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On Our Minds At Planned Parenthood of Pacific Southwest this Month: All About Sexual Health
At PPPSW, we don’t just wake up and go to work every morning. We are driven by our passion for medicine, technology, and the people in our community.
Our mission is simple: to provide all people with access to healthcare and services that empower them to make the best choices for themselves and allows them to live happy, healthy lives. A cornerstone to achieving that mission is providing education, resources, and access to contraception, abortion, and other sexual health treatments and services. .
We’re proud of the work we do in our community, and we’re excited to continue that work, this month and beyond.
World Contraception Day 2020
September 26 is World Contraception Day. Providing access to contraception isn’t just writing a prescription for pills. It’s providing options. The option between IUD, pills or something else that works with your life. The option to wait until the time is right to have a baby, or to not have children at all. The option to have a safer, less painful period. The option to be protected from STDs during intercourse, regardless of the other party.
Nearly nine in 10 women of reproductive age will use contraception at some point in their lives for a variety of reasons. In fact, 58 percent of all women who use the pill rely on it, at least in part, for something other than pregnancy prevention, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (which is prevalent among women of color), fibroids, and menstrual regulation. The United States is seeing the lowest rate of unintended pregnancy in 30 years and a historic low of pregnancy among teens because of expanded access to birth control and sex education. Globally, expanding access to contraceptives contributed to a 44 percent reduction in maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015.
Contraception is not just for women, and we are proud to offer the same education and resources to all people. We offer condoms without question, vasectomy counseling and services, and are happy to answer questions.
National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDs Awareness Day
September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDs Awareness Day, and here at PPPSW, we work every day to remove the stigma around being tested. Everyone who is sexually active should be regularly tested for STIs, including HIV. However, the LGBTQ community, especially gay men, is disproportionately affected by the virus.
Last year, Planned Parenthood branches across the country performed more than 750,000 HIV tests. But that’s not all we do — we help our patients find treatment and prevention solutions that work within their lives, provide resources to empower them to make the best decisions for themselves, and welcome them with open arms, no matter what.
Global Day of Action for Safe and Legal Abortion
September 28 is the Global Day of Action for Safe and Legal Abortion, also known as International Safe Abortion Day. This year’s campaigns have already reached over 12 million people — with initiatives comprising over 400 actions taking place in 80 countries worldwide.
For over 100 years, Planned Parenthood has been a place where women could come to receive stigma-free services, resources, answers, and care.
- In 2019, we provided nearly 77,000 members of our community with birth control, including over 15,000 long acting solutions.
- In 2019, we also provided emergency contraception to over 20,000 people.
- Between medical and in-clinic abortions, we provided services to over 17,000 women.
These services give women — and men — the power to take their lives into their own hands and have a family on their own terms.
Join Us
- If you’re inspired by the work we do regarding equality, access, or advocacy, take a look at ways to get involved with PPPSW.
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