Advocacy & Action

Today, the highest court in the land has affirmed that women deserve compassion, respect and dignity in making their own decisions about their health, family and future, without needless barriers. The SCOTUS ruling in Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt  strikes down a Texas law with unnecessary requirements for clinics and doctors as unconstitutional, allowing all Texas clinics currently open to stay open and paving the way for more clinics to open/reopen in the future.  It also establishes a strong legal standard that will protect women’s access to abortion in Texas and in other U.S. states as well.

Rebecca Terrell, Executive Director of CHOICES, says “With this landmark decision the U.S. Supreme Court continues the powerful momentum for women’s rights and against political interference in our right to safe, legal abortion.  As an independent non-profit clinic serving an area with many poor women, CHOICES vows that the fight to protect women’s rights and autonomy does not end today.  We will continue to provide excellent reproductive healthcare here in Memphis and will continue to advocate on behalf of our patients and all women who need our services.”

Says Terrell, “We are gratified that the Supreme Court has recognized that these clinic shut-down laws violate women’s fundamental rights and are confident that the similar sham laws in Tennessee that CHOICES and other providers have challenged in federal court will soon be struck down.”

Rebecca Terrell is available for interviews.  You can contact her at 901-517-6914 or at rterrell@memphischoices.org

 

Expand Treatment. Let It Sunset.

by Healthy & Free TN

With your help, we have been working hard to oppose House Bill 1660, which would permanently extend the harmful fetal assault law.  The legislation was heard yesterday. Along with proponents of the law, a doctor, a judge, a treatment advocate and a woman impacted by the law spoke out. You can watch the testimony HERE – go to March 15^th and click on “Video”.

The committee seemed moved by the testimony and talked about expanded access to treatment. This is fantastic, but they also discussed the idea of amendments and rolled the bill to next week on Tuesday, March 22^nd.

Bottom line: We need to expand access to treatment AND let the fetal assault law sunset.  It is not either/or – we have to do both to support the health of women and their babies and begin to address the challenge of addiction in our state.

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TAKE ACTION – Let it sunset!

1)    Be there with us in Nashville for the hearing on 3/22/16:  Join us at the Capitol in Nashville on Tuesday March 22^nd for the hearing at 1:30pm to help demonstrate to the committee the strong, growing opposition to the fetal assault law and HB1660 as an effort to extend the law permanently. Click HEREto learn more or contact us at info@healthyandfreetn.org.

2)    Letter to the Editor:  We really need to keep up the conversation in local papers.  If you are willing to write a short letter and submit it to a local paper(s), our organizing team can help!  Just email us at info@healthyandfreentn.org. We will provide talking points, sample letters and instructions for how to send in a letter. It really is easy!

3)    Social Media: Post on Facebook and Twitter. This may not seem to make a difference, but it helps to raise awareness and show support for the sunset.

FACEBOOK:  I urge the Tennessee legislature to expand access to effective drug treatment and let the fetal assault law sunset.  This is what it will take to truly support the health of women and families and begin to address the challenge of addiction in our communities.

#TNleg  #letitsunset  #healthcarenothandcuffs

TWITTER:  #TNleg: Expand treatment access. #LetitSunset!  Meet health needs of women & their babies!  LINK TO ACTION PAGE. #healthcarenothandcuffs

• Sign our petition: Add your name to a petition calling on Tennessee lawmakers to oppose House Bill 1660, let the fetal assault law sunset and push for effective solutions that support the health of women and their children.  Click HERE.

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It is important that we keep speaking out to ensure that instead of putting mothers in jail we work to create fair and effective policies. With your help, we will continue to build support for the sunset. With your help, we will make a difference. Reach out if you have questions or ideas. Together, we can make sure that the policies advanced by lawmakers actually help women and families.

by Healthy and Free TN

Dear Friends,

We have a busy week ahead of us in Nashville – one that includes both incredible opportunities to meet the needs of women and families and ensure access to reproductive health services, as well as disturbing attacks on the personal decisions and the dignity of Tennesseans.

House Bill 1660 – Ensure Treatment Instead of Punishment: This bill would permanently expand the harmful law that has resulted in jailing mothers instead of ensuring that women who have struggled with drug use have access to treatment.  This policy is not supporting the health of mothers or their children.  House Bill 1660 is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, March 15^th in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

• What can you do? Take a moment to post on social media to show your support for the sunset of the dangerous Tennessee fetal assault law.  You will find sample posts on our take action page – click HERE. If you are in Nashville, join us on Tuesday for the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee at 1:30 – click HERE for more info.

