As one of the larger affiliates, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern PA has a lot of areas to reach and incredible numbers of supporters to gain. The thought of not only having to contact so many people, but also having to convince them of the importance of these two bills, was daunting at the beginning of this internship. Fortunately, we have all been able to meet people who need and appreciate our services, which have definitely made the large task at hand seem more manageable.
The sheer scale of our turf guarantees that we come into contact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Witnessing the differences in attitudes and knowledge-levels about reproductive health has really highlighted the desperate need for comprehensive sex education in Pennsylvania, especially in Philadelphia. Last weekend we tabled at a local community fair in northern Philadelphia, and I can’t even count how many times I was asked, by adults, what is was that we were handing out (they were condoms). One man of about fifty looked at our “swag” and asked if we were handing out teabags. I was shocked; how could adults not recognize a male condom?
It isn’t just in inner-city neighborhoods where our services are needed, either. When Anna and I were canvassing in a pretty wealthy town we met a mother who was caring for her drug-addicted daughter’s four children. Before she allowed her grandchildren to see their mother again, this woman wanted her daughter to have a complete bill of health, and was extremely interested in the services Planned Parenthood could provide her. This goes to show that our services and advocacy efforts are not only needed in the poorer neighborhoods of large cities like Philadelphia, as I’m sure many assume, but in more affluent and seemingly “better off” areas as well.
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