Dee's Story
I am 45 years old now. My experience with Planned Parenthood was in my late teens and early 20s.

I was introduced to Planned Parenthood in my mid-teens for sex education, birth control, and healthcare. I had my 1st child at 17 years old, and it was Planned Parenthood that gave me the pregnancy test confirming that I was, in fact, pregnant. Planned Parenthood gave me the space to process what I was facing before informing the other people in my circle. I was given information for OBGYNs, and an internal exam to ensure that everything was ok with the pregnancy at that point (a pain I described could have been a warning sign of an ectopic pregnancy). I had not mentioned a desire for an abortion, and neither did they.

Later, after that pregnancy, I did ask about abortion options and was given information for several centers, what the process entailed, etc. I never felt like anyone was trying to advise me on how to make decisions; I was simply informed. I saw Planned Parenthood as a safe open place to get fact-based information, compassionate care, and people that treated me as a whole person rather than a child. I was grateful to have this resource at such a confusing time in my life, and I will always support what they do!