House Bill 2414 – Denying Safety and Dignity of Transgender Students: This bill disallows some students in public schools in TN the ability to utilize the restroom or locker room that matches their gender identity. Gender identity is how someone sees themselves and presents themselves to the world.  IT IS who they are.  This policy is disrespectful to transgender students.  House Bill 2414 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, March 15^th.

•  What can you do? The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) and the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) are leading the efforts to oppose this legislation.  Click HERE to join TEP in speaking out against this bill.

House Bill 1758 (and others) – Creating an undue burden on abortion access: There are six different bills regarding either the provision of abortion or imposing new requirements on clinics that provide abortion that will be heard this Tuesday, March 15^th in the House Health Subcommittee.  SIX! This is on top of the myriad of restrictions and slew of medically unnecessary requirements that already exist in Tennessee law and the two new ones that were enacted last year.  Let’s be clear there is a calculated attack on abortion that has nothing to do with health and safety or quality of care  and everything to do with making services harder to provide and harder to get.

• What can you do? Is your representative a member of the House Health Sub-committee? (Aren’t sure, click here!) If so, please take a moment to send a message to your representative.  Let them know that these politically motivated attacks are creating a burden on women in Tennessee who need abortion care.  Click HERE to send a quick message.

House Bill 1823 – Increasing Access to Contraception: This bill would give pharmacists the ability to dispense contraception.  This is a positive step to ensure access to contraception and remove barriers to the ability of people to plan their pregnancies and become parents when they are ready.  Over-the-counter access to oral contraceptives would help to reduce disparities in reproductive health care access and outcomes, and increase opportunities for women to access a safe, effective method of contraception, free of medically unnecessary barriers, as part of a healthy sexual and reproductive life.  The bill will be heard in the House Health subcommittee on March 15^th.

• What can you do? Is your representative a member of the House Health Sub-committee? (Aren’t sure, click here!) If so, please take a moment to call your representative and let them know that over-the-counter access to oral contraceptives is a good thing and can help reduce disparities in reproductive health care access and outcomes.

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In addition, Healthy and Free Tennessee is excited to join the Women’s Political Collaborative of Tennessee for the second year in a row on their annual Day on the Hill, this Wednesday, March 16th. We are so fortunate to count so many as our allies in the work we do to protect sexual health and reproductive freedom in Tennessee, For more information or to register, please click here.

We want to do all we can to keep you updated, share resources and provide opportunities to take action.  We will keep you posted on these and other issues moving forward.  Thank you for standing with us and helping us to build a healthy and free Tennessee!

Sincerely,

Allison, Dana, Katie and the rest of the Healthy and Free TN team

by Healthy & Free TN

House Bill 1660 would extend the harmful Tennessee fetal assault law, which threatens pregnant women and new mothers with jail with the stated goal of getting them into treatment, but does nothing to help expand access to services even though it has been shown that there are not enough facilities that are able or willing to treat pregnant women. As a result, this law is forcing women into the criminal justice system because they do not have other options.

• WHAT: House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Hearing on House Bill 1660
• WHEN: Tuesday, March 15^th at 1:30pm
• WHERE: Legislative Plaza Room 31, Tennessee State House, Nashville, TN

House Bill 1660 would extend the harmful Tennessee fetal assault law, which threatens pregnant women and new mothers with jail with the stated goal of getting them into treatment, but does nothing to help expand access to services even though it has been shown that there are not enough facilities that are able or willing to treat pregnant women. As a result, this law is forcing women into the criminal justice system because they do not have other options. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee will hear the bill on Tuesday, March 8^th at 1:30pm (Legislative Plaza Room 31, Tennessee State House).

Women Directly Impacted, Health and Legal Professionals, and Advocates Speak Out to Oppose House Bill 1660

“I was using drugs while I was pregnant with my daughter. I am not proud of that. I tried to get treatment and was told there was a waiting list. I called and called and was refused care by a bunch of facilities.  Either they didn’t have room or they didn’t treat pregnant women. My mother even drove me across the state to try to get me into a program. Then I heard about the new law that would throw women into jail. I was terrified that I would lose my baby and be incarcerated. This just made it so much worse for me. I was afraid to ask for help and ended up giving birth to Braylee on the side of the road trying to avoid going to a hospital in Tennessee.

