They saved my life.
Quite simply put: Planned Parenthood saved my life.
If I hadn’t had access to them….
If they hadn’t taken care of me….
If they weren’t allowed to offer the gift of women’s health and reproductive care that they do…. there would be NO Danielle. NO Delaney. NO Cooper. NO 2019 for me.
Planned Parenthood is under attack – most specifically in the state I currently live: Missouri.
My graduating class had 69 students. This was me.
Planned Parenthood was my only option for pap smears, breast exams and yes, birth control. They were kind, efficient and affordable for this starving, work-study, student-loan-loaded college student.
I wasn’t hoping PP would be my get-out-of-jail-free-please-get-me-an-abortion card if I got pregnant. I just KNEW they took care of me. They offered me access to birth control (which, by the way, helped me to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.)
They took me in after I was raped my freshman year to make sure I didn’t have an STI. Fun fact – I was first molested when I was seven years old – it happened at a water park. (sorry mum and dad if you are reading this – because I didn’t tell you.) But there was no worry I was pregnant – that was just a period of shame for me. But rape? It’s everything – shame, a paralyzing need to keep it quiet and the absolute fear that there is a repercussion (PREGNANCY) that will serve as an every-day reminder of that violation.
In my case, I was lucky. Is any rape-survivor lucky? NO. And YES. If pregnancy is not the result, it is a small win in a mentally and emotionally untenable situation.
But two years later, I was notified (by Planned Parenthood)….cervical cancer was a threat. Lesions were found on my cervix needing immediate attention. Planned Parenthood froze my cervix to eliminate the threat. It was terrifying and painful.
But they SAVED MY LIFE.
Without them in my corner at 20 years old, I wouldn’t be here. I would be a statistic.
P.S. – for perspective – as of 2017, approximately 11% of women between the ages of 19-64 (that is 10.6 MILLION women in case you needed a stat) DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
For them? As for me? Planned Parenthood is a lifeline.
- Planned Parenthood has been serving women (and some men) for more than 100 YEARS.
- They have more than 600 health care centers around the country (but if Missouri has their way, the ONLY clinic in the state will soon be closed – leaving the women of Missouri without the gift of their services.)
- To clarify – yes, they provide SAFE and LEGAL abortion services, but ALSO – birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, breast exams and pap smears – for more than 2.4 MILLION women.
- 9.7 Million health care services are provided.
- 4.7 Million STI tests and treatments are administered.
- 2.6 Million people receive birth control and related information – of those – approximately 400K unintended pregnancies were avoided.
- 1.2 Million people benefit from their education and outreach.
- Nearly 600K breast exams and pap smears were provided.
Planned Parenthood does GOOD WORK for women. They educate. They provide much-needed services. They treat infection and disease. They save lives.
PLANNED. PARENTHOOD. SAVES. LIVES.
Including the ‘unborn’ that so many use as a calling card and wear as a shield to claim their moral high-ground, all the while refusing to acknowledge how Planned Parenthood is serving women….women who need health care advice, women who need birth control, women who are pregnant and in need of pre-natal care, women who DO NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH INSURANCE.
If you would like to donate to Planned Parenthood, I’d be grateful….and millions of women would be as well. I have an automatic monthly donation that goes to them to support women and health care.
Please be advised…..You do not get to claim ‘free speech’ on my site. I’m open to criticism, but not hatred. If you are hateful, your comments will never be seen. If you are respectful, even if you disagree, I’m open.
I was not, in any way, compensated for this post. I wrote this because I believe it is necessary. We only change when we begin to listen to, and understand, each other’s stories.
xoxoxo
Danielle
Thank you for sharing your story, this could not have been easy to you. I’m glad you are educating others about the work that Planned Parenthood does, beyond abortion and birth control.
I appreciate you. Thank you for this – so much. I have wanted to write it for so long and always hesitated….but there is a very real possibility that the ONLY PP in Missouri will soon be closed – and it is solely because they are an abortion provider – but they do so much more – for so many women.
Thank you for sharing this you wonderful woman! I give to PP and volunteered there for years. 90% of the girls I saw in Chicago and NYC were there for care that didn’t include abortions. It’s so important to remind folks of the work they do.
Grateful for you – always. It has always been baffling to me that so many REFUSE to see the good they do, the care they provide- instead screaming ‘abortion’. I didn’t know you volunteered there….thank you.
I too didn’t have health insurance for more than four years…and Planned Parenthood was my only health care. Where I got my birth control. And more. For what I could afford. They are lifesavers.
Exactly my experience. Thank you for sharing.
Thank-you for your courage and honesty. It’s all we have in this fight of lies. Planned Parenthood saves lives every day, it is a war against women waged by anyone who doesn’t support those efforts.
Mitch
((Hugs))
You’re not alone. I was in college and DID have health insurance, but I wanted birth control pills and was scared somehow my parents would find out if I used the insurance I had through them or went to our usual doctor. So I went to PP for that part of my health care and got the care I needed. Each visit came with no charge (because I couldn’t afford much), so they sent me home with pre-addressed and stamped envelopes so I could mail them $5 here and there each month, whatever I could afford. If it weren’t for PP, I would have had pregnancy scares. I would have acted stupid in ways that could have had permanent consequences. PP was there for me, and I’m glad they were there for you!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. If just ONE person who believes that PP is strictly an abortion provider can begin to understand the breadth of necessary services they provide – it will be worth it to have shared.
Thank you so very much, Mitch. I so wish people would take the time to educate themselves about the good work PP does for women – how they educate and provide the care so many women need.
