"When I was in college, I had sex for the first time"
When I was in college, I had sex for the first time. I was smart enough to know to do it safely (with a condom). When I met the man I would later marry, we decided to seek out some other birth control options besides condoms. He suggested Planned Parenthood. My first thought immediately turned to scared pregnant teenagers seeking abortions. I never really thought of it as a resource for a girl like ME. But he assured me that it was the best place to go and that he had volunteered there before. I didn’t really know what to expect the first time I went there. The town that I was in was very conservative, so the facility was very secure. I felt like I was entering a jail. I learned that they had just encountered a terrorist* with a gun at the facility only months ago and that they experienced weekly picketing. Once inside, it was pleasant and everything ran just like any other doctor's office I’d been to before. My exam was done by a very experienced nurse practitioner, who ended up being the same person I saw for the next 4 years that I was there. I got my pills and got out without getting shot. I’m saddened by the fact that I had to place myself in harm’s way to receive a pap smear and some birth control. It saddens me more that EVERYDAY, women are both physically and emotionally threatened, simply by seeking personal reproductive health care. After graduating and moving to a different town I chose to continue using Planned Parenthood. I like the care I receive from Planned Parenthood. Last year I had a baby and luckily I had health insurance for pregnancy so I was able to get the care I needed. I had a wonderful experience and my doctor was great but since the baby I still go to Planned Parenthood for annual exams and birth control. I get better, more caring and more affordable service from Planned Parenthood than my regular gynecologist. I support NARAL Pro-Choice Texas because I want to know the women of the future, including my daughter, will be free and SAFE to make healthy decisions for themselves. *Terrorist (noun): a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities (WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University). "Marie" Travis County
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