In March of 2019, I packed my bags and moved to Paris. The thing that shocked me the most wasn’t the incredible food, or the difficult and confusing French language, but the universal access to healthcare. In France, healthcare is a fundamental human right. I live in a country where healthcare and a woman’s right to manage her reproductive health are not questioned.
In striking contrast, I look across the ocean and see my own government singling out Planned Parenthood by placing a “Gag Rule” on the Title X program that provides affordable birth control and reproductive health care to people with low incomes. “The Gag Rule” bans doctors in Title X from telling women how they can safely and legally access abortions, making it impossible for Planned Parenthood to help women and families in this program, and prevents patients from obtaining the information and education necessary to make the best choice for themselves.
Planned Parenthood provides more than just family planning services. Over 5.8 million people a year use Planned Parenthood for services including pap smears, mammograms, diabetes screenings, STD testing, and vaccinations. The “Gag Rule” puts these essential services at risk too.
This year, 2020, I will be running the Paris Marathon on April 5th to raise money for Planned Parenthood and do my part to continue to fund an organization that is a vital part of the livelihood for so many women, men, children and families. My goal is to raise $2,020 because 2020 is an extremely important year for the United States as Americans go to the polls in November and vote on the future of healthcare in our country.
Please donate and also, don’t forget to vote!
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