It's time for our leaders to stand up and ensure that women's health is treated fairly in health care reform! Sign our petition to join the millions of Americans who are speaking out to protect women's health and the right to choose. Then, share your personal story.

President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Reid, and Speaker Pelosi have the power to put a stop to the discriminatory Stupak ban — and it's up to us to help them do it. Sign our petition and join the millions of Americans who are speaking out to protect women's health and the right to choose.

Sign the petition here: http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/hcr09foc_pporg?qp_source=hcr09foc_afc3

Then, spread the word far and wide! REPOST! Make sure our voices are heard. ..

We need more help! If  you have a story that illustrates the importance of health insurance covering abortion or health care including abortion services, then we want to hear it!!  Please share your story with us, and have your contacts share theirs. We will use these stories in a number of strategic ways to protect women’s access to health care.

Please submit your story to stories@ppfa.org today. Your story can make a difference to ensure that women are not worse off after health care reform! Stories can be submitted anonymously. If possible, please include a name, phone number, e-mail address, and brief description of the story.  We will follow up with anyone who wants to tell her story, and we will work with each person who speaks with us about how we can use her story.  

Thank you for your continued support,

Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates

Dear PP Supporter,

They're back, we're back, and (hopefully) you're back too.

I'm talking about Congress, me, and you — and I'm talking about health care reform. It's been a raucous summer, and with Congress back in session and President Obama set to make a major speech on health care tonight, you can bet things are about to get louder. Stay tuned.

Your help in the weeks ahead will be necessary, starting now. What can you do?

* Tell Congress that you won't support health care reform that leaves women worse off than they are now.

* Spread the word to friends and family.

* Join a Rapid Response Team and take a leading role in securing health care reform.

Thanks, as always.

Cecile Richards, President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America 

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast CEO Lillian Tamayo Honored by Florida State Representative Kevin Rader


On August 27, 2009, Lillian A. Tamayo, Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast (PPSFTC) President and CEO, was presented a Tribute from State Representative Kevin J. G. Rader. Tributes from the Florida House of Representatives are presented at a member’s request to commemorate local achievements. Representative Rader requested a Tribute for Lillian Tamayo to celebrate her receiving the Ruth Green Award, the highest honor bestowed upon CEOs of Planned Parenthood for lifetime achievement in executive leadership.

“Lillian is much deserving of this honor,” said Representative Rader.  “She is a leader in our community and it has shown through her hard work, dedication and passion for helping people.”

August also marks Lillian’s tenth anniversary as President/CEO of PPSFTC.  Under Lillian’s leadership, PPSFTC has grown from a small storefront office offering just pregnancy testing and counseling services to ten health centers serving an eight county region with a population size larger than 32 other states.  During Lillian’s ten year tenure, the affiliate has grown from a budget of $1.8 million to $10 million, from $600,000 in grant revenue to more than $3.5 million, and from thirty staff members to over one hundred.  Through innovative education and outreach programs such as La Promesa, Planned Parenthood also increased Hispanic access to reproductive health care in Palm Beach County by more than 130 percent and by more than 53 percent in Miami-Dade County.

“It is a privilege to work for an organization which defends simple, core human valuesthe right to self determination, the right to decide when and if one will become a parent, the right to define one's own family, and the right to love,” said President Lillian Tamayo. “The opportunity to translate these principles into action by assuring America's men, women, and teens have access to reproductive health care and education is the centerpiece of Planned Parenthood's legacy and, truly, my great honor."

The Ruth Green Award was established in 1981 to honor a remarkable and talented woman who served as a volunteer, an executive director and as an ambassador-at-large for the mission of Planned Parenthood.


   

Our Florida phone bankers have been doing some awesome work! And, guess what? You have a chance to join us for some more phone banking throughout August. Trust us, this is actually fun!

Learn more & read the full report here.

After a period of improvement, trends in the sexual and reproductive health of U.S. teens and young adults have flattened, or in some instances may be worsening, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC analyzed data from 2002-2007 from the National Vital Statistics System and numerous CDC reports and surveys including the Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school students, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the National Survey of Family Growth, the HIV/AIDS Reporting System, and the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.


The data are reported in a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summary, “Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10-24 Years – United States, 2002-2007.” All the data are not new, but the goal of this report is to present data from multiple sources in order to summarize trends in the sexual and reproductive health of America′s young people.

Findings include:

* There were approximately 745,000 pregnancies among U.S. females under age 20 in 2004.

* In 2006, the majority of new diagnoses of HIV infection among adolescents and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24 occurred among those aged 20-24 years and among males.

* About 1 million adolescents and young adults aged 10-24 years were reported to have chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis in 2006. Nearly a quarter of females aged 15-19 years, and 45 percent of those aged 20-24 years, had a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection during 2003-2004.

* Approximately 100,000 females aged 10-24 years visited a hospital emergency department for a nonfatal sexual assault injury during 2004-2006.

Although the sexual risk behaviors and negative health outcomes tended to increase with age, the youngest age group – youth 10-14 years of age – were also affected:

* An estimated 16,000 pregnancies were reported among females in this age group in 2004.

