NEW YORK, NEW YORK - May 14 - As the nation’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care services and information, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) recognizes the importance of National Women’s Health Week, May 11–17, 2008. In addition to exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, and avoiding risky behavior, regular health checkups and preventive screenings are top recommendations for empowering women to be healthy.
“With more than 860 affiliate health centers nationwide providing services to millions of women each year, our positive impact on women’s health is noticeable,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “One in four women in the United States has visited a Planned Parenthood health center during her lifetime. In addition to contraceptive services, we provide cervical and breast cancer screenings, as well as information and education about sexual health and safety.”
During National Women’s Health Week, families, communities, businesses, government, health organizations and other groups work together to educate women about steps they can take to improve their physical and mental health and prevent disease. At the policy level, however, more must be done to ensure women are educated and have affordable access to health care every day. Too many families lack health insurance and access to affordable, high-quality health care options.
“Three million women on college campuses and hundreds of thousands of low-income women are affected by an inadvertent change in the law that resulted in skyrocketing birth control prices,” said Richards. “Beyond affordable birth control, there is a need to invest in family planning programs that promote prevention and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by ensuring every woman has access to health care and every teen gets the information she needs to make responsible decisions.”
Nationally, the solution to the affordable birth control crisis is the Prevention Through Affordable Access Act, which would restore access to affordable birth control. In addition, we must end the national policy that has resulted in the waste of $1.5 billion on dangerous abstinence-only programs that deny lifesaving information to our nation’s young women. It’s time to work toward real solutions that will help prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
To find a Planned Parenthood health center near you, click here and enter your zip code or state, or call toll free 1-800-230-PLAN.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate more than 860 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.
###
Printer Friendly Version
E-Mail This Article