I know first-hand how this law impacts women because I am one of the moms who got caught up in the criminal justice system because of this policy. I am clean now and parenting my daughter, but this experience made my recovery process that much harder. This is a disease and you have to treat it like a disease. Mothers need support and care.  We need policies that focus on our health and the health of our children. We do not need judges, jails and judgment. We don’t need our faces in newspaper articles that perpetuate myths about drug use and paint us as terrible and uncaring. When you throw someone behind bars for having a disease you aren’t treating them and you are not helping them or their kids. This law needs to go and Tennessee lawmakers need to find ways to actually help people instead of just assuming the worst of us and keeping a law that treats mothers like criminals.”  Brittany Hudson, mother and woman impacted by Tennessee’s fetal assault law, currently works at Renaissance Recovery Group

“Medication assisted treatment is the recommended protocol for pregnant women. There are only 12 licensed methadone centers throughout Tennessee and they do not accept TennCare or other health insurance.  Methadone treatment in Tennessee typically costs $12.50 a day – more than $4,500 a year if taken daily. There are also 39 licensed residential detoxification programs in TN – often as part of a continuum of care that provides ongoing residential services. Only 11 of those licensed residential detox programs will accept pregnant women providing just 132 slots for all of the people seeking treatment in those facilities – though pregnant women are a priority for treatment these are not set asides to ensure availability of care for pregnant women.

Waiting lists for care can have hundreds and even over 1000 people on them at any given time. In addition, while there are standards in place within the medical field for treatment of pregnant women, there is no evidence based state protocol in Tennessee. This leaves many Tennessee based treatment facilities with the feeling that treating pregnant women is a liability and they are therefore not willing to expand services to pregnant women. Women cannot avoid jail by seeking treatment if there is no care available to them. There are many barriers that are preventing women from seeking treatment for their opiate use. Lack of access to care is one issue – but Chapter 820 seems to also be inhibiting women from accessing care.” Mary-Linden Salter, Executive Director, Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug & other Addiction Services (TAADAS)

“While there may be women in Tennessee who feel that the threat of jail time pushed them to seek treatment, there are also many women who were forced into the criminal justice system simply because they had no other option. There are not enough programs that are willing or able to treat pregnant women. We are putting women in an impossible position where they are told that to avoid jail and being separated from their child they have to complete a program and yet no efforts have been made to expand the availability of affordable, evidence based treatment programs. This is not only unconscionable, it is bad policy.

We have put our criminal justice system in the position of creating health policy. This is especially troubling given the incredible amount of misinformation and misunderstanding about the diagnosis and treatment of NAS and the pervasive myths and stigma associated with drug use and treatment. This law does not help women who live in communities where it is difficult and expensive to seek rehabilitation. It does not do anything to expand services so that low-income parents can complete the required treatment, even though the cost of treatment is just a fraction of the cost of jailing someone. This law is hurting far more people than it could ever help.”  Allison Glass, State Director, Healthy and Free TN

“Not only has this law proven ineffective in reducing the number of cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome, the temporary and treatable symptoms of drug use during pregnancy, it is also unconstitutional. Singling out a new mother and treating her differently from other people struggling with addiction violates her constitutional right to equal protection under the law. By focusing on punishing women rather than promoting healthy pregnancies, this law only deters women battling drug dependency from seeking the pre-natal care they need.” Tom Castelli, Legal Director, ACLU-TN

“Those who have been punished for alleged drug use during pregnancy are disproportionately poor women, women of color and rural women. The Tennessee legislature has a responsibility to provide healthcare to women struggling with addiction and keep families intact while they go through treatment.” Cherisse Scott, Founder and CEO, SisterReach

“Using phrases like ‘addicted babies’ is assigning a false and medically inaccurate label to innocent children in order to further a political agenda. A law that discourages women from seeking medical care — whether drug treatment or labor and delivery services — if they need or desire those services is not a law that has the well-being of women or children in mind. It is not a law that needs to be on the books in Tennessee or anywhere.

