So, a few weeks ago, I went to the Planned Parenthood in Oxford, because, well, they offer free medical exams to university students who are financially independent of their parents. Free is good, often necessary. The fact that Planned Parenthood is the only place where I can have an exam in, oh, say, an hour's drive from here is an even better reason for me to use their services. Don't worry; I'm not planning on divulging anything about my exam.
Later, a week or so after my exam, I was talking to two women who had not yet had one. They agreed that they needed to make appointments some time soon in the name of their health. To this, I offered that Planned Parenthood did have this service for an amazingly reasonable price, at a convenient location, and there are nearly immediate openings for appointments. To this suggestion, I got what seemed to be both horror and shock. The thought of stepping in a Planned Parenthood seemed to carry with it the sentence of forced-abortions or excommunication. These women stepped back from their immediate reactions and then both calmly agreed that they would rather see a private doctor. Maybe a family physician.
I couldn't understand why Planned Parenthood was so bad. There are numerous reasons for which I went there (no other options, convenient, free). Plus, the Oxford site doesn't offer ANY abortion services; they're not involved with that controversial issue for which they could be judged. I do realize that Planned Parenthood as an organization is liberal and supports a woman's right to choose, but there is only ONE site that does any work with women seeking abortions in all of the Greater Cincinnati area (big). So, it seems illogical to politicize and demonize Planned Parenthood anymore than one does for private doctors in the same area. After all, the Oxford clinic provides services that are the same as those which most private doctors offer.
Then I focused on a key word in all of this. Private. I wonder if Planned Parenthood is demonized, not for their politics or their services, which are quite similar to any other clinic, but for the fact that they largely serve poor women. Who better to blame than a feminist organization that stereotypically works with poor women? (I don't actually know the demographics of their clients, but I think that it's irrelevant for this point). The doctors who are preferred here are the ones that are available to affluent, white women. For those who have no other options and must rely on Planned Parenthood for their well-being, they are the ones that are stigmatized. Surrounding them is an image of soullessness, of welfare dependency and laziness, and indecency. This is all such a shame, because we should appreciate the responsibility that these women are taking for their health, fertility, and their partner's health, rather than perceiving them as heathens.
*Sigh*
Needless to say, I felt judged by this whole encounter, as if my decision were below me, or a bad one. I'm confused by the whole thing. What is important? If I'm a woman that is pro-life and have no other options outside of Planned Parenthood, at which point do I sacrifice my political views in the name of my health? Do I sacrifice beliefs in going to Planned Parenthood? Or, for how long will I neglect responsibility for my health in the name of my political views? If I'm one who is wealthy enough to not rely on these services, at what point do I let my political views color my perceptions of the women with which I interact, even though their circumstances are vastly different from my own? If I do use Planned Parenthood, should I feel that it is necessary to keep this information hidden from my peers?
This is a good point. I think that it is relevant to consider that the likelihood of a wealthy person making it into heaven has been likened unto the difficulty of getting coarse yarn through the eye of a needle. This in mind, it is worthwhile to question how affluence can be an impediment to so much. In the Gospel, Christ tells a parable about men who are given money. The wealthiest of them spend and multiply their money while the most impoverished saves it. When their master returns and asks what they have done with the money they produce their profits, except the one who saved his. This last one is repremanded by his master for not having grown his share. If you read this literally it says, "being poor and saving money is a bad thing." If you have one symbolic bone in your body it clearly represents multiplying spiritual treasures and the master is a symbol for God and our own personal judgement days. But, if something serves a political purpose in one meaning then perhaps that is how people will insist on reading a story and they will victimize and stigmatize anyone who reads it differently. Perhaps, even, they might label them as crazies, radicals, or treasonous. In the history of man no lie is too base when used in order to progress a selfish person even the minutest of steps closer to their goal.
I do believe that living involves running into people, often, who are stupid about many things, dumb on most levels, and ignorant about their best choices for their situations. This should neither phase you in making your best choices about immediate, past or future health. Or any other decision you must independently make. By the way, it is now law that one is responsible for ones own health. Interesting don't you think? All this Hippa stuff is really about protecting you,the patient, and me the technician. Not some busybody, stereotyping maggot snot who has no understanding of their own responsibility for themselves. Who do they think they are commenting on where one gets the best medical care offered at the best price in the most convenient place. My goodness! How unamerican can that be? Well, now that i am done ranting about a couple of ignoramuses. Hi Kristen, I am glad you are taking care of yourself. It is one item I pray each day for. The health and prosperity of my children! So there! Nyah, na, nyah, na, boo,boo!
