While working in a community health center in Harlem, I was posed with a difficult question by one of my patients in early February 2017. I work there one day a week providing women’s health care services because of an shortage in the area.
The patient is a young 21 year old woman who just moved from California with her partner and two children. Over the last few weeks we were able to determine that her medical condition was caused by irregular hormones and the question came up of how to address contraception. I gave her the options, and she took a moment to think and responded with, “Can I ask you about something that worries me?” I told her to go ahead, curious about her concern. “Do you think that my birth control will not be covered under insurance any time soon?” I get this question often.
I took a look at her insurance and I knew why she was asking. She is covered by Medicaid and she was worried that her birth control method will no longer be covered because of what she has been hearing in the news about the current presidential administrations’ proposed reduction of government sponsored coverage for reproductive health. She also went on to ask about Planned Parenthood, if it would no longer exist. She told me about how Planned Parenthood was there for her during tough times and made a difference in her life. When she was 14 it was the only place she could go to for contraception and STD testing. The birth control she received there helped prevent pregnancy through most of her teenage years.
Her story is the same as many of the people in the community I work with in Harlem. The local community health centers have a shortage of women’s health providers, i.e. family doctors and an even harder to come by OB/GYN’s. Most providers are not comfortable providing women’s health care unless they are specially trained in it because of the specialized exams and sensitive subjects that are involved. Planned Parenthood employs well-trained providers in this specialty that gives a much needed service for people of all ages, backgrounds, and needs. Furthermore, they are set up to provide just this care with no to minimal costs to patients based on their income.
The community health center I work at has made many efforts to employ more women’s health providers as well as setting up for women’s health procedures such as IUD placement and removal, colposcopy (for cancer preventative and monitory treatment), and ultrasounds. However, because of lack of funds or lack of skilled providers, these efforts have not come to fruition. This is the story of numerous health centers in the area. Without Planned Parenthood to fill in this gap, this very vital health need would not be provided.