None of the promises made in association with the passage of this law have been kept. Women who have used no drugs at all have been arrested, women who have used drugs and given birth to perfectly healthy babies have been arrested, and women have been charged with felonies when proponents of the law said they would be charged only with misdemeanor (minor) criminal charges.”  Lynn Paltrow, Executive Director, National Advocates for Pregnant Women

“Not only is the law being enforced unevenly throughout the state, it is discriminatory. Laws criminalizing pregnant women disproportionately impact those in the most marginalized positions, including those living in poverty and lacking access to basic health services. Structural discrimination ensures that those in the most marginalized positions will have poorer health outcomes, while also being subject to greater policing and surveillance.”  Carrie Eisert, Policy Analyst, Amnesty International

“It is low-income women who utilize non-prescription opioids who have been arrested under Tennessee’s law, but the fact remains that prescription opioids were involved with most of the neonatal abstinence (NAS) cases in Tennessee.  National data has shown an overall decrease in the use of prescription opioids, so we would expect a decrease in prescription opioid use in pregnancy, which might lead to fewer cases of NAS.  Any change is part of larger drug trends and has nothing to do with specific state legislation.  A salient question is: what do these fewer cases actually mean?  Providers in the state have reported an increase in home births and travel to out of state by women with opioid use disorder to avoid the criminal penalty associated with their medical condition. A state law that drives women from prenatal care and substance use disorder treatment should not be hailed as a public health success.”  Dr. Mishka Terplan, MD, MPH, FACOG, Diplomate ABAM

Learn more and take action from Healthy & Free TN

Dear Friends,

We have been talking to you for a while about the Tennessee law that threatens women with jail time if they give birth to babies who are shown to have been affected by the use of narcotics during pregnancy. As a result, women are being randomly drug tested in the hospital after giving birth, and arrested days after bringing home their babies. Others are being targeted for disclosing a past history of drug use at a prenatal visit. And while proponents claim that it is helping people to get treatment, it just is not true because there is not enough treatment available.

The law is scheduled to sunset (expire) later this year, but there is a bill to permanently extend this harmful policy – and it is coming up for a hearing next Tuesday!  This law has to go! We need your help to oppose HB 1660 and let the fetal assault law sunset.

TAKE ACTION

→ Letters to the Editor:  Writing a letter to your local paper is a great way to show support for the sunset.  Just go to the website of your local paper to find the rules and the process for submission – click here.  We have included a few talking points below. Do not hesitate to reach out to Healthy and Free TN (info@healthandfreetn.org) to discuss resources or seek assistance in submitting a letter.

Talking Points on House Bill 1660 and the Fetal Assault Law

• However you feel about the criminal justice system, it is not a substitute for healthcare. That is why jail is not the right place to send people who may have substance abuse disorder.
• As a result of the Tennessee fetal assault law mothers are being arrested and sent to jail instead of helping them to find the treatment they need.
• Policies that imprison moms struggling with addiction instead of ensuring they are able to access treatment does not help them or their families.
• This law goes against the recommended standard of care for treatment for drug use.
• Instead of judging mothers, we should commit to improving the treatment options and ensure that health providers are trained to address the specific needs of pregnant women.
• We should work towards solutions that are designed to address public health issues rather than just punishing people or pushing narrow-minded political agendas.
• The “ask” (important to include):  We need to oppose House Bill 1660, let the fetal assault law sunset and instead work towards evidence based policies that support the health of women and their children.

→ Social Media:  Help us spread the word and generate attention. Share a post with the tags #letitsunset and #TNleg.

Sample facebook

Pregnant women and new mothers who have used drugs are being told that they can avoid jail time if they seek drug treatment, but there are not enough facilities willing or able to treat pregnant women. Tennessee lawmakers need to oppose House Bill 1660, let the fetal assault law sunset and focus on creating fair and effective policies that actually help support the health of women and their babies.  #letitsunset #healthcarenothandcuffs #TNleg

Sample Twitter

• #TNleg: Oppose HB1660 which permanently extends harmful fetal assault law and makes it harder for women to seek treatment. #letitsunset

• #TNleg: Oppose HB1660. Let fetal assault law sunset&focus on fair&effective policies to support health of women &their babies.  #letitsunset

• Women are told they can avoid jail time if they seek drug treatment, but there are not enough facilities available. #TNleg: #letitsunset!

Together we can make sure to let it sunset, so we can work to create fair and effective policies that actually support the health of women and their families.  Please, help us to put an end to this dangerous law by taking action TODAY! 

