Coelestinus

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My relationship with Planned Parenthood is very simple.

I’m on birth control, need annual check ups, and have occasional questions and other issues.

They provide me with medical care and answer my questions.

I’ve lived in several places since I became sexually active, and have thus been to several Planned Parenthoods. Five of them, in fact.  This was apparently surprising to one of my (male) friends, that I had been to so many. I don’t understand why – the first Planned Parenthood I went to was on Long Island in New York, and then I moved to Maine. I’m obviously going to start going to a different one. Then from Maine to Connecticut, Connecticut to Massachusetts, Massachusetts to a different part of Connecticut. Is it surprising that every time I moved, I’d go to a different one?

Another time I was talking with a different friend (also male, and in fact he was a male sex-friend) and made a comment on protesters in front of Planned Parenthood. It’s something I’ve only experienced at one location (the one in Worcester, Massachusetts – which is also the only one I’ve been to that had a security guard). “Babe,” he said to me, “you’ve been to Planned Parenthood?” And this was a friend I was hooking up with! Something about 

My story is really nothing special. Once a year I head over to Planned Parenthood to spend some time staring at the ceiling with my feet in the stirrups (the Biddeford, Maine Planned Parenthood had a very intricate poster on the ceiling, which was nice of them). Every few months I go and pick up a couple packs of pills. I’ll grab some condoms and drop a few dollars in the donation box for them, as well.

And I’ve never gotten pregnant.

I’m lucky that, even in places where they didn’t take my insurance, I was able to afford my birth control (when I was a student in New York, everything was free since I didn’t have a source of income!). That the furthest I’ve had to drive to get birth control was twenty minutes. That I can get myself there on my own and don’t have to rely on others.

At the Boston Walk for Choice, I held a sign that said “Thanks to Planned Parenthood, I’ve never needed an abortion. Thank you”. Planned Parenthood has helped me stay physically healthy by preventing pregnancy and checking up on any odd conditions. They’ve helped me stay mentally healthy as well, because had I gotten pregnant by my ex…well, we don’t need to talk about that.

Planned Parenthood keeps me safe.