Health Care | Planned Parenthood

Healthcare Knowledge Helps You as Parent

Image by Susan NYC via Flickr

It’s a collection of innocent sounds–a tiny sneeze, a lingering hiccup, a too-slow breath. Logic deems them simple symptoms of an equally simple problem. Panic, however, sparks far worse thoughts. So, parents gather their children, hurrying them to hospitals, demanding treatment for diseases and conditions that may not even exist in their child.

Without question, children will get sick. However, you don’t have to assume that every cough will lead to disaster. Gaining an understanding of the human body offers many rewards for parents, especially those who tend to have a strong reaction to every sniffle.

Symptom Recognition

There are many signs that a child is getting sick. Choosing to fear them all, however, isn’t productive for parents or children. You don’t have to seek healthcare employment to learn to separate serious symptoms from routine ones. For example, you can learn that all fevers are not equal and only those above a certain point require immediate medical attention.

Calm Disposition

It’s easy to fret because it gives you something to do. However, it’s not a good use of your time or energy. Choosing to stay calm, no matter the situation, should be the goal of every mother and father. Health knowledge will help you meet that goal. You’ll stay calm with illnesses that are quickly curable and when you have to make informed decisions about treatments. The idea is to replace panic with good judgment.

Doctor Discussions

Helplessness is all too common in hospitals with parents unable to process information and unable to communicate with physicians. Healthcare knowledge combats this problem, though. Discussions become easier because you have some basic information and you can better understand the options.

Gaining some healthcare knowledge provides relief because parents can distinguish between what’s typical and what’s cause for concern.

Panned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that provided information about reproductive health care, sex education and other general information to men, women and young people across the world. Planned Parenthood helps individuals make informed and individual decisions about sex, health and planning their families by promoting an approach to women’s health and well-being based on common sense and reality.

Planned Parenthood reaches out to the community by means of 85 affiliates throughout the United States which are governed locally and provide more than 820 health centers. The primary goal of these health centers is to provide primary care that is preventative in nature including promoting contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies, testing and treatment to reduce the spread of diseases that are sexually transmitted and screening for cervical and other cancers. A trusting environment is established in which physicians, nurse practitioners and other staff care about their clients and take the time to speak with them about such health-related issues.

There is also an educational aspect to Planned Parenthood. The organization holds a wide variety of educational programs throughout the year that provide young people with honest information about sexuality and relationships. Programs are available in classrooms and information is posted online whose purpose is to reduce the high rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. Planned Parenthood hopes that by providing such information women, men, teenagers and families will be able to make knowledgeable decisions and have healthy reproductive and sexual lives.

Planned Parenthood also works with countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where often access to important information about reproductive and health care of a sexual nature is blocked, to overcome these obstacles and increase access to education about health care. The organization works with local leadership to develop health and education programs as well as legal, social and political improvements in nations worldwide. Planned Parenthood also works with the United States government to insure that the sexual health and well-being of families and individuals is improved around the world

Filed Under: Parenthood, Planning Tagged With: Health, Health care, Planned Parenthood

Finally Open in Long Beach: Planned Parenthood for Teens

After a drawn-out process of expansion, Long Beach finally has its own Planned Parenthood center. The community desire and need for health services such as cancer screenings, annual check-ups, and sexually transmitted disease screenings, will finally be met by this branch of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. Adrianne Black, the co-CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles remarked that the community need has been remarkable in Long Beach, and that the community members are relieved to have these services available to their youth.

The rate of contracted sexually transmitted diseases in Los Angeles County is bad, compared to national statistics, but it’s nothing compared to Long Beach’s reports. The Planned Parenthood at the Lakewood Center is nearest to Long Beach, and for many years it has been the busiest of the 18 branches in the Los Angeles County region. Many of the people visiting the Lakewood Center admit that they drove from Long Beach for services like birth control. Without affordable contraceptives and birth control, many teens are forced to take changes and risk their futures on luck.

The Long Beach facility opened in February, but did not start operating full time until September. A private open house exhibit of informational materials will take place in September on the 22nd. During this economic recession, hardships have befallen families that would usually not require Planned Parenthood services. The services available at the 19 facilities in Los Angeles County are able to fill the need for contraceptives and check-ups, in addition to advising people on how to qualify for Medicaid, and where to seek additional services.

