Teens Demonstrate in Hudson Today to Say Women's Health Matters in Health Care Reform

ALBANY, NY (09/02/2009)(readMedia)-- Today, Tuesday, September 2, from 4:00 to 5:30pm, high school peer educators and staff members from the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Columbia County S.T.A.R.S. (Seriously Talking About Responsible Sex) program will stage a visibility event at the Seventh Street Park in downtown Hudson to call attention to health care reform and how it could impact access to reproductive health care services.

Letycia Tillman is a senior at Hudson High School and a third year member of the S.T.A.R.S. peer education program. This past summer, she joined local peer educator Angela Mathew and more than two hundred teens and colleges students from around the country at a conference in Washington D.C. to learn about how health care reform might affect their lives and the lives of their families and friends.

While in Washington, she also met with Congressmen Paul Tonko and Scott Murphy. According to Nicole Dallas, UHPP Education staff, "Our representatives in the Capitol were very impressed with the teens' knowledge of, and passion for, these issues. They shared personal stories from their work as peer educators and demonstrated just how much teens need access to confidential, affordable services and age-appropriate information.

Letycia feels strongly about what she has observed in the health care debate so far. " I feel there are a lot of people talking about all the bad things related to health care reform, but I think we need health care reform and that overall it should be a good thing. I get frustrated that some people focus on just a few small things and try to use those small issues to get their way. For instance, lots of teens I know go to Planned Parenthood. Teens go there to get free or low cost services and because they trust those services to be confidential. Teens feel secure because there are other teens there to talk to, and the nurses are friendly. Lots of girls and even older women would not get these services if they did not go to Planned Parenthood. "

Letycia will be gathering petitions today at the S.T.A.R.S. event. "We want to make sure that health care reform includes coverage for all reproductive health care services and that people can still go to Planned Parenthood. Some people are using the one issue of abortion to try and get Planned Parenthood and reproductive services removed from coverage. This would be really bad for lots of people. That's what I told my Congressman and why I want people to pay attention and speak up."

Letycia, Hillary and Nicole returned to Columbia County and shared their new knowledge with other members of the S.T.A.R.S. program. The entire group decided to give these issues more visibility by staging an event in Hudson. Some will be holding signs such as "Women's Health Matters" and " Health Care Reform Must Include all Communities". Others will encourage passers-by to sign petitions to support their concerns.

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Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP) is a community-based non-profit organization providing advocacy, education and medical services for reproductive health care since 1934. In 2008, over 11,000 patients made 22,257 visits to UHPP health centers located in Albany, Hudson and Troy. UHPP health educators present over 500 education programs reaching over 6,000 youth and young adults each year. UHPP services are delivered with special concern for the underserved.