The tricky thing about being human is that we do often have our own biases and shortcomings. It isn't always beneficial to be too harshly critical of others, it only makes us appear to be more similar to them. It is relevant to remember that each and every human being is that, a human being, and we owe everyone respect and dignity that they might fulfill their potential. I do, however, agree that it is unecessary to tolerate the hurtful and unconstructive actions of others.
Previously working at a private OB/Gyn practice, I can say that MANY private OB/Gyns believe strongly in a women's right to choose her health care options; many of them may perform selective pregnancy terminations (unknown to the practice patrons) in spite of a policy of not involving themselves in this controversial issue. Most private practice OB/Gyns participate in prescribing morning-after pills on a daily basis (regardless of their own feelings about emergency contraception). What I'm trying to point out is that the practices and policies of private MDs in many cases are not so far removed from the daily services in P.P. clinics. I suspect these other women are protesting the pro-choice policy embraced by P.P. Private MD offices are not so likely to allow information about their pro-life/choice stance to be known to anyone.
Most P.P. clinics I know of offer procedures (colposcopies) that prevent the invasive spread of cervical pre-cancerous cells. Without low cost clinics, many women would go without this care. Also, the population served by P.P. is not "poor" women. (They are on Medicaid and going to private MD offices.) P.P. is more likely to serve high school, college, and working women without insurance.
OK, I'm off the soap box, and glad you are open minded enough to take advantage of women's care available to you.
Being the eternal optimist that I am, I'd like to offer an alternative explanation to the girls' behavior. Granted, I wasn't there, so I might be way off here; but the reason I would go to a private practice instead of a Planned Parenthood is that I would want to see the same doctor everytime, so that as the years go by I have a well-established relationship with a doctor that's familiar with my history. The fact that you used the words "horror and shock" to describe their reactions probably means that this is not what they were thinking, though. Of course I see nothing wrong with going to a Planned Parenthood, especially when you're living somewhere temporary (college), where you're not going to be returning to the same doctor within a couple years. So, I don't know what to tell you.
Hayley, is there a reason the link to your blog isn't working?
Well, if their concepts of P.P. aren't keeping them from medical care, then fine. However, if the connotations surrounding P.P. are keeping women from getting medical care that they need, well, then that is very sad.
I think part of their response may just have been that the decision you made on your own is outside their sphere of thinking. What I mean is that they have not yet moved to the point of having to make this level of decision for themselves yet. They are still operating under the care and feeding (and financing) of their parents. I suspect that if their circumstances were changed, so would their choices. Nothing like life experience to open our minds.
Mmm. Very true.
When I was on my year of service in Guadeloupe, an older woman with whom I was friends told me I was a "catalyst for change" in the community. The community needed to change, and I was helping it do so, in my own small way, but well, it's not always fun being the catalyst. Who knows how much of an eventual impact your interaction with these two young women may have had on their way of thinking.
I think, Maman, that I was, in part, surprised with their reactions (and that they had not yet made this consideration) because we're at a point in life and a place where we are encouraged to do little else but think about these sorts of questions. We certainly do love to focus on what is "Right" and "Wrong," but there is also a lot of practicality that is taught in classes. That night, one of the women had an assignment that had to do with creating a budget for a single mother in Oxford. Looking back, it makes me sad that we've an education with such amazing lessons to learn, and we just seem to ignore many of them, depending on their focus. For a loving and awesome Christian, I was surprised to see her indifference to such a real, immediate situation.
Kristen, most people cannot make a budget for the life of them. Because of my "association" with being a treasurer, I've actually been able to help a lot of people practically about there financing. It's a huge gap in the educational system that is not address or it's people just thinking more money solves your financial problems. Wrong answer. Much love dear.
I'm also surprised people thinking poorly of PP. I know a number of women who use it and they've only been helpful and kind to those women. *Shrug.
I think classism sneaks up on individuals even more than racism. Classism isn't as stigmatized yet. I doubt that these women were even aware of the judgement they made on these services from Planned Parenthood. Does it still make it excusable? Nope. So maybe you are gently prodding them into thinking a bit more about why they make the decisions they are making. It may not immediately have an effect, but I think you're doing the right thing by not beating over the head. Really.
Just remember the cardinal rule of love in all of your interactions.
Just because I'm married to Mara and have inevitably taken on some of her attributes. . . Dustin, It's HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). The only reason I know this is because I had done extensive research on it for a business plan I was making in another life.