The core purpose of this Community Assessment paper is to address any one of the many topics from Healthy people 2020. The one topic that stuck out to me most was Family planning. Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine the spacing of pregnancies. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of infertility (Family planning/ Contraception, 2018). This practice has helped strengthen individuals’ rights to make such a choice. Unfortunately, however, this practice has been disregarded among many particular groups. As a result of this malpractice, irresponsible individuals, who do not know care about its relevance the least are having children at an alarming rate and are unable to provide for their children. This very tradition has contributed to the ruining of the essence of neighborhoods like my own, which ultimately is critical for the fabric of a sound and nurturing family unit. In this paper, I will discuss the available resources, resolutions, and stigmas that have plagued my community, while at the same time providing awareness and insight as to why this practice is absent among particular groups. Ultimately, the aim is to bring this topic to the forefront, in hopes of changing the community’s outlook on its improper family planning customs and revealing the many advantages of this practice. In an attempt of doing so I will gather statistical data of the benefits of Family planning hoping to put into perspective the importance of planning a family has on our culture. Eventually, what I hope to accomplish is to make the future generation aware of the road that lies ahead if failing to plan for a family and the increased difficulties that come with having limited resources when raising a family.
Unfortunately, due to this negligent practice of non-family planning, teenage pregnancy has rocked minority communities nationwide. Sadly New York’s own, The Bronx, or otherwise known as the “boogie-down”, tops the charts with teenage pregnancies (Axelbank, 2014). To get a better image of why the Bronx holds the number one spot, exploring the south Bronx more in detail is imperative to understand this behavior. The south Bronx is an area in which I hold in high regard, it is where I reside, work and study. The Bronx as a whole is considered to be the largest borough of them all; however, there are different regions of the Bronx, the south Bronx for instance, consists of neighborhoods such as Concourse, Mott Haven, Melrose, Port Morris, Belmont, Castle Hill, Crotona Park East, High-Bridge, Hunts Point, Longwood, Morrisania and Soundview are regarded as the South Bronx. Originally referring to the industrial area, below East 138th Street, the name 'South Bronx' symbolically has had its northern boundary shift northward to East 149th Street, East 161st Street, the Cross Bronx Expressway, and Fordham Road over the years (City-data, 2014). The south Bronx, the birthplace of hip-hop has now become the place where babies are having babies.
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Woefully, this place of such rich history and beauty is the Mecca for failed Family Planning. The Bronx’s teenage pregnancy epidemic, it has also help raise the poverty rate in the borough. Unfortunately, the Bronx is by far the poorest borough in the city; it has seen the slowest in economic growth since 2002. Unlike boroughs like Staten Island and Brooklyn, the Bronx has yet to bounce back from the recession. Instead, household incomes continue to plummet (Wisnieski, 2011). Sadly enough, where poverty exist resources lack, simply because resources, such as Family planning, teen sex education etc. require federal funding, and in communities like the south Bronx federal-funded programs are simply nonexistent. Neighborhoods like New York’s, south Bronx, sadly is not a priority of the U.S government and being limited to such resources is non-beneficial to the community. Results have proven that federally funded family planning programs contribute tremendously to the reduction of children in poverty as much adults in poverty (Axelbank, 2014). Having fewer children increases a child chance of a better life, which leads to high investment in children, whereas, financial difficulties may lead poorer families to underinvest in their children. Due to unwanted or untimely childbearing, which are factors that drive many families into poverty and keep them in that very situation; Family planning is crucial to our society.
Sadly, with the lack of available resources, it is almost certain that poverty is guaranteed if the practice of family planning continues to get out of hand. I for one have witnessed its effects firsthand on my daily strolls through the many areas of the south Bronx. For instance, In the Concourse section, there is ruggedness about the community members and a sense of hopelessness due to their situation. In the south Bronx, no two neighborhoods are much different just that boundaries separate them. For many individuals, attempting to escape their reality is almost impossible and, unfortunately, for others, they have become immune to their circumstances. Visualizing the image of struggle along with the absence of hope that plagues communities like mine leave me to wonder how people have still managed to not take the issue of Family Planning seriously. Unfortunately, though the blame cannot solely be placed on the community, but on the community leaders as well. Communities like the south Bronx are forgotten as I like to call it “the lost borough” is not important until election time comes around. During this time in which politician sells dreams simply to earn votes and win the election.
However, with the likes of individuals like Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz, who seems to be taking initiative to better serve these less fortunate communities. Programs are being implemented and this is a joint effort teaming up with the DOH along with the Department of Education to ensure that sex education curriculum be taught in ninth and tenth-grade classrooms at 20 different Bronx high schools. This program called “Reducing the Risk,” the lesson plans will stress the importance of using birth control and condoms, the risks involved in sexual activity and the benefits of waiting until they’re ready to have sex and most importantly prevent early parenthood (Focus on teen Reproductive Health, 2012). A similar curriculum will be introduced through the city’s Administration for Children’s Services to reach teens in foster care. “We want to help young people reach their full potential and make better choices in life,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who is a partner in the program. “I believe that this community effort will help our youth improve their knowledge and understanding about sexual health, making them more confident to make the choices that are right for them.”
Undoubtedly, Family planning is one of the most important themes of our culture and services for family planning have become available in abundance due to its past limited access in communities, particularly of color. These resources include contraceptive services, pregnancy testing and counseling, broader reproductive health services, patient education and counseling, breast and pelvic examinations, Breast and cervical cancer screening, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention education, and referrals (Department of Health, 2016). The lack of planning between two adults can have a detrimental effect on their relationship as well as their children. In addition, financial deficiency can result in limited access to resources and ultimately affect the upbringing of children, which inevitably decreases their likelihood of a productive life. Unfortunately, children of color are more likely to be bought into a world of suffering because of their parent’s ignorance. As we’ve witnessed time and time again those, who fail to follow the Planned Parenthood guidelines are almost certain to fall victim of impoverished circumstances.
