Anna Jensen-Clem and Sara Veltkamp are Communications Fellows with Global Washington, a membership association that promotes and supports the global development sector in the state of Washington.
A young woman in the Dominican Republic has worked in a peer-counseling group for two years, and has become a resource for other youth who struggle with sexual health questions. “After two years in MAMI’s peer education group, I know where I am, who I am, and where I am going.” This young woman is one of thousands whose lives have been changed by Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest’s compassionate and comprehensive international programs.
While the benefits to family planning are numerous, particularly in areas where access to reliable healthcare is limited, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 222 million women who would like to prevent or delay childbirth have no access to family planning tools. According to the WHO, family planning prevents pregnancy-related health risks, reduces infant mortality, prevents the spread of HIV, empowers people, particularly women and young girls, enhances education, reduces adolescent pregnancies, and slows population growth which lessens the demand on resources. Planned Parenthood, an international nonprofit with affiliates across the globe, is one of the largest providers of reproductive and sexual healthcare and works to provide the necessary family planning tools to increase the number of people who are able to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health and meet Planned Parenthood’s mission of fostering a community where every child is wanted.
Op-Ed: Planned Parenthood in the Dominican Republic
http://www.borgenmagazine.com/ | Anna Jensen-Clem and Sara Veltkamp | June 18, 2013