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TBH (To Be Honest) is a monthly newsletter dedicated to learning about our bodies, talking about sex and relationships, and challenging health inequity and injustice.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

"Defund" + At-home cancer screenings + Medicaid

"In more than a century of empowering people with the care and resources they need, Planned Parenthood has faced unending attacks and setbacks. And always, we kept fighting. We'll keep fighting now. We know you're counting on us. We will not let you down."

– Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of

Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Learn more about Planned Parenthood's response to recent threats to care.

From the blog…

President Trump signed a bill passed by his backers in Congress to "defund" Planned Parenthood — but we're still here. Hear directly from PPFA's president and CEO, Alexis McGill Johnson, about Congress and the Trump administration's recent attack on Planned Parenthood health centers and patients.

Read more on the blog >>

What we're watching, reading, listening to, and taking action on:

ICYMI: Recent attacks threaten to block more than 1 million patients from getting essential care at Planned Parenthood health centers, like cancer screenings, STI testing, birth control, and more. Here’s what you need to know:

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially blocked South Carolinians who rely on Medicaid from getting care at Planned Parenthood health centers in the state. The Court ruled that people with Medicaid insurance can't sue over their right to see their preferred health care provider. The ruling could open the door to similar attacks on patients in other states.

Last week, President Trump signed a bill to "defund" Planned Parenthood by preventing people from using Medicaid to get care at Planned Parenthood health centers. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law on Monday for now. Health centers are still open and seeing patients in person and online.

Let's be clear: We've faced setbacks and attacks before, but we never back down. Planned Parenthood has been dedicated to protecting care for over a century — and that's not stopping any time soon.

Get the latest updates and support our lawsuit against the Trump administration by texting BRIEF to 22422. (Msg freq varies. Text STOP to quit. Msg&DataRatesMayApply. wearepp.org/terms, wearepp.org/privacy)

Despite these devastating attacks, there's still good news to celebrate:

The FDA approved the U.S.'s first alternative, at-home Pap test, a self-collection device called the Teal Wand. A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that self-collection kits could improve cancer screening rates.

Sometimes, the path to victory is long. After more than 10 years of fighting, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an attempt to revive Montana's parental consent law, which required minors seeking abortions to get their parents' permission!

Abortion bans were struck down in Missouri and Wisconsin last week! A judge enforced Missouri's abortion rights amendment and blocked the state's restrictive abortion laws (for the second time!). And the Wisconsin Supreme Court officially struck down a 176-year-old abortion ban, which brought abortion access to a halt in the state in 2022 until a lower court ruling blocked the ban in 2023.

We're listening to: The Network, a new podcast from NPR and Futuro Media that spans decades to trace the history of abortion networks and activism in the Americas.

We love this comic from Pan Cooke (@thefakepan) that illustrates (literally!) the devastating reality of what it means to "defund" Planned Parenthood.

Ask the Experts:

Can I go to Planned Parenthood health centers if I use Medicaid?

The bill that President Trump signed last week to "defund" Planned Parenthood blocks people from using their Medicaid to get care at Planned Parenthood health centers.

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit to stop the law, and a judge ruled that, at least for now, this law will not go into effect.

Despite this recent attack on Planned Parenthood, health centers are still providing health care including cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing. You should contact your local Planned Parenthood health center — they're there to help you get the care you need.

We'll continue to fight this unconstitutional, targeted attack on your health care and your rights — and that means things might change rapidly.

Every person, no matter where they live, what kind of care they need, or how much money they have, should be able to get high-quality, affordable health care.

*Note: Planned Parenthood is not responsible for nor does it endorse any legal, medical, or other advice or information provided by any of the entities identified or referenced herein or by any other third parties, whether referenced herein or not.

Check out Ask the Experts for more Q&As on a ton of different health topics.
Got a question in mind? Ask Roo, our sex ed chatbot.

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