I too have a planned parenthood story that does not involve abortion. They provide care and support to so many women who have no where else to go. Good for you for writing this. It’s so courageous to tell your story publicly. I’m sorry for what you went through and glad you had them to help and I’m hopeful the will continue to serve women and their needs across the country.
Thank you, my friend. I sat at my desk with my fingers hovering over ‘publish’ for more than an hour. It is a story I have wanted to tell for quite some time – in fact – EVERY timeI hear someone reference PP in terms of abortion ONLY. Yes, they do provide a safe, legal option for women….but they do so much else. Grateful for you.
First, thank you. I imagine writing this came at great personal expense. It’s strange, I am never surprised to hear that Planned Parenthood has been a lifesaver, or even just a basic health care safety net. The thing that continues to surprise me is how many of us have been assaulted, the numbers of women who experienced their first violation before the age of 10.
I wish I could have been there for younger Danielle. I promise to stand with you now, I am so grateful that you are here.
I always know I can count on you. I always know you will stand up for good and support me when I’m trying to do the same. Like you, I’m not surprised to hear the stories of how Planned Parenthood has helped, but I am always surprised at the ignorance of people who try to frame them solely under the umbrella of abortion. And yes, I don’t think I will ever NOT be surprised by the number of women who have a violating experience at a young age.
PP was my gynecology provider in the early years of my marriage when we didn’t have yet have jobs that provided health insurance. I had my yearly exams there and got my birth control from them. They provide ESSENTIAL services for women’s health and I will be forever grateful that I had access to their clincs and their healthcare.
YES. I received the same services from them. Will always be grateful.
Thank you for sharing this story Danielle. We also were a family with no insurance and Planned Parenthood was where I got my care as well. BIG HUGS.
Big love to you, my friend – thank you for being here and for reading. xoxo
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, 1000 X Thank you for your bravery, honesty, and your support of Planned Parenthood.
Thank you for taking the time to read, Kimberly – I’m incredibly grateful.
Danielle, I’m so incredibly sorry that you went through those brutal experiences. But how wonderful that Planned Parenthood was there for you.
It is devastating that people want to shut down such an important service. It breaks my heart to think of all the women who won’t get help if Planned Parenthood is closed.
Thank you so very much, my friend, for being here – I so appreciate it. Shutting down PP would be devastating – for so many. Only hoping people are willing to educate themselves.
I’m so sorry you experienced those terrible things and that memories have been brought back because of the treatment of women. You are brave for sharing and I hope you found some healing while sharing and helped change minds.
Thank you so very much for this, Jason. I honestly didn’t know I would ever share this, but Missouri’s vote on Friday tipped me into saying something. If only one person is willing to see PP beyond abortion, it will have been worth it. I’m grateful for an incredibly supportive community, but have been disappointed by a few I had believed were close friends. I’m learning.
I am so sorry you had to endure such awful experience. <3 Sending my love. I'm so glad you're able to share this story to give a voice to those who can't share theirs. Thank you.
Thank you so very much. I’ve been surprised by the number of women who have reached out with a similar story, a similar trauma…. It hurts my heart. Grateful for you.
You are amazing and this story, while I’m sure it was painful to write, needed to be shared. PP saves lives. SAVES them. ❤️ To you Danielle.
Oh friend – it WAS hard to write, but hopefully it offers someone perspective they might night have otherwise had. Thank you for being here.
I just donated! I got birth control and paps from them too before my mom “officially” took me! I’m with you friend.
-Nat
You are a GIFT. Thank you for your constant love and support. Grateful for you.
Thanks so much Danielle for making Planned Parenthood more than just a list of statistics showing how they help. Your personal story is how all those services are given life, affecting a real human, saving a real future family. I love you and your family and all you do to bring joy and intelligence into the world!
Marty – THANK YOU. This was exactly my hope – that with the word ‘abortion’ out of the headline, that the STORY would be one that might resonate or educate. I’m grateful for your kind words.
Thank you for this. I worked for Planned Parenthood for many years. They are so misunderstood. I wish people could understand, but most just believe what they want to believe.
Unfortunately, I agree with you – so many are unwilling to see beyond the narration they have established….but a girl can hope. Thank you for taking the time to read.
You are right — this is necessary. Such an important read… Thank you for putting your personal experience out there.
So grateful to you for taking the time to read. Thank you so very much.
Thank you for sharing your story Danielle. I’m so sorry for your traumatic experiences but unfortunately, you are not alone in this. PP is an invaluable service for women’s health and should not be taken for granted and should be appreciated for what they provide that does so much good for women.
xoxo,
Barbara
Always grateful for you. Thank you so very much for taking the time to read.
Reading this again just reminds me of how much we don’t understand about so many things, especially Planned Parenthood. Enlightening us on all an organization offers instead of merely a single thing we agree or disgrace with is the best way to let people think critically about the real effect of what is happening. Sharing your personal story is a powerful testimony for all to have someone real to relate to, to understand, and to put a real face to all the bad that can happen – and all the good that can happen.
While I would wish none of what happened to you to happen to anyone, it is fortunate for many that it did happen to you, for you illuminated a dark conversation that we all need to know about and to fight so that it never ever happens again.
Your strength, your clarity of message, and your vulnerability provide a beacon of hope for Missouri and for all who need it.
Thank you Danielle for choosing to share all of this with you. Many will be changed because of your choices. Grateful for you.
Thank you for your courage to share, Danielle. There are multiple reasons it took strength.
So incredibly grateful for this. Thank you for reading.
Lived briefly in chesterfield, MO
Read your book…and more recently someone reposted this and so powerful and inspirational to share your story. God bless you and your kids are beautiful and reflection of love.
Thank you so very, very much for this, Kathy. Grateful for your kind words. I so appreciate you taking the time to read.