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McKelle R. Burk
Professor Jennifer Courtney
English 2010: Intermediate Writing
17 February 2017
HER Salt Lake Initiative: Making a Difference in Our Community
HER Salt Lake is a research partnership between the University of Utah and Planned
Parenthood of Utah that aims to provide free birth control to local women. Planned Parenthood
has experienced its fair share of controversy over the 100 years it has been operating, despite its
status as a major reproductive health services provider across the nation. Even though they have
faced increasing opposition, Planned Parenthood continues to fill a vital niche in many
communities by providing decent, affordable health care to those in need. Their doors opened on
October 16, 1916 when sisters Margaret Sanger and Ethel Byrne as well as fellow advocate
Fania Mindell opened a birth control clinic in Brooklyn. Their mission was not to provide
abortions or even birth control, but to educate women. The clinic was shut down by a police raid
just nine days after opening and Sanger served 30 days of jail time. Sanger then went on to open
another chapter in Denver later that year that is still in operation today. (Planned Parenthood: 100
Years Strong)
It may be difficult to imagine, but courts were still upholding the practice of forced
sterilization in 1927 rather than allow women to be educated about birth control. It was not until
1936 that birth control would no longer be classified as obscene in the United States. Victories
for birth control were hard fought and slow to progress as birth control would not be legalized
for married couples until 1965 and legalization for unmarried persons would not happen for
another seven years. (Planned Parenthood: 100 Years Strong)
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Adversaries of
Planned Parenthood often cite the
reason for their opposition as a
pro-life movement because their
facilities provide abortion
services. This service has also
made Planned Parenthood the
target of frequent legislation designed to remove or impede their government funding. Stephanie
Kight, CEO of Planned Parenthood, has stated that abortion makes up a mere three percent of the
services they provide. In addition, the Hyde Amendment, which has not failed to pass its annual
renewal in the 40 years since it was introduced, states that federal funds cannot be used to pay
for an abortion except in cases where the abortion is medically necessary or in cases of rape or
incest. (Morris) In The War On Planned Parenthood, Alex Morris also notes that, since
2011 more than 280 laws have been passed across 31 states that limit or restrict access to
abortion. These laws are often referred to as TRAP laws; targeted regulation of abortion
providers. If legislation were to remove funds that were used strictly for abortion it could be
considered a win for the pro-life movement, however; it can be concluded that if legislation
removes funding from Planned Parenthood the organization would no longer be able to provide
contraception and education that would assist in preventing unwanted pregnancies from
happening. Given all the recent legislation and controversy it is more important now than it has
been since Roe vs. Wade to stand up for womens reproductive rights and to make birth control
not only easily accessible but affordable.
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HER Salt Lake aims to provide local women ages 16-45 with access to free birth control.
In an interview with The Daily Utah Chronicle Kyl Myers, a spokesperson for HER Salt Lake,
states that, We know that birth control is not one-size-fits-all and that people may need to
switch methods to find the best birth control for themselves, so HER Salt Lake helps
participating patients continue or switch methods, for free, for up to three years. The program
has already managed to provide 3,000 local women with the birth control method of their choice;
their goal is to help at least 4,000 more women before the project ends on March 25, 2017.
(Kenyon)
Although the program is only taking place for a short period of time, the efforts of HER
Salt Lake represent a positive attitude in our local community. With the repeal of the Affordable
Care Act many women who have had access to birth control under the insurance it made
available may no longer be able to afford birth control. As many as 26% of patients at Planned
Parenthood had no other option to receive the services they needed according to a 2016 survey.
(Bradner) President Trump has expressed mixed views about the group, praising its very good
work for millions of women while maintaining his promise to cut off federal funding if it
continues to offer abortion services. (Bradner) Planned Parenthood of Illinois reports that IUD
appointments have risen 82% from the previous year since Trumps victory was announced in
November. Amy Whitaker, Planned Parenthood of Illinois medical director, theorizes that the
reason for the dramatic increase in appointments is that patients are worried about no longer
having access to monthly birth control. Since IUDs are designed to last from 3-12 years they can
cover a time when the patient does not have insurance. Janel George, director of federal
reproductive rights and health for the National Womens Law Center, emphasizes that this
phenomenon is not unique to Illinois. She states, "There is real concern from folks about losing
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their coverage of birth control, which a lot of people don't even always connect with the
Affordable Care Act. They don't realize this was a major component of the law." (Schencker)
In addition to birth control, Planned Parenthood also provides sexual education to an
estimated 1.5 million young people and adults each year. The Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit
organization, estimated that publicly funded family planning helped prevent 2 million unwanted
pregnancies in 2014. (Bradner) With little to no sexual education taking place in schools and
homes, Planned Parenthood fills an important niche. The Guttmacher Institute also found that
teen pregnancy and abortion rates are at a 40-year low. This is believed by the researchers to be a
result of better sex education. Lower abortion rates have also been linked to more effective and
longer lasting forms of birth control. The only two states who have experienced a recent rise in
abortion rates are Louisiana and Michigan. Alex Morris theorizes that these states have
experienced an increase due to spillover from their neighbors, Texas and Ohio; two states that
have passed numerous TRAP laws which make it difficult to have a safe and legal abortion
procedure within their borders.
Although Planned Parenthood will
likely continue to face hostility, they tirelessly
persist in their efforts to help the communities
they reside in as well as the nation as a whole.
Employees push through protests so they may
go to work and continue to help and educate people. They remain proponents of reproductive
health rights and advancing global health. It is up to people within the community to let their
law-makers know if Planned Parenthood is important to them. Planned Parenthood cannot negate
the negative image that has been painted of them without community support.
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Works Cited
Abortion is 3% of Planned Parenthood services. Chart. Associated Press, 2014. Web.
Bradner, Eric. "Planned Parenthood: Fast facts and revealing numbers." CNN. Cable News
Network, 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.
"HER Salt Lake." HER Salt Lake. HER Salt Lake, 2016. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.
Kenyon, Kelsey. "Planned Parenthood Partnership Provides Free Birth Control." Daily Utah
Chronicle. The Daily Utah Chronicle, 07 Jan. 2017. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.
Morris, Alex. "The War On Planned Parenthood." Rolling Stone 1259 (2016): 58. MasterFILE
Complete. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.
"Planned Parenthood | 100 Years Strong." Planned Parenthood 100 Years Strong. Planned
Parenthood , 2016. Web. 02 Feb. 2017.
Planned Parenthood Protesters . Digital image. Life News. N.p., 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.
Schencker, Lisa. "IUD appointments up 82% after Trump's win, Planned Parenthood of Illinois
reports." Chicago Tribune (IL) 02 Dec. 2016: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 31
Jan. 2017.
