Take a Bow for Today's Komen Victory

Never doubt that your voice makes a difference. Thanks to your swift action, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has issued a statement reversing the decision that de-funded Planned Parenthood.

We are thankful for all of the support we received. As always, it’s individuals like you who demonstrate the need—and overwhelming support—for health services and policies that meet the real-life needs of women and young people. And together, we’ve achieved success:

  • When our Member Associations began distributing contraception nearly 60 years ago, they were met with opposition. Today, nearly all governments in the region fund family planning programs.
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  • When the rights of young people in Guatemala were being pushed aside, our youth advocates demanded sexuality education. Today, the government has committed to reaching all young people with the information they need to navigate adolescence in good health.
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  • When our partner CIES set out to provide HPV vaccines for girls in rural Bolivia, they were met with protests from local communities. Today, CIES has vaccinated more than 87,000 girls.

Achieving our vision—a world where all people have access to the information, services, and rights they need to live healthy and empowered lives—requires tenacity, energy, and innovation. More than anything, it requires a strong network of supporters that stand side-by-side with us.

As part of the IPPF/WHR family, we hope you will continue to:

      • Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and action opportunities.

      • Spread the word to your friends and networks and ask them to join us today.

      • Consider making a gift to IPPF/WHR. No gift is too small.

Thank you again for your support. Your solidarity means the world to us.

Don't Politicize Breast Exams

Yesterday, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world's largest breast cancer charity, announced it will no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates that provide cancer screenings to low-income women. Today, they are silently witnessing the depth of the public's outrage.

We believe developing strong partnerships that are committed to women's health is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do. We also believe that all women—whether they live in San Francisco or Santiago—deserve to have access to quality, affordable, and comprehensive care.

Until this vision is achieved, we will not back down. Whether standing up for abortion rights in Mexico or providing HPV vaccines for young women in Bolivia, we put the real-life needs of women first.

Stand in solidarity with us by writing a letter to Susan G. Komen for the Cure letting them know that breast care should not fall victim to politics. You can also make a donation to IPPF/WHR or our U.S. Member Association, Planned Parenthood.

Send a message that all women deserve quality care, and that this principle—above all—must guide our work and actions.

Stand Up for the Health of Women and Families Worldwide

In the wake of continuing assaults on women’s health and rights, we need your voice—and your passion—urgently.

As early as next week, the Senate will consider a bill that includes foreign assistance funding for critical programs for women in the developing world, including reproductive health. If the recent actions of the House of Representatives are a guide, we can expect efforts to cut funding for these lifesaving programs in the Senate too.

More than 215 million women currently want—but lack access to—modern contraception. What’s the cost? Not much—in fact, as New York Times columnist Joel Cohen recently wrote, fulfilling this unmet need would cost less than Americans were expected to spend for Halloween this year. Overall, family planning and reproductive health only account for a little over 1% of the total U.S. foreign operations budget.

Providing women with the sexual and reproductive health care they need and want is not only the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do. Research shows that if the unmet need was fulfilled:

An additional 53 million unintended pregnancies would be averted each year;

An additional 90,000 women’s lives would be saved; and

Nearly 600,000 newborn deaths would be averted

As a supporter of women’s rights, we need your voice! Our new Facebook Action Center makes reaching your Senator easier than ever. Click here to sign a petition and post it to your friends’ walls to spread the word and help us stop the attack on women’s health and rights.

These assaults on women’s well-being must stop. That’s why our commitment to securing a world of choice and opportunity must not retreat. Join us today.

Enough is Enough: Tell Congress You Support the Health of Women Worldwide

The Republican majority in Congress has launched an assault on women’s health.  

After an earlier attempt this term to block funding for Planned Parenthood in the United States, they have now set their sights on the largest global funder for reproductive health services.  

Representative Renee Ellmers (R-NC) has introduced legislation that would prohibit U.S. funding for the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA.  Because you care deeply about ensuring that all women have access to the tolls and information they need to protect their health and exercise their rights, I urge you to join us in taking action today.  

UNFPA provides sexual and reproductive health care to women and their families in about 150 countries.  These vital health services—including family planning, care during pregnancy and childbirth, and HIV prevention—reach millions each year and are essential for ensuring healthy families and strong communities.  

It's time to tell your representative that you care deeply about women's health and rights and that enough is enough! Click here to send a letter to your representative letting them know you care and that you're watching.

PROFAMIL Rebuilds
Dr. Gadner

“I am very grateful for IPPF/WHR because they helped Profamil after the earthquake. We hope to continue to receive support and expand services. Port-au-Prince was hit very hard and we hope to reach the people there and in other parts of the country in need.”

– PROFAMIL Executive Director, Dr. Michaud Gadner

August 19, 2010

Following the devastating January earthquake, our Member Association in Haiti, PROFAMIL, has been working diligently to get its feet back on the ground . IPPF/WHR and PROFAMIL have worked in close collaboration to get PROFAMIL’s services up and running, and they have made some amazing strides.

In the last few months PROFAMIL has grown tremendously, hiring a new Executive Director and three other key positions. Under its new leadership, PROFAMIL is again poised to be a key player in the provision of vital sexual and reproductive health services through its network of nearly 50 staff and community promoters.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, PROFAMIL offered basic health care. Yet now, given that an estimated 55% of people in the Haitian tent cities do not have access to sexual and reproductive health care, PROFAMIL is returning to its niche as a key provider of these services through it static and mobile health facilities.

PROFAMIL is currently replacing its temporary tent sites with more sturdy prefabricated structures which will fare better during the hurricane season. Three prefabricated structures will be strategically located near the tent cities in Port-au-Prince. One of these ready-made clinics will be situated on the site of the old building, which was damaged in the earthquake and is currently being demolished. The Port-au-Prince Youth Center stands adjacent to this prefabricated structure, thereby allowing youth easy access to a wide range of services. In Jacmel, PROFAMIL now occupies a centrally located building which houses a clinic, a laboratory, a youth center, and eventually a surgical facility.

PROFAMIL has re-established its youth program which includes: youth-friendly services, reproductive health education by youth themselves, and a variety of other activities directed towards empowering youth and improving their sexual health. Given the increased vulnerability of young girls in the post-crisis context, PROFAMIL’s youth program places a special emphasis on meeting the needs of young girls, to help them build their coping skills and know their rights. Violence against women has also increased dramatically and PROFAMIL is working to expand their capacity to meet this need.