A weblog featuring news from the Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan 2011 http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Thanks to all who took part in our Best Kept Secrets campaign by reading or sharing our Best Kept Secrets, or taking advantage of our Two Special Offers. The STD testing package for $50 was so popular it is now a standard offer at PPWNM! Get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV for one low price. Click on the title of this post to learn more. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/healthy-families-events-37796.htm PPWNM's annual Healthy Families Luncheon fundraiser in Grand Rapids is taking place on Thursday, May 10, 2012, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. The Hon. Mayor George Heartwell of Grand Rapids will deliver the event's Keynote address. Each year, lead supporters called "table captains" reach out to family and friends to join them at the luncheon, and last year more than 400 people attended. There are also a limited number of open seats available. If you are interested in attending this event where you will learn more about Planned Parenthood services and have the opportunity to support our organization, please contact donations@ppwnm.org by Monday, April 30. To learn about other Healthy Families events in West and Northern Michigan, click on the title of this post. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: the only way to know for sure if you have an STD (sexually transmitted disease) is to Get Yourself Tested - GYT. One in two sexually active young people will have an STD by age 25, and most won't know it. That's why testing is so important to staying healthy and safe when you are sexually active. April is GYT month and each year Planned Parenthood joins the nationwide effort to encourage young people to get tested. We know it can be a scary or embarrassing step to take - to GYT - but at Planned Parenthood we're here to make it as easy as possible for you to get tested. PPWNM offers testing for men and women of all ages for the most common STDs. During April, PPWNM is offering a $50 testing package for three STDs: chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Click on the title of this post to learn more. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan (PPWNM) is accepting new clients and we welcome and work with people of all income levels to make their health care affordable. While other providers may have limits or are unable to accept new patients, our doors are open to all at PPWNM. With so many people struggling with lack of, or loss of, health insurance, Planned Parenthood offers annual physical exams for men, women and teens. This annual physical is an opportunity to ensure you are on the right track for staying healthy, and is often a first step in diagnosing more serious health problems. Just call to make an appointment, or even take advantage of walk-in hours at some of our health centers. Click on the title of this post to learn more. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: what about the ring? The vaginal contraceptive ring, NuvaRing, is a hormonal method of birth control that you place inside your vagina. You wear the ring for three weeks and take it out for one week while you should be having your period, then you put in a new ring. Out of 100 women using this menthod, about five per year may become pregnant. You can try the ring for free for one month at any PPWNM location through April 30, 2012. Click on the title of this post to learn more about the ring, and some additional possible side effects when compared with other hormonal methods. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: the birth control patch - is it right for you? If you are one of those people who can never remember to take your birth control pill on time, maybe you would like "the patch." It's an actual patch that you stick to your lower abdomen, buttocks, or upper body. You put on a new patch once a week for three weeks and then you don't wear one during the fourth week, when you should have your period. The patch is about 95 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, however it does not seem to be as effective in women who weigh more than 198 pounds. Because the patch is a hormonal form of birth control, side effects are similar to other hormonal methods. You can try the patch for free for one month at any PPWNM location through April 30, 2012. To learn more about the patch, and side effects, click on the title of this post. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/whats-new-37922.htm PPWNM is bringing the nationally recognized Talk Early Talk Often workshop to Muskegon. Talk Early Talk Often is aimed at helping parents of middle and high school youth talk with their children about abstinence and sexuality. The workshop is free of charge, a light dinner will be served, and parents will receive take-home materials (parents only, please). The first 20 people who register and complete the workshop will receive a $25 gift card! The workshop is on Tuesday, March 27, at the Muskegon High School cafeteria from 5-7:30 p.m. Reserve a spot by e-mailing education@ppwnm.org or calling (616) 774-7005. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: There IS funding help available for birth control. While some lawmakers are trying to block the plan to offer contraception without co-pays to everyone under the Affordable Care Act, we at Planned Parenthood have been working all along to provide our clients with the most cost-effective contraception possible. Make no mistake, PPWNM does not have the capacity to offer FREE birth control. But we are able to find funding assistance for more than 80 percent of our clients. And PPWNM also accepts most health insurance plans that cover birth control. If you come to PPWNM before April 30 and do not qualify for any funding programs and do not have insurance, you can still receive one free month of birth control under our Two Special Offers promotion going on now. To learn more about affordable birth control, click on the title of this post. Psst ... Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: A clinical breast exam can save your life. The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age, but younger women can still develop breast cancer. Since the American Cancer Society recommends that women receive annual mammograms beginning at age 40, women under age 40 generally rely on clinical breast exams and breast self exams for detecting breast cancer early. Planned Parenthood doctors and nurses teach patients about breast care and self exam. Our experts in women's health perform critical clinical breast exams as part of their patients' annual physical exams, looking for lumps or other changes that could indicate a potential problem. If something unusual is detected, patients are connected to resources to help them get vital biopsies, ultrasounds, and mammograms; and Planned Parenthood follows up to make sure these patients are cared for with the attention they need and deserve. To learn more, click on the title of this post. Psst ... Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: STDs are on the rise! Half of all sexually active young people will have an STD (sexually transmitted disease) by age 25. What's more, STDs are also climbing faster among the over-age-55 crowd than within the population as a whole. Since many STDs don't show any symptoms, protection and prevention are your best defenses if you are sexually active. That means getting tested, making sure your partner gets tested, and using condoms. A PAP TEST WILL NOT DETECT MOST STDs. YOU MUST GET STD TESTS IN ADDITION TO YOUR REGULAR PAPS IN ORDER TO KNOW YOUR STD STATUS. If you think you need to be tested, PPWNM is offering a $50 Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV screening package to all new and current clients through April 30, 2012. To learn more, click on the title of this post. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: Birth control that you only "take" four times per year! You've probably heard about Depo-Provera (Depo), the birth control shot. But have you seriously considered it as a method for you? No more pills to swallow, fewer visits to the doctor or pharmacy, nothing to insert or remove... these and other benefits make Depo the favorite choice for lots of women. New clients to PPWNM can try out the birth control shot FREE before April 30, 2012! Just call any PPWNM health center and ask about our Free Birth Control offer. To learn more, click on the title of this post. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: Valentine's Day makes February the "month for lovers," and, not coincidentally, it's also National Condom Month. What better time to celebrate all things condom, and spread the word about this mighty, ancient soldier in the fight against STDs and unintended pregnancy? And, the Best Kept Secret of all? Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan locations offer THREE FREE CONDOMS A DAY, every day, to clients and non-clients alike, during regular business hours. Just stop in and ask. Want more than three? They're only 25-cents each. To learn more, click on the title of this post. Psst...Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Best Kept Secret: There ARE steps women can take to avoid the "silent killer" that claims 4,000 American women's lives each year. Cervical cancer usually shows few symptoms until it has progressed. But when caught early, the five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent. Annual Pap tests can help with early detection and the HPV vaccine can protect against most cervical cancers in the first place. PPWNM offers annual Paps, and the HPV vaccine (for women ages 18-26). We also have funding programs to help cover the costs. To learn more, click on the title of this post. Psst ... pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/best-kept-secrets-38488.htm Psst ... Pass it on! Best Kept Secrets revealed weekly - about your sexual health, and how to stay healthy and safe in 2012. Our campaign is designed to shred the myths and spread reliable, useful information. Check it out, and Psst ... Pass it on! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/files/WestandNorthernMichigan/Special_offers_BOTH.pdf We are kicking off the new year with two special offers from PPWNM: STD testing package for just $50, and one month free birth control. These offers are good through April 30, 2012. We are here - for you, your loved ones, neighbors, and friends - providing affordable services and professional, private care. Check us out with two special offers in 2012! http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/local-press-releases/planned-parenthood-collecting-goods-domestic-violence-shelters-honor-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-1-38478.htm Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan (PPWNM) is participating in a special project in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 16, and Dr. King's teachings of social justice and nonviolence. PPWNM is collecting a variety of needed items for domestic violence shelters through January 31, 2012: Feminine Hygiene Products Bath and Beauty Supplies School Supplies Baby Products Winter Accessories (gloves, hats, scarves) Non-perishable Food Items Donations can be dropped off at any Planned Parenthood health center in Michigan during regular business hours. Donated goods will remain in the local communities where they are collected. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/files/WestandNorthernMichigan/Birds_and_Bees_2011.pdf Frank talk for families about sex education in the schools, and in the home. This annual "progressive" newsletter grows by two pages each week during October's Let's Talk month. This year's focus is bullying: various types of bullies and their targets; and how parents can make a difference, whether their child is the bully or the victim. See the complete newsletter by clicking the title above. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/west-northern-michigan/whats-new-37922.htm Convenience and flexibilty for patients are two reasons that PPWNM now offers walk-in hours at five locations. New or returning clients may come in for any of our services during these specially designated walk-in hours. Walk-in clients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis; so wait times can vary, and clients may even be turned away if there is no more room.