*Trigger warning – this story discusses rape*

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I’ll never forget when I was raped as a 16-year-old girl. Those memories have stayed with me forever, even into my late teens and twenties. More than ever, we need resources like Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health organizations to support women in times of need, not just for basic health services but for more nuanced family planning, counseling, and other sexual health education.

Planned Parenthood was there for me when I needed them the most; they helped me get a pregnancy test, talked to me about the option of abortion, and sent me home with a plethora of resources that I did not get from my ultra-conservative family during my post-rape crisis. I was so scared to even talk to my family about what was going on. Planned Parenthood did whatever they could to help me in that time of need, at barely any cost. Where do we go when we lose important, crucial resources like these in our communities? Where do these women turn to?