Do You Have a Clinic Near You?

Have you ever wandered around your neighborhood or flipped through the yellow pages, wondering where the closest place to get STD tested was?

I have for sure -- especially when I'd just moved to the City and had to wait two months for an appointment with my OBGYN.

Well Planned Parenthood launched a pretty cool tool this month, a clinic finder that works anywhere in the country! So even if you're away from home and have a scare, you can find a clinic nearby. Check it out -- it's super easy. You just type in your zip code!

So, did you get tested yet this week? What was it like? Were you scared? Where did you go to get tested?

Where is the pop culture?

Last week at the fabulous Words of Choice performance, an audience member was speaking about his time as a TV writer, and how difficult it was to even mention the word abortion in a script.

And that got me thinking -- why is it so rare to see stories about abortion (unless they're cautionary tales that is) in mainstream pop culture?

Penny Lane, the creator of the great documentary The Abortion Diaries has a wonderful resource up on her site: a timeline of when abortion has been mentioned in pop culture. And it's pretty rare! Or at least pretty rare when the character considering an abortion doesn't a) change her mind or b) have something horrible and life-threatening happen to her.

For me, it's a no-brainer that there's so much stigma attached to the issue when we can't even talk about it in the mainstream media. But what do you think? Why are networks so afraid of presenting the procedure when it doesn't have dire consequences?

Mobile Health!

Ever wondered how Planned Parenthood reaches so many people? Well this month, it's been by taking to the streets!

Above is a picture of our mobile medical unit, which all throughout the month of April has been administering walk-in STD testing all throughout the city. You may have seen the inside already but if you haven't, they're basically a big clinic inside of an oversize RV. Check them out the next time you see them on the street!

So how many of you have been tested so far? Do you know how at risk you are for STDs? If you haven't been tested, go do it already!

Hilarious!

The Onion's take on the Emergency Contraception ruling.

Get Yourself Tested!

Go to folder - FileFactory.com

Checkout PPNYC's latest radio ad -- running all this week! And don't forget, get yourself tested!

Como Hacer Un Bebe

Thanks to Jo, comes this cute video on "how to make a baby." (note, for real information on how to make a baby, check here)

Latest "storm" parody

As many of you know, with New York State set to vote on same-sex marriage this year, I've been eating up all things marriage equality. So when I saw this parody video of the infamous "gathering storm" video, I had to smile.

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

Funny, no? Have you seen any other parodies that made you smile? And did you see the story about the hilariously unfortunate acronym for the anti-marriage group?

Did you know this photo was staged?

Neither did I, until I read Megan's fascinating piece over at Jezebel on the history of imagery of the human embryo.

The whole thing is a really interesting piece of not only how images can be changed and interpreted differently, but on how our views on abortion and pregnancy have changed as a society. Definitely worth a read.

17 Year Olds Can Get Emergency Contraception Without a Prescription!

Great news!

Today the FDA announced that they would go along with a Federal Court's ruling that they make emergency contraception available over-the-counter to anyone over age 17.

Which is great news! Especially since, as the Federal Judge originally cited, the FDA decision to only make emergency contraception available over the counter to those 18+ was based on politics, not science. In fact the Judge said:

"These political considerations, delays and implausible justifications for decision-making are not the only evidence of a lack of good faith and reasoned agency decision-making. Indeed, the record is clear that the FDA's course of conduct regarding Plan B departed in significant ways from the agency's normal procedures regarding similar applications to switch a drug from prescription to non-prescription use."

The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world, and it's always seemed like a mistake to me to keep teens from having as many tools as possible to prevent unintended pregnancies. Plus, even the FDA's panel of experts admitted that there was no medical reason to put an age restriction on emergency contraception.

But what do you think? Is the ruling a good thing? Did it not go far enough? Should there be an age limit? And have you ever taken emergency contraception? Could you get it over the counter, or did you need a prescription?

How has the economy affected your birth control?

Last night I was talking with a friend of mine who's recently been laid off, and the conversation turned to health care. She's lucky, her job is paying for her health insurance for an additional six months (or until she finds coverage elsewhere), but after that she's on her own. And it got me thinking, how much is the economy affecting all of our choices about birth control and health care?

At Planned Parenthood we definitely see a lot of uninsured patients - that's a part of being a safety net provider, and we even have a great program to help people get on public insurance if they qualify for it. An there have been a lot of stories about peoples' birth control decisions being affected by the economy.

But what about you? Have you made any decisions about your health based on the economy? Seen a doctor less? Switched birth control? Gone for a more long term option? Or is your life staying pretty much the same?