Dakota

I turned to Planned Parenthood when I was in high school for birth control. Everyone there—from the front desk staff to the counselor to the doctor—was supportive and respectful.

I recently graduated from college, and I’m looking forward to attending medical school and training to become an abortion provider. The thing I’m most excited about is talking with patients and helping them in their health care process. If a patient needs an abortion, I want to be there to help them as a trusted medical advisor.

It doesn’t make sense that politicians target abortion for so many state regulations because there’s no other medical procedure so heavily regulated outside of the medical community. Only members of the medical community should be able to make these decisions because they’re the only ones who understand how our bodies work and who have the knowledge to provide health care.

I arrived at this decision because of my involvement with Planned Parenthood. I turned to Planned Parenthood when I was in high school for birth control. Everyone there — from the front desk staff to the counselor to the doctor — was supportive and respectful. I was able to get control over my really horrible period cramps and also know I could have safer sex and not have to worry about pregnancy when I was in high school. I also became a peer educator in high school, and that changed my life. I learned about queer justice and reproductive justice and how they are intimately connected because they both are about having autonomy over your body and creating the family you want when you want it.

One of my favorite things about Planned Parenthood is the diversity of its staff. When I walked into the health care center the first time, I saw a wide variety of races but also a variety of gender expressions represented in the staff, and that made me so comfortable. It made me feel that Planned Parenthood respected not only its patients but also its employees, and that they encourage and appreciate diversity. I really love that.

If Planned Parenthood weren’t around and hadn’t helped me, I would not be who I am today.