choose when and whether to be a parent is to keep her a slave

to her reproductive organs and deny her the opportunity to

fully participate in society.

exhausting and frightening,

Edelin explained that he

was inspired and energized by the thousands who wrote letters

of support and who sent contributions to his defense fund. In

the end, he explained, not only was he exonerated; the

exposure has offered him a continuing opportunity to speak

out and advocate for the right to reproductive choice.

With the end of the program, guests were treated to a fabulous

array of desserts and had an opportunity to purchase Dr.

Edelin’s book and have it autographed before leaving. Overall,

quick review of events

that had taken place

throughout this

anniversary year, and

then introduced the

speaker.

Dr. Edelin began his re-

marks with a strong

call to action. Every day, he ex-

plained, anti-choice members

UHPP’s wonderful 75th Anniversary year is

drawing to an end! Co-chaired by 11 former

UHPP Board Chairpersons, it has been a joyful,

extended celebration of all that we have

achieved over the last three-quarters of a

century.

of her experience as a young lawyer arguing the

case that dramatically changed women’s lives.

Her warmth, humor and high energy set the

stage for a year that honored our history and

embraced our future.

In the spring, we connected with supporters

throughout our communities. Once again, we

shared a delightful brunch with our Columbia

County friends at the Blue Plate Restaurant,

hosted by long-time supporter Judy Grunberg.

the new President of The Sage Colleges,

addressed us and shared her experiences

working in family planning in Central America.

Nearly 75 former and current staff and

volunteers celebrated our 75th at an alumni

event in August.

During the months of October and November,

the EBA Dance Studio, Albany Law School and

the Sage Colleges all hosted the UHPP photo

history exhibit. This spectacular display,

If traveling by CDTA bus in Albany is a part of your

daily routine, then during the months of November

and December you will be sure to see our new

effective way to prevent some types of cervical

cancer and genital warts and to inform them that

UHPP is offering the vaccine absolutely FREE.

found themselves without health insurance and have, therefore, started to put off important annual

health exams and screenings. A new UHPP marketing campaign, launched in partnership with

Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson, Inc., advises women in the greater Capital Region, “Don’t Skip

It” but “Switch It to Planned Parenthood.” Free services are available to many women and men who

do not have health insurance—or who have only partial insurance coverage—through the Family

Planning Benefit Program. This program covers gynecological exams, Pap smear screening for

cervical cancer, birth control information and supplies, and even testing and treatment for sexually

transmitted infections (STIs, also known as STDs) if done as a part of a birth control/family

planning visit. If a UHPP enrollment counselor determines that someone is not eligible for

coverage, the patient can still receive services at a reduced cost based on level of income.

tutes of Health, UHPP is collaborating with

the University at Albany on an exciting

research project called the Women’s

Health Project. The project goal identifies

effective strategies to assist women in

overcoming barriers to seeking reproduc-

tive health care and focuses on the city of

Hudson in Columbia County. Past research

has shown that many women in need of

free or low cost reproductive health care

will be set up at Bliss Towers and staffed by community outreach

associate Jeanette Johnson. Jeanette is also collaborating with

Columbia County Community Healthcare Consortium, Columbia

County Department of Health, Columbia Memorial Hospital,

Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, Operation

Unite Education and Cultural Arts Center, Overcomers

Ministries International, and UHPP.

On October 6, 2009, seven local clergy members participated in

a UHPP-sponsored “All Options Counseling” training provided

by Rev. Matthew Westfox of the Religious Coalition for

Reproductive Choice. The all-day training was designed to help

clergy members respond to and support women and families

facing a pregnancy that is either unwelcome or problematic.

Many of the clergy who participated will now join others in a

referral list our clinicians are able to provide to patients who

merger of Northeast Health,

S

Systems in Rensselaer

County.

Specifically, the meeting was

called to provide an

opportunity for the public to

raise concerns regarding the

agreement by Northeast Health that the new not-for-profit parent

A special thanks to the 30 UHPP staff and volunteers who

participated in AIDSWalk 2009 or supported the UHPP team.

Together we raised more than $955 for HIV/AIDS services in the

Capital Region. Particular thanks go to Katherine S. Bruno, Rob

Curry, Chris Thompson and Lester Zaborski who each raised

over $100. Half of the total funds raised will be returned to UHPP

by CARES/CAP-CR, the Walk’s sponsoring organization, to

support our annual participation in FREE HIV Testing Day next

June.

Student activism for

educational events. After

several years of struggle, a

VOX chapter has been formed

at Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute and has hosted an

escort training and advocated

with the health center for better

access to contraception.

Pro-choice students at Albany Law School and AlbanyMedical

College have hosted speakers and distributed information about

of care and the impact on

a

ccess to comprehensive

services, especially for women

of reproductive age, for those

by Catholic doctrine, and for

those facing end-of-life deci-

sions. For more information

about the forum and the proposed merger, go to

http://www.plannedparenthood.org /uhpp/meetings-events-

27046.htm.

Have you seen the UHPP S.T.A.R.S. peer educators? S.T.A.R.S.

stands for Seriously Talking About Responsible Sex and if you

live or work in Albany or Columbia County, you might very easily

run across these high-school students in their bright t-shirts

doing just that—talking to teens and adults about sexual health

and responsibility. Since welcoming a new group of peer

educators this fall, S.T.A.R.S activities have included staffing our

table at the Columbia County Fair over Labor Day weekend,

participating in the Capital Region AIDSWalk, attending the

traveling production of The Color Purple at Proctor’s Theater in

and conduct demonstrations at our weekly teen clinics, and

provide a regular presence at community events and fairs. Every

year, our peer educators interact with over 5,000 people including

teens, parents, faith communities, school officials, health and

human service providers, people living with HIV/AIDS,

individuals with special needs, and elected officials.

All of this activity sounds like a lot of fun—and it is! But it is also

part of a well researched and carefully organized approach to

teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI)

prevention called Positive Youth Development or PYD. PYD is an

education and prevention model used by UHPP which focuses

on helping young people to reach their full potential.

Gretchen Brown, UHPP’s Community Based Adolescent

Pregnancy Prevention (CBAPP) Director, has seen the impact of

PYD on many successive groups of S.T.A.R.S. peer educators.

“There is more than meets the eye when you see our S.T.A.R.S.

peer educators engaging youth and their family members in fun

activities like our “Wheel of Choices” game. As they prepare and

Meaghan Carroll, Albany S.T.A.R.S. Peer Education Facilitator, is

also a strong proponent of the PYD model. “The activities offer

our teens the opportunity to plan an activity and then see the

positive results. By traveling to places they have never been, and

meeting new and interesting people, they learn to appreciate

diversity and become open to opportunities for growth and

change. When teens are learning and growing in this way—

when they can see the results of their work—they begin to plan

for the future and begin to make better, more thoughtful

decisions about their health.”