Wellness exams for women are among the most popular services that community members request, in addition to sexually transmitted diseases screenings, and birth control. Only 14% of customers at Planned Parenthood are male, and usually those are accompanied by females.

Filed Under: Sexual Health, Sexual Orientation Tagged With: Birth control, Health care, Lakewood Center, Los Angeles, Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, Sexually transmitted disease, United States

Information About Planned Parenthood, and Their Services

As the leading national reproductive health care provide, and the leading sexual health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood is well known throughout the nation, though often with misconceptions about the agenda and mission of Planned Parenthood. Sexual health care services that are vital in our communities for the well being of young men and women are provided by Planned Parenthood now, and have been provided for more than 94 years, already. Information about sexuality, and about sex education, is also available for those who need advice and counseling. In the current year, Planned Parenthood employs more than 30,000 people, including both volunteers, and paid employees.

More than five million people are treated and advised by Planned Parenthood’s trained and caring staff. Sexual health and reproductive health care are important facets of communities, and Planned Parenthood has provided these necessary services so that those who are disadvantaged have access to equal medical care. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America founded the international branch, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which now serves more than ten million patients annually.

The core service that is most vital for the teens who access Planned Parenthood is contraception and the pre-requisite education, information, and care. Nearly 11 million services were provided back in 2008 to more than five million people. This is believed to have prevented nearly 600,000 unwanted pregnancies. Most visitors of Planned Parenthood facilities are living below the national poverty line, which makes Planned Parenthood their only option for medical attention for sexual-related care. In addition to the great works being done by the core branches of Planned Parenthood, there are an additional 87 affiliates, which makes 912 offices nationally where people can seek help and attention. Providing a good sexual education for visitors is a vital role for a community member, as is providing services that people could not otherwise afford.

Filed Under: Sexual Health, Sexual Orientation Tagged With: Abortion, Family planning, Health, Health care, Planned Parenthood, Reproductive health, Sex education, United States

Getting Rates for Health and Car Insurance

Just like planning out when to become parents, everyone must decide when and how they will get insurance. Insurance is a strange modern obligation. Often times, it seems like people have to get insurance due to the mistakes of others. It’s not always a nice obligation, but the difference between having insurance and not having insurance can mean the difference between a short stay in the hospital (without second thought) and years spent paying off ridiculously high medical bills for overpriced expenses. No matter how absurd the prices for health care and doctor visits seem, they are as they are, and without insurance we would be paying a lot more than we need to.

Medical insurance has developed differently in different countries, and whether Americans like it or not, paying insurance rates is a fact of life. You can’t drive without car insurance, you can’t own a home without homeowner’s insurance, you can’t work certain types of jobs without life insurance—so why go through life without health insurance?

The short answer is that it’s expensive. Some people manage to get jobs that offer insurance benefits, in which case getting insurance is a no brainer. But for others, with other expenses stacked so high, health insurance is usually sidled for other needs like rent, utilities, and other payments.

However, if you are able to get new quotes and estimates for insurance costs, you may bring your other expenditures down and free up money to be used in other ways—such as covering yourself with a health insurance plan. It doesn’t have to be anything big or grandiose as long as it suits your basic health and medical needs. You may come down with a case of bronchitis and need some antibiotics. You may just need a routine check up. By browsing for reasonable rates from other providers, you can have all your bases covered.

Filed Under: Advice, General Tagged With: Financial Services, Health care, Health insurance

Know Your Family Health History

That’s because once a health care provider knows what’s in a patient’s history, he or she can better assess what risks the current patient has for those, and other health issues. It also helps the provider look out for early warning signs of disease.

There’s even a website that helps people create their own family health portrait, kind of like a family tree, except it includes Great-grandfather Oscar’s cause of death and Aunt Mildred’s diabetes instead of their places of birth and death. The website is completely private, and allows users to print out their family health trees to keep for their own records, or to share with a doctor.

