Support Planned Parenthood and Family Planning

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Operated by: Planned Parenthood of Middle East Tennessee, Inc.

Support Planned Parenthood and Family Planning - Round 2!

As you know, HB1756/SB0470 is working its way through the Tennessee General Assembly. This bill would take away Title X funding from the two Planned Parenthood organizations in Tennessee and leave an estimated 12,000 women and men without services in Tennessee.

HB1756 has been revived in conjunction with the release of a YouTube video purporting to show illegal activity at the Memphis Planned Parenthood health center. In the heavily edited video, an anti-choice activist claims to be a pregnant 14-year-old with a 31 year-old boyfriend. Tennessee Right to Life is now using the video to seek passage of the bill.

Please contact the members we've selected (they all serve on committees that will hear the bill within the next week) and ask them to put partisan politics aside and remember the thousands of women and families who will be negatively impacted if they pull Title X funding from Planned Parenthood.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support Planned Parenthood and Title X Funding

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to you to let you know that I support Planned Parenthood in Tennessee.

I know that you will soon be voting on HB1756/SB0470, an attempt to specifically de-fund Planned Parenthood and strip them of their Federal Title X funding. I am asking you to vote AGAINST HB1756/SB0470.

As you know, Title X is a Federal program that passes funding through the State Department of Health, to provide low-cost family planning services for poor and low-income women and men. Under Federal law, it's illegal to use Title X funds for abortion services. Federal Title X funds go to local Departments of Health and non-profit Planned Parenthood clinics, all of which provide the full-range of health care services mandated by Federal guidelines.

Please do not let partisan politics dictate whether the thousands of poor and low-income women in Tennessee who come to Planned Parenthood for family planning services can access these desperately needed basic reproductive health care services.

Please vote against HB1756/SB0470.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 30, 2009

Background Information

More on Title X and Planned Parenthood in Tennessee:

In 2007, Planned Parenthood in Tennessee provided reproductive and sexual healthcare to over 11,500 clients during nearly 23,000 office visits: 9,376 pregnancy tests; 10,674 sexually transmitted infection tests; 5,177 pap smears to screen for cervical cancer; and 1,680 HIV tests.
In 2006-2007: 76% of our health center clients were over age 20 and 48% were African-American or Hispanic.
Title X patients are predominately poor and uninsured. It is estimated that Planned Parenthood clinics are the only source of family planning services for more than 80% of the women we serve.
Patients are charged on their ability to pay. Over 75% of our clients have incomes at or below the federal poverty level, and their services are completely subsidized. Our remaining patients are charged on a sliding-fee scale.
For every dollar of Federal Title X funding spent to provide family planning services, an estimated $6.37 is saved that would otherwise be spent in TennCare related costs for maternity care.
For nearly 40 years, Planned Parenthood in Tennessee has received Title X family planning dollars.
The total cost of providing Federal Title X family planning services by Planned Parenthood in Tennessee is $1,544,000. We receive $1,054,000 in Title X funds, and as a result provide more than $490,000 in unreimbursed services.
An estimated 631,000 unintended pregnancies nationwide are prevented each year by Planned Parenthood’s contraceptive services.
An estimated 300,000 abortions nationwide are prevented each year by Planned Parenthood’s contraceptive services.

The Memphis YouTube Video:

Here is some information you should know:

NO LAW was violated by the handling of the client at Planned Parenthood. In fact, we question the almost 10 month delay in releasing the video. If the makers of the video believed that laws were being violated and young women were in danger, why wasn't a report immediately made to law enforcement officials?
The employee worked at Planned Parenthood for about one year as an interpreter. She has not been employed since October, 2008.
All clients are routed through a knowledgeable, professional counselor for discussion of their options when they are coping with an unintended pregnancy.
Planned Parenthood complies with all local, state and federal statutes regarding parental notification and statutory rape or incest, including TCA 39-15-506 and TCA 37-1-605.

The timing of this video is designed to push a piece of legislation that would eliminate health care and birth control for thousands of Tennessee women who are uninsured and unable to obtain services elsewhere. It is CRITICAL that legislators hear that you support Planned Parenthood today!