Sincerely,                                                  

Allison, Dana, Katie and the rest of the Healthy and Free TN Team

(Memphis, TN) – Statement by Allison Glass, State Director of Healthy and Free TN on the release of a letter signed by more than 35 local, state and federal groups urging Tennessee legislators to focus on advancing fair and effective policies to support women and families and put an end to the fetal assault law:

“Tennessee’s fetal assault law has harmed the very families it claims to help. It has resulted in the arrest of more than thirty women. It has torn mothers away from their young children and made them scared to seek care. There is growing momentum behind the effort to push for this law to sunset. In fact, more than 35 local, state and national organizations signed on to a letter opposing this law and calling on Tennessee lawmakers to halt any efforts to extend the law.

When Tennessee enacted the fetal assault law, women were told that they can avoid jail time if they complete a treatment program, but in actuality many women are being forced into the criminal justice system because they either cannot afford paying out of pocket for medication assisted treatment or they are turned away from treatment programs because there are not enough facilities available.

As we talk with people here in Tennessee and throughout the county we hear that people are concerned about the harmful impacts of this law. The fact is that women’s health, rights and safety are at stake when going to seek healthcare results in the threat of criminal sanctions – especially in light of the disparate impact that these kinds of policies have on low-income women and women of color.

Tennessee is spending tax dollars putting mothers through the costly criminal justice system when those funds could be used to expand access to evidence based treatment programs in Tennessee that provide care for pregnant women, as well as programs that allow older children to stay with their mothers. For areas of the state with high NAS rates, lawmakers should also look at developing and funding pilot maternity and infant care programs that are based on recommendations for infants with NAS symptoms and that increase the quality, safety and value of newborn care in our state.”

We urge Tennessee lawmakers to oppose Senate Bill 1629 and House Bill 1660. Let this harmful law sunset and instead commit to more effective, evidence-based solutions to address pregnancy and drug use.”

Click HERE to see the full sign on letter with 38 organizations representing thousands of women across Tennessee and throughout the country.

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Allison Glass is available for interview upon request. 

Organizations Opposing SB 1629/HB 1660 and Calling for the Sunset of the TN Fetal Assault Law:

ACCESS Women’s Health Justice
Advocates for Youth
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN)
Amnesty International
AWAKE
Catholics for Choice
Center for Reproductive Rights
Chattanooga Organized for Action
CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
The First Year Foundation Incorporated
Forward Together
Healthy and Free TN
Just City
Law Students for Reproductive Justice – Vanderbilt
Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center
Multidisciplinary Intensive Support Treatment (MIST)
Nashville Feminist Collective
National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW)
National Alliance for Medication Assisted (NAMA) Recovery of Tennessee
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum – Nashville chapter
National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)
National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) – Tennessee section
National Institute for Reproductive Health
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF)
National Partnership for Women and Families (NPWF)
National Women’s Law Center
Physicians for Reproductive Health
SisterReach
SisterSong: National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
SPARK Reproductive Justice Now
Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug & other Addiction Services (TAADAS)
West Virginia Free
Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga
Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

In addition to this incredible list, there are several other local organizations working with us to eliminate the fetal assault law.

(Memphis, TN) – Statement by Allison Glass, State Director of Healthy and Free TN on the beginning of the 2016 Tennessee General Assembly:

“As the new legislative session begins today, we, like many Tennesseans are anxious to see what kinds of policies our lawmakers will champion and advance. We are facing so many challenges that need the attention of state leaders. Tennessee counties have some of the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses in the country. People across the state are struggling with the very real health issue of addiction. There are far too many families finding it near impossible to make ends meet. These are serious problems that demand serious solutions, not hollow talk or bills that make conditions worse.

Today there is a renewed and robust push for Insure TN, which would help reduce the number of uninsured individuals and increase the number of people able to afford the healthcare they need. There are efforts, like the Pregnant Worker’s Fairness Act, to pass employment policies that support working families. There is also a campaign calling for better access to treatment and support for pregnant people battling substance abuse and a call to end the fetal assault law that jails mothers who have used drugs.

We would also caution that instead of wasting time on another set of bills that attack personal health decisions and impose medically unnecessary requirements on the provision of abortion care, our state lawmakers work toward forward-thinking, positive policies that make a real difference in the lives of women and families in communities across our state. That’s what doing the business of the people really looks like.

