributions.
A couple of ideas to raise money are hosting house parties with friends or having a fundraiser event.

Contributions can be mailed to Planned Parenthood Healthy Families Healthy Women PAC, 1444 10th Ave S, Fargo ND 58103. Or donate on-line at http://www.actblue.com/page/prochoicend

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