Photo by Kari Lueneberg
For more than 100 years, Planned Parenthood has provided health care for patients nationwide, but in 2020, the nonprofit could face a new threat. On Wednesday, March 4, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. An adverse ruling would uphold medically unnecessary abortion restrictions and could make abortion a crime in Wisconsin.
While abortion is at risk, it’s not the only service that Planned Parenthood provides. Shepherd Express spoke with Tanya Atkinson—president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin—about all of the health care services that the nonprofit offers in its 24 health centers across the state, as well as how Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin fights to keep those centers open.
Photo by Lila Aryan
Tanya Atkinson
Planned Parenthood has 24 health centers throughout the state. What is the scope of services that you provide in those centers?
We provide a full range of reproductive health care services. We provide birth control, STD (sexually transmitted disease) testing and treatment, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) testing, abortion access, well-person exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings and testicular cancer screenings. We’ve also added quite a few services to those, including endometrial biopsies and polyp removals, both of which are related to cancer detection.
We also provide early pregnancy complication management, which is an assessment of abnormal bleeding or pain during pregnancy to determine if someone is experiencing a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, so we can make sure they get the care they need. We do prenatal care coordination through warm referrals, which means if somebody finds out that they are pregnant, we set them up with a prenatal care coordination appointment. We just added post-partum services. We’ve added quite a few services in the last few years, and we will be adding some more in the next couple of years.
What should people know about Planned Parenthood that isn’t already commonly known?
A couple of things I’d like to emphasize that people don’t know about is our cancer screening and cancer work. We do HPV [human papillomavirus] vaccinations and breast and cervical screenings. We also provide colposcopies if someone has an abnormal pap result. Then, of course, there are the biopsies and polyp removals that I discussed.
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We want patients to know that we accept insurance. We serve folks with all different kinds of health care coverage, and if you don’t have coverage, we never turn anyone away due to an inability to pay. We want to make sure people know they are welcome. People can make online appointments, and for most appointments, they can be seen as soon as the next day or the next couple of days. Usually you can get an appointment quickly across the state.
We also have a large education team that does trainings for the community. We provide direct education and professional training, including our annual Safe Health Strong conference in March, which draws people from across the country to learn about sexuality and reproductive health.
We have a very large Spanish language health promoter program featuring Promotores de Salud, who are trained in sexual reproductive health. They host house parties around the state in their own neighborhoods about health and healthy sexuality and how to advocate for themselves. This curriculum has now been shared internationally in both Mexico and Chile. Our promotores are brilliant, dynamic leaders in the community.
Also, people don’t often realize that Planned Parenthood also serves men.
Over the last several years, there have been some major changes. We have a U.S. Supreme Court that is different, a president that is different and a governor that is different. So, what do all these changes mean for Planned Parenthood?
I have to say 2020 is an important year, and I don’t think I can overstate how important this year will be for the future of reproductive and sexual health in Wisconsin and across the country.
After losing state funding, Planned Parenthood had to close five health centers around the state; this has a direct impact on the people of Wisconsin. These are not political conversations, these are real people who are impacted by these policies, and we’ve seen what can happen firsthand when additional restrictions are passed and how much more difficult it is to access reproductive health care, including abortion.
2020 is an incredibly important year, and you know, deciding to start a family, delay becoming a parent or ending a pregnancy are some of the most personal decisions a woman can ever make. She should be able to make that decision without political interference.
We know people want elected officials who protect access to sexual and reproductive health. Some 77% of the American electorate does not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. That’s the landscape that we are working in. Most people understand the need for the care that Planned Parenthood provides. One in five women has been a Planned Parenthood patient at some point in her life. There is so much at stake. This month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case that could have an indelible impact in Wisconsin and across the country.
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, what would that mean for Wisconsin?
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion could immediately become a crime in the state of Wisconsin.
There are 20% of women who have used Planned Parenthood services—in addition to all the people who care about them who may be interested in keeping you alive and healthy. What can they do to be supportive?
There are a lot of ways that folks can get engaged. First and foremost, if you need health care, come in and see us. We can provide you with health care services, and you can become a part of our community of patients.
Voting is absolutely critical. I cannot overstate what’s at stake in 2020. Vote in the spring elections and in the fall elections. Take your friends to vote and make a plan to vote. Electing leaders who are supportive of sexual reproductive health and positive public health policies is really, really critical.
People can also get more engaged with the Planned Parenthood right in their own backyard. We really encourage people to invest in the Planned Parenthood center in their community. If you see Wisconsin as your backyard, great. Invest in Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, whatever that looks like for you—whether that’s creating deeper relationships, helping people get out to vote or coming to our education conference. We encourage folks to invest in the Planned Parenthood that is near and dear to their hearts.
Photo by Kari Lueneberg
How does Planned Parenthood battle the stigma that abortion faces?
I mean, abortion is health care, and that’s really what it boils down to. We treat our patients with the respect and dignity they deserve, whatever services that they are receiving. Abortion is a deeply personal decision; we understand that. We do work to have conversations with people about what that means to them, and we respect and honor their opinion. Rather than dividing people on the issue, we work hard to understand each other. At the end of the day, we work to ensure that people can make their own decisions about their own health care.
Financially, you have a very important institution here, and health care is not cheap to provide. How are you staying alive economically in a very tough environment?
The cost of providing health care continues to increase, and we are seeing attacks on health care funding for reproductive and sexual health.
Most recently, Planned Parenthood and other family planning providers have been pushed out of the Title X Family Planning Program, which is the only federal family planning program. Through this program, people could access lifesaving health care. Losing Title X funding has been challenging, but we are working very hard to make sure our doors are open across the state.
We also want people to know that we are going to fight with everything we have to make sure that people have access to the health care that they need and the health care that they deserve. We are here to be a health care provider, we are here to be an educator, and we are here to fight for the health care that people need.