Even if someone doesn’t know much about his or her family health history, from a doctor’s perspective, every bit helps. Imagine the difference in a doctor’s care or instructions if he knows his female patient’s mother died of breast cancer when she was in her late 30s.

For those who prefer not to use the internet, a couple of phone calls or visits to siblings, parents or relatives should allow you to compile a family health history of your own to take to every doctor’s visit. It is recommended to keep this compilation of records in an organized, safe place with other documents related to health, like insurance.

It obviously won’t act as a crystal ball for your future health problems, but talking to your relatives might identify trends you and your family didn’t realize existed.

Knowing the history of your family’s health problems can help you stay healthy and maybe even save your life…that’s according to health experts and the US Surgeon General. The federal government has created a program called the “My Family Health Portrait.” That’s a way for Americans to research and document the illnesses, diseases, longevities and physical ailments of their ancestors and relatives. Doing so can lead to a healthier you.
That’s because once a health care provider knows what’s in a patient’s history, he or she can better assess what risks the current patient has for those, and other health issues. It also helps the provider look out for early warning signs of disease.
There’s even a website that helps people create their own family health portrait, kind of like a family tree, except it includes Great-grandfather Oscar’s cause of death and Aunt Mildred’s diabetes instead of their places of birth and death. The website is completely private, and allows users to print out their family health trees to keep for their own records, or to share with a doctor.
Even if someone doesn’t know much about his or her family health history, from a doctor’s perspective, every bit helps. Imagine the difference in a doctor’s care or instructions if he knows his female patient’s mother died of breast cancer when she was in her late 30s.
For those who prefer not to use the internet, a couple of phone calls or visits to siblings, parents or relatives should allow you to compile a family health history of your own to take to every doctor’s visit. It is recommended to keep this compilation of records in an organized, safe place with other documents related to health, like insurance.
It obviously won’t act as a crystal ball for your future health problems, but talking to your relatives might identify trends you and your family didn’t realize existed.

Filed Under: Sexual Life, Sexual Problem Tagged With: Disease, Health care

The Early Beginnings of Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood was started in Brooklyn, New York in 1916, when Margaret Sanger worked with several other women to start the first clinic in America that offered birth control. At that time, women could not receive birth control because they had virtually no rights; they couldn’t even have their own bank accounts or vote. There was also a series of laws passed in the late 1800s that stated that family planning was obscene. However, Sanger’s own mother had 11 children and died at 40 years old. She also worked as a nurse, so she worked directly with women who were suffering the health effects of being unable to use birth control. When the first clinic opened, women would line up outside, sometimes for hours just to obtain contraception. Sanger dealt with the legal backlash, including police raids, but continued with her pursuits to offer these necessary services to women.

In 1936, 18 years after the first clinic opened, Sanger was arrested for obtaining contraceptive products illegally. However, the judge on the case reviewed the data and ruled that the benefits of contraception were helping to avoid unwanted pregnancy as well as protect women’s health. A year later, the American Medical Association began to recognize contraception as a crucial part of health care, and women were then able to receive birth control without worry of legal repercussions. In the 1960s, with help from government funding, Planned Parenthood played a key role in the creation of intrauterine devices and the birth control pill, both of which are widely used for contraception by women. In fact, just four years after its creation, 25% of married women under age 45 had used the birth control pill to assist in family planning. Planned Parenthood was one of the first voices in women’s sexual and health rights, and continued to offer services to women that many physicians would not.

Filed Under: Advice, Contraception, Parenthood Tagged With: Family planning, Health care, Planned Parenthood

Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing

Planned Parenthood clinics offer testing services for an array of sexually transmitted diseases. While many do not want to face this growing problem, it simply must be realized that more and more individuals are engaging in unprotected sex and the diseases are spreading faster than ever. Some sexually transmitted diseases don’t even have symptoms, so some people will never know they have one and may pass the disease to partners unknowingly. Routine testing is necessary to diagnose and treat these diseases, so that spreading can be controlled. When a patient visits a Planned Parenthood clinic for any reason, a panel of tests can be administered to check for most of the sexually transmitted diseases. However, patients must ask for these tests; they will not be performed unless specifically requested. Anyone who engages in unprotected sex should be tested frequently, especially before having sex with a new partner. Based on the type of sexual acts, a physician or health care provider can help determine which diseases the patient would be at risk for, and which tests should be performed.
Once a test comes back positive, the staff at Planned Parenthood clinics can provide treatment and counseling, as well as discuss safer sex practices in order to avoid similar problems in the future. Many sexually transmitted diseases are completely treatable through antibiotics, and can be cleared up within just a few days or weeks. Routine testing can help people to catch the diseases early, before further damage is caused to their bodies. For example, untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can in turn affect a woman’s ability to conceive a child. The clinics also offer an array of contraception designed at helping to prevent disease. However, some sexually transmitted diseases can be contracted even through safe sex practices, so individuals should be tested frequently even if using condoms.

Filed Under: Contraception, Parenthood, Sexual Problem Tagged With: Health, Health care, Human sexual behavior, Sexually transmitted disease

Planned Parenthood: Not Just For Women

Some people may think that the services offered at Planned Parenthood can only benefit women; however this is simply not true. Many clinics offer a full range of services for men’s health, including basic sexual health checkups for reproductive or other problems, as well as physical examinations. Routine checkups are one of the best ways to prevent disease, or catch symptoms early before conditions worsen and become dangerous or untreatable. Physicians within the clinic are trained in an array of problems and can give treatment to protect the overall health of men. The clinics also offer contraception and cancer screenings for testicular and prostate cancer. Many men do not think cancer can affect them, especially if they are young. However, both testicular and prostate cancer can strike men of any age, and routine screenings and self-examination are the only ways to catch warning signs early. Some Planned Parenthood clinics also give treatment for sexual problems including premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and sexually transmitted diseases. Not only can the physicians provide treatment, but there are trained counselors on staff who can offer education and discuss the problems with men who might be embarrassed by their conditions. Since these counselors are trained in sexual problems, they are able to provide information and often can simply offer a listening ear. Many clinics also are able to provide permanent sterilization procedures, such as vasectomy, to men who are done having children and are interested in this option of contraception.

Many Planned Parenthood clinics can bill private health insurance plans, or state or federal programs. Additionally, some clinics are now able to offer discounted services based on income, or assist patients in applying for Medicaid or similar state-funded health insurance programs to those who will qualify. This allows all individuals, regardless of income or financial situation to receive quality sexual healthcare, as well as contraception to protect themselves and others from spreading sexually transmitted disease or causing unwanted pregnancy.

Filed Under: Advice, Contraception, Parenthood, Prenatal Care Tagged With: Conditions and Diseases, Family planning, Health care, Planned Parenthood

Other Services Offered Through Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is well known for offering contraception and pregnancy options to women. However, they are less known for the other array of services provided in many of the clinics throughout the United States. The staff is trained in both men’s and women’s health care services, including infertility, menstruation problems, menopause, cancer screening and treatment, and other health problems. Patients can be tested for infertility and ovulation problems, and then can be treated for these common problems. There are counselors in the clinics who can help women who are newly diagnosed or have dealt with infertility for years, and help them to understand their options. Additionally, surgical procedures are available in some clinics to treat infertility and help women conceive. Many women suffer from problems during their menstrual cycles, and are not even aware that their symptoms are not normal. Physicians in Planned Parenthood clinics can help women to understand their cycles, what is normal and what is not, as well as treat common problems, such as unbearable pain, excessive bleeding, and irregularity.

All women will go through menopause at some point in their lives, and it can be a frightening and difficult experience. Having a counselor to discuss these feelings and emotions with, as well as obtain treatment for the symptoms associated with menopause can give women relief and help them to understand and even embrace the change that their bodies will undergo. Many clinics offer breast, cervical, testicular, and prostate cancer screenings and treatment. The best part is that many of these services are offered at a discounted rate to individuals who are not insured. Patients of any age or with any income can utilize the health care services offered at their neighborhood Planned Parenthood clinic, and begin to understand the necessary steps that must be taken in order to ensure sexual and reproductive health.

Filed Under: Contraception, Parenthood, Prenatal Care Tagged With: Health care, Planned Parenthood, Reproductive health