Since we are sharing Plan B stories...

I have taken Plan B both before and after it became "Over the Counter".

My senior year of high school I needed Plan B. I had never been to Planned Parenthood, but a trusted adult in my life helped me look up their number. (And let me skip her class. She is awesome, and I love her for that to this day). They didn't judge, or question me. They did ask if I was interested in getting on other forms of birth control, to prevent such a need in the future. (And, for the record, I did get on the Pill...)

I took it again in 2005 or 2006. Another condom malfunction. It was still prescription, but I knew that I could get it from Planned Parenthood without any issue. They were completely polite, and at this point it was on their file that I was basically allergic to anything that would keep the baby hatch empty (pills, patch, etc...), so they knew that I had to depend on condoms.

The most recent time I took Plan B was in 2007, early in the year. It had just become over the counter, and I didn't have a car at the time, so I went into the clinic on campus. They sold me the pills, but I certainly felt as if I was in a much more hostile environment then my two times before. Perhaps it was just the staff there was young and in training. (Usually nursing students). It still felt very much like I was judged for being morally loose or something. I actually wonder if I would have come back the second or third time if I had had such a poor experience on my first try.

I have written before about how much I love Planned Parenthood.

I really do.

They provide such an amazing service for our community. To be able to receive medical care without receiving religious judgment or disrespect is something that seems like a fundamental right, yet it is something that many women are still fighting for today. We are all indebted to Planned Parenthood for standing with us in that fight.

Obama + Planned Parenthood = <3

I just read on Feministing that Planned Parenthood has officially endorsed Obama.

Watch their president, Cecile Richards, announce their endorsement, and Obama accept the endorsement... HERE.

I have previously mentioned my affinity for Obama.

I have also mentioned my affinity for Planned Parenthood.

I think it is important that we remember that Planned Parenthood does not only offer abortion procedures.

As a young woman they have given me free condoms, a prescription for affordable oral contraceptives, emergency contraception, and they have tested my partner and I for sexually transmitted diseases at a fraction of the cost of a normal physician.

They, most likely, have saved me from facing an unintended pregnancy. Because of their presence in this community I have never been faced with the decision of abortion.

I am glad to see that they have endorsed Obama. A lot is riding on this election, including the next nomination for the Supreme Court.

McCain has sworn to do everything in his power to overthrow Roe v. Wade. I am glad that Planned Parenthood is speaking out in favor of the better candidate, one who trusts women with their own bodies.

Happy Birthday!

Today is June 7th. Today is the 43rd anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut. Griswold v. Connecticut was a landmark ruling where the Supreme Court declared that contraceptive was legal.

I am a twenty-two year old woman. I have just graduated from Missouri State University with my undergraduate degree in psychology. I have been accepted into an experimental psychology doctoral program at the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, starting this August. They have even offered me a fellowship to help support me while I am there.

I am able to focus on the subject I love, without struggling to make ends meet. My offer to purchase a house in Fayetteville was just accepted, and in a month I will have my own home. I have a strong group of friends, peers who are as passionate about the world as I am, and I am dating a man who offers me only support and respect.

I know (in general) what I want to do with my life. I feel confident that I am prepared to make the best decisions for myself and my wellbeing.

Five years ago, this was not the case.

I was a senior in high school, unsure if I should continue on through college. I was working forty hours a week at a local diner, pulling third shifts to make money, and then immediately sinking the money into my beater car just to get to work the next day.

I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, and I had no idea where I was going. I spent my senior year experimenting with LSD, mescaline, psilocybine, and other mind altering substances, and drinking a decent amount of vodka. Although I was never completely enamored with the drug culture, many of my friends were becoming heavy users of a variety of substances. At the very least, most of my friends drank a six-pack a night after work, or before work for that matter.

The man I was dating was a guy I had worked with at a previous job, a big guy with a bit of a drinking problem and a manic depressive swing to his emotions. We weren't in love, and we never set any pretenses otherwise. We were just dating. My friends, although many of them were good people, were the kind who you went in halvsies for a half gallon of vodka, or a ten-hit of acid. They were not the kind of kids who brought intellectual debate to the table, or who pushed you to become a better person.

