|
|
Greetings! 
As you have hopefully heard, on October 13, 2011 Memphis Center for Reproductive Health became CHOICES! Over the past few years, as we began to focus more on pregnancy prevention and planning we also started listening to what else our patients wanted and needed.
Who was reaching out to new immigrant communities to determine their reproductive health needs? Where could men go for nonjudgmental STI testing and treatment? Where could same-sex couples go for fertility services? Where could transgender patients go for hormone management? Who was doing free HIV testing for every patient? Who was talking with teens about normal reproductive development? Who was offering comprehensive pregnancy options counseling? We realized a lot of needs were not being met. So we set out to create a model of reproductive health care that reflects the real needs of women, men, and teens in our community.
As CHOICES we now provide adolescent reproductive health visits, PAPs and colposcopies, fertility assistance including inseminations, HIV testing, reproductive health services for people living with HIV/AIDS, HPV vaccinations, lesbian and gay sexual health visits, transgender healthcare, miscarriage management, menopause management, comprehensive pregnancy options counseling, first trimester abortion care, training of medical students and advanced nurse practitioners, and of course our Caminos Paralelos project which focuses on the Memphis Latino community. We also plan to include prenatal care and mid-wife deliveries by 2013.
Our new name expresses the values that the Center has held for almost 40 years. That people have the right to make choices in their lives and in their health care - - that we all deserve choices!
Rebecca L. Terrell
Executive Director |
|
|
New Online Latino Resource Center
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has released a new one-stop online destination for information about teen and unplanned pregnancy among U.S. Latinos. The Latino Resource Center contains a wealth of materials and activities to initiate and/or supplement existing efforts to address teen pregnancy in the Latino community. Materials will continue to be added to the Resource Center over time. To get more information or to submit materials you would like to consider adding email Ann Marie Benitez. |
|
Reproductive Health Feature of the Month: The facts about Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception (EC) is a method to prevent pregnancy in women who have had unprotected sex or when birth control methods have failed. It may be used after a sexual assault or rape, when a condom breaks or a diaphragm slips out of place, when a woman forgets to take birth control pills or is late for a depo shot or when you have sex and did not use any birth control.
Anyone over the age of 17 can obtain emergency contraception without an appointment, a prescription or a visit with a medical practitioner. Emergency Contraception also known as the Plan B is available at CHOICES for $40.00 for one (1) pack or $60.00 for two (2) packs.
More important information
- Using EC may change the time of the month when you can become pregnant.
- After you use EC, you must take extra care to use birth control every time you have sex, especially until you get your next period.
- If you have unprotected sex again, be sure to take EC again.
- You have the best chance of taking EC immediately after unprotected sex if you have it on hand before you need it. Get it today. Always keep it handy.
- EC never protects against sexually transmitted infection. Always use a condom.
- Plan B is safe and effective when taken according to directions.
- Research shows that emergency birth control works the same way as regular birth control pills.
- Emergency birth control DOES NOT cause an abortion. It will not work if you are already pregnant.
|
QUE PASA MEMPHIS (formerly Calendario Memphis) is a bilingual service for everyone in Memphis and the Mid-South who is interested in Hispanic/Latino and Latin American culture, the advancement of Memphis's Latino community, the Spanish language, the other cultural strands that make up the broader community, and genuine intercultural communication. To view the events currently on the calender or if you would like to announce an event in QUÉ PASA MEMPHIS visit the site at www.quepasamemphis.net. We look forward to all the great happenings ahead!
|
|
|
|
|
CHOICES is an independent, non-profit organization providing reproductive health care, community education, and working to protect reproductive freedom, justice and equality.
Hablamos Español
LGBT friendly
Teens are like totally welcome
|
| Caminos Paralelos Project Lunch and Learns
CHOICES staff has been busy educating medical service providers in Memphis serving large Latino client populations about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health care. We have provided lunch and learn opportunities to St. Jude's staff, Shelby County Health Department: Family Planning Group and to the staff at Get Well Community Clinic. Topics covered in the sessions have included: - HIV/AIDS Starter Facts for Providers
- Reproductive Choice and Family Planning for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS
- Fostering Dual Protection Among Patients for STIs, including HIV, and Pregnancy Prevention
These sessions have been conducted on site and a wonderful lunch provided by a Project Greenfork restaurant has been provided. Here is what some participants had to say...
"I learned about different methods of protecting the baby from getting HIV"
"I liked how informative it was especially for HIV+ women who still want to carry out their dreams for motherhood"
"The information given was useful and I think it was presented in a way that is easy for all of our staff to understand."
To discuss scheduling this series of learning opportunities for your own staff email Katy Leopard or call 274-3550 x104.
|
|
