The Quickie: Abortion Providers Face Post-Roe Challenges But Won't Back Down 

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

WATCH PLANNED PARENTHOOD PRESIDENT AT THE ATLANTIC FESTIVAL: Today at 3pm ET, Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America & Planned Parenthood Action Fund, will join award-winning journalist Jemele Hill in a conversation about the post-Roe world, abortion rights and the fight ahead at The Atlantic Festival. Follow @AtlanticLIVE for more details.

ABORTION PROVIDERS FACE POST-ROE CHALLENGES BUT WON’T BACK DOWN: Yesterday, ELLE featured five physicians who spoke about their experiences as abortion providers in the post-Roe era, including Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin associate medical director and OB/GYN Dr. Allison Linton and Planned Parenthood national spokesperson and family medicine physician Dr. Bhavik Kumar. The physicians all spoke to the difficulty of providing people with care given a constantly evolving and confusing legal landscape. Dr. Linton elaborated to ELLE: 

“Patients don’t all know this happened, and some are still just calling to make a healthcare appointment. Those are sometimes really tricky conversations. We have to say, ‘Unfortunately, due to Roe v. Wade being overturned or due to legal changes, we’re unable to provide this care for you.’ Some patients are frustrated, some patients are angry. Patients are sad; a lot of patients are scared.” 

Despite the increasing threats of violence and fear of prosecution, the physicians remained committed to their duty to provide health care to patients, even though some like Dr. Linton and Dr. Kumar live in states with abortion bans. Dr. Kumar reaffirmed his commitment to his patients and reproductive rights to ELLE: 

“We’re definitely sounding the alarm that overturning Roe is not the end. The next thing they’re going to come after is criminalization and prosecution of folks providing information, providing care, and seeking care, and so we’re trying to do what we can to sound the alarm around that, but also slowly moving forward because people still need care. I took a Hippocratic Oath to help people and to do no harm and when things feel heavy; I go back to those roots, those values that I’ve always led with. How can I ethically not do this work?” 

Read more at ELLE. 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CONGRATULATES KELLEY ROBINSON, NEW PRESIDENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: Yesterday, Kelley Robinson, the current executive director of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Vice President of Advocacy and Organizing at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, was named the incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC). Robinson will continue in her current role until after the 2022 midterms, after which she will conclude her more than 10-year service to Planned Parenthood. She will be the first Black, Queer woman to run HRC, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Alexis McGill Johnson, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America & Planned Parenthood Action Fund, celebrated Robinson’s leadership and dedication to the organization: 

“Kelley’s visionary leadership as the Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s Executive Director propelled the organization's advocacy work and helped build one of the largest, most engaged supporter networks in the country. So many of our rights and freedoms are under unprecedented attack, meaning the fight for reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights and so much more have never been more intertwined. Planned Parenthood is thrilled that the Human Rights Campaign has appointed Kelley to lead in this pivotal moment, and, for me personally, my heart is exploding with pride and awe.”

Read more at Planned Parenthood Action Fund and watch Robinson’s announcement video at the Human Rights Campaign. 

The Health Capsule

PPFA’s weekly roundup of recently-published articles that address timely and critical reproductive health topics

HAPPY SEXUAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: In celebration of Sexual health Awareness Month, Healthline sat down with Dr. Sara C. Flowers, Vice President, Education & Training at PPFA. Dr. Flowers discussed the importance of sex education in young people’s development and shared ways people can support access to equitable sex education. 

PlannedParenthood.org has information on a ton of sexual health topics — from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to sex toys and everything in between.

Dr. Flowers urges parents, caregivers and anyone who has a close relationship with a young person, to learn accurate information so you can answer their questions with confidence. Also, fight for comprehensive sex education in your local schools, which includes ensuring LGBTQ+ youth, Black, Latino, and Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities, and all others are included and seen for their unique experiences with identity, sexuality, relationships, and culture.

Find more of Planned Parenthood’s sex education resources here.

YES, SEX EDUCATION SHOULD START IN KINDERGARTEN: Sex education is essential for teaching young people to build healthy relationships and keep themselves and their peers safe, and a strong foundation for comprehensive sex ed should start at a very young age. 

For very young children, sex education can simply focus on naming body parts and their functions correctly and understanding boundaries. At middle school age, children should learn about puberty and reproduction as many of them will experience changes in their bodies during that stage of their life. High-schoolers should be equipped with the resources they need to prevent STIs, practice safe sex and develop a deeper understanding of consent and boundaries. 

Read the full NPR article here. 

COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION KEEPS KIDS SAFE:  Steph Auteri is an advocate for the Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, which many school districts around the country are refusing to implement due to conservative pushback in favor of abstinence-based programs.

Auteri says she was raised to fear sex, wait until marriage and received little to no information on sexual health. Auteri cites research showing that abstinence-only-until-marriage sex ed programs are ineffective at preventing STIs and unplanned pregnancy. Additionally, research on children’s cognitive development shows that simply hearing about sex doesn’t make them want to immediately have sex. Read the essay here.