Five years ago I became sexually active. I was emotionally ready for sex. I was physically ready sex.

I was not, however, emotionally or physically ready for the possibility of a child.

My senior year of high school I drove my beater car across town, and sat anxiously in the waiting room of a Planned Parenthood clinic. They gave me a package of pills, with explicit instructions on usage.

When Planned Parenthood gave me that first pack of pills, they gave me the tools to control my body and my future. When my high school GPA led to a scholarship at Missouri State University, my family offered the financial support I needed to focus on school.

My freshman and sophomore years of college I lived with a sweet stoner guy. Surely, had I not been on the pill, I would have ended up pregnant. Instead of worrying about pregnancy, I was able to focus on school. My first semester of college I took Introduction to Psychology. I fell in love with the subject immediately, reading the book at the kitchen table for hours and sitting in the library reading The American Journal of Psychology and The Industrial Psychology Journal.

My junior year, as I made the decision to become involved in research and pursue admission to graduate school, contraceptives gave me the opportunity to enter into a sexual relationship with a longterm friend whose presence in my life gave me support and direction. Neither of us was ready for a child, and by having access to contraceptives we were able to help each other grow without become trapped in a permanent relationship.

Now, five years after I first got onto the pill, I am on the pill again. Once again it has given me control over my body and my future. Now, I know where I am going. I know what my passions are, and I know how to pursue them. Surely, if I had not had access to birth control, I would have become pregnant over the last five years. I would most likely have a child, and be completely through with my academic career.

If I had become pregnant at 17, I would have been trapped in that world forever. Now, when I choose to have children, I will be able to bring them into an environment I am proud of. I will be able to raise them with the love and support that every child deserves.

I am so grateful to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and all the other activists who have pushed to legalize contraception and reproductive freedom. They have literally changed my life. They have given me the right, as a woman and as a citizen, to learn and work and grow at my own pace. They have given me the ability to stand where I am today.

Happy birthday, Griswold v. Connecticut.

Happy birthday, and thank you.

STD Testing

A few days ago, Amber, JT, and I went to the free clinic in Springfield to get tested for STDs in order to create a video blog about the experience for Beautiful Flower and Penis. We were hoping that, by setting an example, kids would feel better about going out to get their goods looked at.

When we got there, we found a stack of three numbers on the reception desk, which we dispersed amongst ourselves. Minutes passed, and it became clear to us that those numbers represented the three individuals who would be seen that morning by the clinic nurse. Three people. Once we realized this, we immediately gave up our numbers to the others who had shown up. It was painfully obvious that their needs greatly outweighed our own.

As we left the clinic, we were absolutely sickened by the entire situation. It turns out that only three people are seen two (thanks, Amber!) times a day. The population of Springfield is 151580, with approximately 16% living at a poverty level. I fail to see how this can adequately meet the needs of the city. How are we supposed to stop the spread of STDs, much less offer somewhere to be seen for maintaining your general health, when the free clinic is so limited in its capabilities?

Teh Juggernauts immediately took action. JT is planning on speaking at a community meeting to funnel more funding towards the free clinic, Amber is contacting various media outlets, and I...am bitching about it on the interwebz. 'Cause I'm cool like that.

Anyhow, since I am about 300 miles away from Springfield at the moment, I thought that I would look up some places you can go be tested for STDs.

1. The Free Clinic
1. This choice isn't for everyone and is very limited (*ahem*, see above experience), but it is still a valid option.
2. Planned Parenthood
1. Always a good option. They offer a wide range of services for a nominal fee. And, as far as I can tell, they are thoroughly nonsketchy.
   
3. College Health Facility
1. For us college kids, this is a good way to go. It's always cheaper than going to a regular doctor...but it can be a little bit sketchy. As far as I know, Taylor Health and Wellness at MSU doesn't offer STD testing. It turns out that they do offer on site STD testing. Thanks, Carly!
   
4. Your Lady Parts/Dude Thingies Doctor
1. I suppose this is the most obvious option, but can get pretty pricey. But knowing what's up with your junk is very integral to anyone's well being.

Does anyone know of other options that I am missing?


Lauren