Patients & advocates seek birth control pill refills from Gov. Parson & urge him to stop the defund of Planned Parenthood
Contact:
Sarah Felts, Statewide Communications Coordinator
(314) 221.2293 [email protected]
For Immediate Release: Aug. 2, 2018
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Today, patients and advocates upset with the so-called “defund” of Planned Parenthood came to the Capitol to get birth control pill refills from Governor Mike Parson, who signed the budget bill “defunding” the health care provider. Activists also delivered more than 800 “prescriptions” that Missourians wrote for the governor, urging him to stop the defund.
This year, the Missouri Legislature passed, and Gov. Parson signed, measures aimed at “defunding” Planned Parenthood. These politicians are attempting to block thousands of Missouri patients with low incomes from receiving vital preventive care like birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment at Planned Parenthood. As a result, many patients may be left with nowhere to turn for their preventive care, as Missouri’s already-overburdened health care safety net does not have the capacity to absorb them.
“I came to the Capitol because I’m disappointed that Gov. Parson defunded Planned Parenthood, and I’m calling on him to stop it,” said Stacie Schroeder, a Planned Parenthood supporter from Columbia. “More than 7,000 Missourians rely on Planned Parenthood for their preventive care, and this policy will leave many folks with no access to care at all. Gov. Parson needs to stop this defund.”
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