by Liz Reilly, Director of Development
We don’t need to tell you it's been a crazy time for Planned Parenthood and women's health. With your support, we stood our ground against last year’s unprecedented attacks, and we anticipate continued attacks this election year. Because of cuts to state and federal funding for family planning, we have had to make the difficult decision to close three health centers (see story page one). Despite these challenges, we remain determined to keep our key health services accessible to those who need them most.
Last August, we received more calls to schedule appointments than any month in our history. More than 8,000 people will turn to us for help in the next 30 days. A third of our clients cannot afford to pay the full cost of their visit, and while last year we discounted $2 million in services for those in need, we are currently not able to reduce the cost of services for all those who seek our help.
To ensure that our essential preventive services are accessible no matter who is in charge in the halls of Congress, we are focused on growing the Someone You Know Fund – a pool of donated dollars designated specifically to keep basic, preventive health care services [including exams, sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests, vasectomies, colposcopies, HPV vaccines, and birth control] available to our uninsured and low-income clients. Our vision is a fund that serves as a safety net for our clients – a source of help that PPGNW health center managers can tap into when clients' available resources won't fully cover the cost of needed care. Rather than turn them away until they can scrape together more money, we will make up the difference and serve them immediately. These funds will only be made available when all other sources have been tapped, and only for preventive services. (We are also establishing a separate Abortion Access Fund.)
This fund will ensure we remain here for people like Lisa who recently told us:
"The care I receive at PPGNW is the best I've ever had. They treat me with dignity and respect, unlike many other low-cost clinics, and keep me informed about important health issues. I depend on them for my annual exam and for birth control. Without them I would be forced to live in a frightening guess-world about my own health, hoping that things would be fine but never certain of the facts until it became too late. I am so grateful to PPGNW!"
Gifts to the Someone You Know Fund will be put to immediate use. Below are some examples of what gifts of various amounts make possible for someone in need:
• $25: the cost of one month of birth control pills (A third of American women report having interrupted their use of the pill because of a brief time they couldn’t afford it; a gift of just $25 can ensure continuity of care and prevent an unplanned pregnancy.)
• $100: a sexually transmitted infection (STI) test
• $250: a colposcopy – a potentially life-saving diagnostic test that can help prevent cervical cancer
• $800: a vasectomy – helping a man take control of his reproductive destiny and limiting his family to the size he feels is best for him (Nationwide demand for vasectomies has increased during the down economy, when many are focused on caring well for the children they already have.)