* Approximately 17,000 young people in this age group were reported to have a sexually transmitted infection in 2006.

* During 2004-2006, 30,000 females in this age group visited a hospital emergency department because of a nonfatal sexual assault injury.

* Approximately one third of adolescents had not received instruction on methods of birth control before age 18.

“This report identifies a number of concerns regarding the sexual and reproductive health of our nation′s young people. It is disheartening that after years of improvement with respect to teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, we now see signs that progress is stalling and many of these trends are going in the wrong direction,” said Janet Collins, Ph.D., director of CDC′s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Among the signs that progress has halted in some areas:

* Teen birth rates increased in 2006 and 2007, following large declines from 1991-2005.

* Rates of AIDS cases among males aged 15-24 years increased during 1997-2006 (AIDS data reflects people with HIV who have already progressed to AIDS.)

* Syphilis cases among teens and young adults aged 15-19 and 20-24 years have increased in both males and females in recent years.

The report also identifies a number of racial/ethnic disparities. Hispanic teens aged 15-19 are much more likely to become pregnant (132.8 births per 1,000 females) compared to their non-Hispanic black (128 per 1,000) and non-Hispanic white (45.2 per 1,000) peers. Additionally, rates of new HIV and AIDS diagnoses among young adults were highest among non-Hispanic black youth across all age groups.

“This report serves as a reminder that adolescents and young adults in this country continue to be impacted by STDs, including HIV,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC′s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. “It is imperative that all of us at the national and community level work together to ensure STD and HIV prevention programs are reaching young people, particularly in communities with the greatest burden of disease.”

....................

Saturday, June 27th is National HIV Testing Day




Did you know that every nine and a half minutes someone in the United States is infected with HIV? Or, that up to 1 out of 4 people who have HIV don't know it?

Finding out whether you are infected with HIV is a first step to improving your health and the health of your partners and your family. Testing for HIV has become faster and more convenient.

Click here:  HIV Testing At A Glance

How Do You Get Tested? Watch & share this funny video to learn more:

by Amanda Mourant, FAPPA E-Organizer

NEW YORK, NY — Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, today issued the following statement on the murder of reproductive health care provider Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, KS.

"The entire Planned Parenthood family is deeply saddened by the murder of Dr. George Tiller. While he was not a Planned Parenthood provider, he was an integral part of our community and his loss is felt by all of us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and those close to him who are suffering a personal tragedy.

"Dr. Tiller was the epitome of high-quality medical care underscored by deep compassion for his patients. He provided critical reproductive health care services, including abortion services to women facing some of the most difficult medical circumstances. He was continually harassed by abortion opponents for much of his career — his clinic was burned down; he was shot by a health center protester; and he was recently targeted for investigation only to be acquitted by a jury just a few months ago. None of this stopped George Tiller from his commitment to providing women and their families with compassionate care that others were unwilling to offer.

"His death is an enormous loss for the patients who relied on him, his dedicated staff, the medical community and for women and their families across America."
###

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 nearly 880 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.


Published: 05.31.09 | Updated: 05.31.09

STATEMENT FROM CECILE RICHARDS, PRESIDENT OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA, ON NOMINATION OF JUDGE SONIA SOTOMAYOR TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT

“This historic nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court sends a strong signal that President Obama understands the importance of ensuring that our Supreme Court justices respect precedent while also protecting our civil liberties.

“Judge Sotomayor has vast experience in nearly every aspect of the law, having served as a big-city prosecutor and a corporate litigator, a federal trial judge on the U.S. District Court, and an appellate judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. What our nation needs from our Supreme Court justices is a deep understanding of the law, an appreciation of the impact of the court’s decisions on everyday Americans, and a commitment to the protection of our individual liberties. Judge Sotomayor will bring this dedication and commitment with her to the bench.

“There is no doubt that Judge Sotomayor’s story is an inspiration to all. Her nomination as the first Hispanic woman justice reminds us that, with hard work and commitment, all things are truly possible in America.”

Today, May 6th, marks the eighth annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The rate of teen pregnancy in the U.S. and in Florida is alarming, but with your help we can reduce it.

The U.S. teen birthrate increased for the second year in a row and an estimated 750,000 American teens become pregnant each year. Florida's teen pregnancy rate is the 6th highest in the nation. Florida's teen birth rate also increased in 2006 for the first time in 15 years and is 3 percent higher than the national average.

Still, our teens are receiving ineffective abstinence-only programs -- or they are getting their information from popular culture and their peers.

What can you do?

1) Sign this petition urging Gov. Crist to reject federal funding for ineffective abstinence-only programs: http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/RejectTitleV

2) Watch the video message on the Healthy Teens Act and add your voice!
http://www.floridaplannedparenthood.org/floridians-support-the-healthy-teens-act



3) Spread the word. Tell your friends.

As a state and as a country, we can do better for our teens.

Please take action today to ensure Florida teens have the facts to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy. Demand comprehensive sex education - our teens deserve no less!

P.S. - Take the quiz here: http://www.stayteen.org/quiz/
*Quiz produced by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.