First Person: I Raised Thousands for Susan G. Komen and I Need Planned Parenthood

Since my days as a high school student, I have raised about $3,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This includes my effort to participate in the Philadelphia Susan G. Komen 3-Day, an extended version of the popular breast cancer awareness walks. (Because I did not raise the full amount required, I was not allowed to participate in the walk.) I was extremely disappointed to learn that now the Susan G. Komen for the Cure intends to deny previously available funding for breast cancer prevention screenings to Planned Parenthood.

Why I Need Planned Parenthood

I like to be responsible. Despite chronic pain experienced as a result of multiple car accidents, I did not quit my full-time office job until I was covered under my husband's insurance. But like so many in this economy, he lost his job-and the associated health benefits. COBRA benefits were unaffordable, and most out-of-pocket plans would have cost us more than our rent.

He is employed again now at a job he loves, but that job unfortunately does not cover spouses on their health insurance plans. (I am now a full-time freelance writer working mostly from home.)

As a result, I need Planned Parenthood. Since losing my insurance, I have used Planned Parenthood's affordable services for:

• Acquisition of birth control
  
• Yearly wellness visits
  
• Obtaining oral medication for a common non-STD infection
  
• Switching methods of birth control due to missed periods not caused by pregnancy or stress
  
• Health assessment and suggested corrections so that I can have a safe and healthy pregnancy and child
  

Note: I have never had a pregnancy or an abortion. Planned Parenthood staff have helped me make responsible and informed choices about when to have children and how to do so in a healthy way.

My Experience

Planned Parenthood offered better service than any private office I've visited. The staff took more time to ensure accuracy in paperwork. Basic check-up items such as blood pressure and weight were checked twice for accuracy. The building I went to happened to be an all-female staff, which also set me at ease.

No one tried to rush me out (that had also happened at private offices) and I was never made to feel like I had asked a dumb or stupid question.

Financial Help

Planned Parenthood offers rates based upon a sliding scale. They didn't make me feel bad for not having insurance-a situation I can't control. Instead, they ensured that I filled out the form completely. I found that I was able to pay fees on a sliding scale after showing my husband's unemployment compensation paperwork and proof of my income and graduate student status.

This made my visit affordable and I was able to afford a more expensive brand of birth control pill. Because I was having issues with the less expensive brand, this was very important to me.

Health Necessity

If not for a visit to Planned Parenthood, I would not have learned about my high blood pressure. This was something I was able to fix on my own with diet and exercise. Had I not learned about it when I went in, it could have led to costly health issues later.

I also had the chance to learn that I was free of certain cancers. Because of age and family history, it is recommended that I have my first mammogram on my next visit. Planned Parenthood does not offer mammograms, which is apparently the additional reason Komen's spokesperson gives for defunding the clinic.

I had two close friends lose their mothers to breast cancer when I was in high school. Both of these moms were strong and courageous and had money to afford medical care. They struggled with the disease and lost their battles. This is what compelled me to raise money for the cure.

Technology has advanced since then, but prevention is still extremely important in treating breast cancer. At Planned Parenthood, staff take the time to show women how to do proper self-exams and they give women the information they need to get mammograms. Unlike many medical facilities, Planned Parenthood doesn't just hand you a referral or prescription, assuming you have the means and resources to acquire whatever they give you.

Instead, they find an affordable option for you-and they listen. After raising so much money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, I'm hurt that they will not continue to fund Planned Parenthood. I'm angry that the money people raise and donate is going to a public relations war instead of finding a cure for cancer. This is my health and my body: I do have the right to take it personally.

This is about what cancer really is in every aspect-a pervasive disease that spreads if left untreated. I now feel like a potential victim, ashamed of once supporting the very organization that could have minimized my risks but now chooses not to.

I want to continue to raise money to find a cure for cancer. However, it seems like Planned Parenthood is continually under attack, putting women's health care access at risk. In the future, I will split my fundraising efforts between Planned Parenthood and a different, more reputable charity searching for a cure.

More from Tara M. Clapper:

The Yearly Checkup: Seeing the OB/GYN When You Have No Health Insurance

On Being a Woman

Three Travel Tips for Couples: Avoiding Fights While On Vacation