By Jessica Freda and Meaghan Michel
Bengal News West Reporters
Bengal News West Reporters
It’s rare to
enter a medical center feeling accepted and welcomed the minute you walk
through the door. With vibrant furniture, colorful artwork and gender-neutral
bathrooms, it’s hard to imagine that this unique safe space is now in the hands
of the Trump administration and could be taken away from West Side residents
and others from across the region who depend on services here.
Planned Parenthood offers
birth control, cancer screenings, sexually transmitted infection testings and
treatments, and yearly gynecological exams for women, which are known as well-woman
exams at the organization’s location at 2697 Main St. in Buffalo.
The agency
also travels to a variety of high schools and colleges to educate students on
proper birth control methods and sex education.
But a budget
proposal by the Trump administration that would squeeze funding for Planned
Parenthood would take all that away.
“What
they want to do is make us ineligible to take Medicaid payments so we can no
longer see individuals that are insured by Medicaid, which is a large group of
our population,” Todd Warfield, the director of Facilities and Security for
Planned Parenthood, said.
Todd Warfield, Planned Parenthood facilities director |
Warfield
believes that “defunding” is a strange word to use when it comes to this complex
matter.
Warfield
is concerned that the government is trying to strip Planned Parenthood of its rights
to accept those with Medicaid because
they are opposed to the full act of women’s health care, which includes
abortion.
While
many people harp on the option of termination that is provided by the
organization, abortions only make up around 3 percent of the business, Warfield
said.. The greater percentage is birth control and sexually transmitted
infection screenings, he added.
“Gov.
Cuomo was talking something about how a million people in New York State would
lose their health care. I’m not quite sure of the specifics or the bill they’re
discussing in Congress right now, but I know that any cuts to us would mean
women would lose their health care,” Warfield said.
Todd Warfield on Planned Parenthood's services:
Todd Warfield on Planned Parenthood's services:
According
to Warfield, women between the ages of 20 and 25 make-up 83 percent of the
patients who are seen at Planned Parenthood. Warfield believes that Planned
Parenthood serves a huge need in the community.
Due to
many of the patients relying on Planned Parenthood as their only health care
provider, the resources and care that the organization offers is significant
for them to receive. An estimated 1 in 5 women in the U.S. has visited a
Planned Parenthood health center at least once in her life.
To strip
Planned Parenthood’s rights to accept certain individual’s health care
insurance means a huge population of patients would be restricted from receiving
any health care, the organization’s leaders fear.
"I
don't think it's a good idea because you have those who cannot afford it out of
pocket going there. It’s restricting women from a lot of resources that they
may need in terms of benefiting their health. I don't think it is fair for
anyone to feel that they have restrictions on their health,” West Side resident
and Planned Parenthood patient, Alexis DePaulo said.
Doreen
Adjei, West Side resident and a long-term patient of Planned Parenthood, says
if this plan of attack follows through, she will no longer have an affordable
place to go to take care of her health issues.
"I feel
terrible about it. I feel that it's the only place where young teenage girls
feel comfortable going to get the help that they need. For myself, being a
young teenage girl, a lot of the time I am hesitant about sharing information
to my father. Having Planned Parenthood is assuring because I know my health
will be in someone’s care. Restricting that from individuals I don't think is
fair,” said Adjei said.
As the Trump administration still
continues to work to “defund” Planned Parenthood, West Side residents and women
worldwide will continue to take a stand against the
government in order to ensure that the affordable services the organization
provides can stay in tact.