Furthermore, family planning services allows individuals to achieve desired birth spacing and family size, and contribute to improved health outcomes for infants, children, women, and families (Healthy People, 2020). Although, these resources are available in staggering numbers, how likely are they used by individuals of low socioeconomic status? Sadly most of these available resources are not utilized as often as they should be, especially in brown and black communities and as result teenage pregnancy have become an epidemic. Due to the increase in sexually active teenagers, who are unfamiliar with the benefits of an organization such as Planned Parenthood, they will lack both the resources and alternatives that are available to them.
Regrettably, however, resources such as Planned Parenthood will soon be a thing of the past because of our current administration's attitude on the issue. The President’s stance against the rights of women and what they do with their bodies is disheartening. Unfortunately, President Trump hopes to do away with almost all available resources that can prevent teenagers into early parenthood. Organizations funded by U.S. global health programs may now lose federal funding for providing, advocating, or even talking about safe legal abortion. This policy will impact healthcare access provided by over 1,200 organizations (Trump’s Attacks on Access to Birth Control, 2016). Resources such as Planned Parenthood, which has helped decrease teenage pregnancy dramatically, will soon be abolished. As we know family planning agencies have helped give individuals a second chance and also educate them on the seriousness of parenthood; resulting in people becoming more proactive in limiting their chances of having children in poverty and simply waiting. Individuals must know that family planning is a right of their own and that someone as important as the president should not have the power of taking that right away. Becoming parents at a very young age is a recipe for disaster and in doing away with such resources will lead a generation to make the very same mistakes their parents and grandparents made.
The reality is that Planned Parenthood provides individuals with options they otherwise cannot afford and President Trump ending such an important resource would ultimately have a negative effect on those individuals who stand to benefit the most, minorities.
Implementing such a law as the gag rule, President Trump’s primary focus is complete control. The new rules, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year, prohibit Title X grantees from providing or referring patients for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency (McCammon, 2019). The “gag” rule prohibits Planned Parenthood or any other agency running Title X programs from referring their clients to an abortion clinic. Unfortunately, Family Planning has become politicized in a negative light, where extreme right anti-abortionists, who is Trump based has forced his hand and he must succumb to their desires. Thus this federal law states, that abortions cannot be offered as a service at Planned Parenthood. Rather than abide by that of the “Gag” rule, Planned Parenthood have chosen to not participate in the federal Title X planning grant program (Wisnieski, 2011).
UnfoYou see family Planning is critical for the fabric of a sound nurturing family unit. As a result of President Trump’s anti-abortion, anti-women’s rights Rhetoric teenagers ‘from all over the country, more so in my neighborhood are discovered another alternative, which is birthing a contraceptive craze Bronx, but of the Bronx entirely have found alternative ways to terminate the pregnancy, which has helped spawn another crisis. In urban communities, Planned Parenthood is more important because of the high number of teenage pregnancies and the consequences thereafter. Children having children is the destruction of a society and parents who bring children into a world of poverty and ignorance will promulgate the same poverty and ignorance unto the next generation
Blockage of this will result in our society moving backward imperative to and the many blocks the issues has experienced. Although this issue is a key to many issue like teen pregnancy, abortion are not the best alternative for teens due to the substantial amount of damage it does to the anatomy of the female it does however give young women the chance to learn from their irresponsibility and understand the seriousness of safe sex and ot planning
patine of the counter contraceptives such as Plan. , which damages create hormone imbalances etc. Period of controlling women and what they do with their body’s. The disparities between white vs. African American and Latina are significant and it’s not a surprise that the Bronx has the highest teen pregnancy rates and also the lowest graduation rates of all the boroughs (Axelbank, 2018). Trump’s anti-abortion rhetoric has help spawned the epidemic of babies having babies
Surprisingly their been a sudden decrease in chil birth because we are now understanding the importance in neighborhoods like the south Bronx
References
- Axelbank, G., Axelbankhttp, G., &Axelbank, G. (2014, June 8). The Bronx Leads the City With Effective Teen Pregnancy Program. Retrieved from https://www.thisisthebronx.info/the-bronx-leads-the-way-on-successful-teen-pregnancy-program/.
- Department of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/program/longterm/familyplanbenprog.htm.
- Family planning/Contraception. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception.
- Healthy People 2020.(n.d.).Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/.
- McCammon, S. (2019, August 19). Planned Parenthood Withdraws From Title X Program Over Trump Abortion Rule. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2019/08/19/752438119/planned-parenthood-out-of-title-x-over-trump-rule
- News, admin W. to the N. (2012, February 22). Local Initiative Puts Focus on Teens' Reproductive Health. Retrieved from https://www.norwoodnews.org/id=6260&story=local-initiative-puts-focus-on-teens-reproductive-health/.
- Parenthood, P. (n.d.).Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/.
- Parenthood, P. (n.d.). Timeline: Trump's Attacks on Access to Birth Control. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/fight-for-birth-control/facts/timeline-trumps-attacks-access-birth-control.
- Wisnieski, A. (n.d.). Bronx leads all boroughs on poverty. Retrieved from https://riverdalepress.com/stories/Bronx-leads-all-boroughs-on-poverty,49286.
- Tweet Data.gov @usdatagov, Data.gov @usdatagov, & Data.gov. (2014, January 9). Cities.Retrieved from https://www.data.gov/cities/.
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