Healthy and Free TN, our organizational partners, and our growing activist network will be paying attention this legislative session and beyond. We will turn toward the Capitol to share our stories, to raise awareness, and to ensure that the policies being crafted reflect the needs and concerns of Tennessee women and families.”

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 Allison Glass is available for interview upon request. 

CHOICES celebrates our country’s highest court taking up a case challenging restrictions that claim to be about women’s health when in fact politicians simply want to push abortion care out of reach.  

(Memphis, TN) – Statement by Rebecca Terrell on the announcement on Friday that the Supreme Court will hear Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole, a case challenging the restrictions created by Texas House Bill 2 that would result in the closure of more than three-quarters of the clinics across the state:

“In Tennessee, we certainly know what it is like to have politicians push through legislation that claims to be about safety when the true intent is to make abortion care harder to get.  Abortion care is safe and providers uphold the strongest standards of care and yet we saw two bills passed this session to create intrusive, medically unnecessary regulations.

We have been watching this case closely.  At the core are questions around the undue burden created by the types of restrictions that House Bill 2 imposed and the fact that bills like these are moved under false pretenses and often utilizing misinformation to push them through and put abortion care out of reach.  Sadly, it has worked.  In Texas, a state with more than 5 million women of child bearing age, these requirements could close all but 9 or 10 clinics.  It would leave some areas of the state without any access to abortion care unless a person is able to travel hundreds of miles.

The two requirements that are being challenged in this case include that doctors who provide abortion services must obtain admitting privileges at a local hospital no farther than 30 miles away from the clinic and that any facility providing abortion care must meet the specifications of an ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).

As we look towards the Whole Woman’s Health case being heard as early as March, we are also awaiting our own day in court next fall.  The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a challenge in federal district court in Nashville this past June on behalf of Bristol Regional Women’s Center, The Women’s Center, and CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health.  This suit is taking on Tennessee’s own admitting privileges requirement and ambulatory surgical center regulations.

Whether by forcing a woman to delay health care or advancing measures targeting reproductive health care clinics for closure, politicians are clearly fixated on coming between a woman and her health care provider.  The women of Tennessee and across this nation deserve better.  They should be able to access safe abortion care when they need it without interference from lawmakers who do not know them, do not know about their health or their life or their hopes or dreams.  We should each be able to make our own decisions about pregnancy, parenting, and abortion.  For us the Texas case and the lawsuit here in Tennessee are about values, the values of privacy and dignity in medical care and the importance of bodily autonomy.”

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Rebecca Terrell is available for interview up on request. 

Contact: Rebecca Terrell, Executive Director, 901-791-9383 or rterrell@memphischoices.org. 

We Stand With Planned Parenthood

CHOICES is proud to stand with our esteemed colleagues at Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in the face of misleading claims spread by an anti-choice organization with violent ties.

We know firsthand how myths and anti-choice propaganda often take the place of facts and data in efforts to limit access to abortion care. People who do not want abortions to be safe and legal use every trick in the book to achieve their goal, including illegal and highly edited videotapes, spying, and twisting the truth.  The alternative to legal abortion is forced childbirth.  Donating fetal tissue from a legal abortion for the benefit of medical research at the request or with the consent of the patient is not selling baby parts. It is advancing science and saving lives.

This is what we do know about Planned Parenthood.  Seventy-eight percent of their patients live with incomes of 150 percent of the federal poverty level or less, the equivalent of $35,775 a year for a family of four in 2014. Every year, in addition to safe abortions, their health centers provide the following services to 2.7 million patients:

• family planning counseling and contraception to 2.1 million patients
• more than 1.1 million pregnancy tests
• nearly 400,000 Pap tests
• nearly 500,000 lifesaving breast exams
• screenings to 88,000 women whose cancer was detected early or whose abnormalities were identifi ed and addressed
• nearly 4.5 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including 700,000 HIV tests, and diagnoses of more than 169,000 STIs
• 1.4 million emergency contraception kits
• education programs and outreach to more than 1.5 million people

At CHOICES, our thanks goes to all those courageous and passionate professionals at Planned Parenthood in Memphis and across the country who provide these critical services.  You and your family should be thanking them, too.

Rebecca Terrell, Executive Director, CHOICES.