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“One woman stared closely at the screen and admitted that she had not known women had three holes—the vagina, the urethra, and the anus. She was 20 years old and had always believed urine came out of her vagina.” If I had not signed up for ecology my junior year of high school, I would probably be in the same boat as her. Any class since then which has touched on sex, will usually ask if anyone has had past sexuality education and maybe 5 to 10 people raise their hands. We are given very little when it comes to sexuality education and are expected to just know, but we don’t. 

Generally, once we turn 18, and are seen as legal adults, it is just assumed we figure out what we need to know about sex and that’s it, and once we have put together our haphazard attempt at understanding sexuality and how our bodies work, we have children. And if we are having children it is assumed we know everything to be successful and raise kids. However, we are not able to adequately teach them how their bodies and how they work, because we still have not been taught, so we think the school will do so…and they don’t either. In reality, less than 50 percent of high schools teach all 16 sexual health topics recommended by the CDC. And so the cycle continues.

Intern YK

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The Big Payback is a 24-hour online giving event for awesome non-profits across Middle Tennessee. Support PPMET and the work we do and give on Tuesday, May 5th! ‪

Click here to donate.

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We’re all signed up for The #BigPayback – a 24-hour online giving event hosted by @CFMT to payback MidTN nonprofits! www.TheBigPayback.org

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PG-13 Players chalking #gyt messages on TSUs campus!

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Obamacare and Women's Health

As a student, Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) has made a huge difference in my life and the lives of my friends. Many of them are now able to stay on their parents health insurance until age 26 (YAAAAY!), which has been especially helpful for students who can’t afford insurance otherwise. On top of that, under Obamacare one of my friends was not only able to get her annual women’s checkup (that she could not afford prior), she was also able to get birth control without a co-pay! Yes, that’s right, NO CO-PAY! Now, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of things the Obamacare has done to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, but here’s a quick graphic from whitehouse.gov to give you a better idea of what the Affordable Care Act has done specifically for women in the U.S.

-Intern Alex

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…and Just Like That, It’s Over : Internship Reflections

It seems like it was literally yesterday that I first walked into the administration building of PPMET, but the time has come for me to head off to graduate school and go on with the lessons that I’ve learned during my time here.

  What lessons, you ask?! Well, reader, (per usual) I’ve compiled them into a list.

  Here are the highlights of my learning at PPMET:

  1) Passion is fundamental.

  I’ve done my share of menial labor in the name of reproductive justice while working as an intern here, and every single time my supervisors were right beside me working just as hard. I’ve realized that it’s important to get a job focusing on an issue that you’re passionate about, because otherwise, the small tasks will kill you.

  I would never have been able to spend all of the time and energy that I did on PPMET projects if I didn’t truly believe that their cause was worth endorsing. I came into my internship every day knowing that someone was being provided information or resources that they desperately needed as a result of my work, and that made it pretty easy for me most of the time.

  2) Donors are sweet and kind and we love them.

  They’re the lifeblood of any non-profit, and everyone should be one. That’s all there is to say about that one. Seriously. Like right now, go donate to Planned Parenthood. Care, give, love..it’s appreciated.

  3) Learn quickly, but ask questions!

  There were SO many times when I didn’t want to be an annoyance so I almost kept my questions to myself. Mistake! We could have computer files misdirected, letters posted incorrectly, and events planned poorly if I didn’t let someone know when I wasn’t sure what to do. Every time I thought that someone would be mad because I was asking, they seemed relieved instead. It’s a valuable life lesson; everyone wants the slight annoyance of constructive questions more than they want poorly executed work.

  4) Make lists.

  They’re a good way to keep up with your tasks, instructions, and (in this case) memories! Lists are an efficient way to organize your thoughts, and other people appreciate how quickly they can read them.

  5) A positive attitude makes a positive workplace.

  People have a tendency to pick up on the energy you bring in to work with you. When you smile they’re encouraged to ask you about your day. When they see you laugh, they’re more comfortable making a joke. As long as work gets done in the specified time frame, there’s no reason not to genuinely like and enjoy the company of your coworkers and superiors. Working in a happy environment (like PPMET) makes you a happier person!

  I encourage all of you to work, volunteer, or intern with Planned Parenthood to experience this place for yourselves, but even if you never get that chance, I hope that you support and encourage the good people doing good works here at PPMET. I could never compile a complete list of all the lessons I've learned here, but I hope it will suffice to say that I think we could all learn a lot from the Planned Parenthood staff.

Thank you to them for allowing me the time to learn and grow with their organization, and thanks to you, reader, for following in the journey with me. I'll miss you! 

    Best, 

Whitney T.

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Let's Get Talking!

The following examples will give you an idea of different ways to begin the conversation with your legislators on Lobby Day 2013. Remember, these are only examples! They are designed to jumpstart your thinking about the many ways in which you can incorporate the importance of reproductive justice into your Lobby Day sessions. Whatever you say, speak calmly and speak from your heart – people recognize passion!

Focus on personal experiences – why are YOU interested?

I support reproductive health services offered by organizations such as Planned Parenthood partly because I received my birth control from their clinic throughout my time in college, which allowed me to graduate and…. (finish up with your personal points)

The accessibility and affordability are vital for so many women like me, because…

Rely on facts.

Did you know that the CDC found in 2009 that six out of ten LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school? I don’t know about you, but I find that disturbing, and I want to talk about some things we might be able to do to keep LGBT children in our communities safe from this sort of harassment…

Call attention to issues receiving media attention.

I read several articles recently about the support that a lot of TN legislators have been lending to SB 234, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. I don’t think that you should support this bill, however, because….

Use background research on the legislator for support.

I know that you have children. Don’t you want other parents to have the same opportunities and resources that were available to you and your wife/husband when planning your family? Support for organizations such as Planned Parenthood can help guarantee…