UTK Planned Parenthood Generation Action Council

We’ve surely all heard the horror stories about bad s*x-ed in middle and high school from some of our peers - or at least laughed along with the mockery of American s*x-ed in Mean Girls. However, the issue of s*x education in schools is a serious one with some potentially serious consequences.
Comprehensive s*x ed in school is vital for young people to understand such important matters as human development, relationships, personal skills like communication and decision making, s*xual behavior and health, and society and culture. Lacking a whole, effective education on these topics can result in higher instances of teen pregnancy, poorer s*xual health, and more discomfort regarding one’s s*xual identity, as well as a whole host of other issues. Despite these risks, American teens are victims to a rise in abstinence-based s*x-ed and shameful views of s*xuality rather than being taught about birth control. Additionally, for young people whose s*xual preferences don’t fit into a cis- or heteronormative curriculum presented by their schools, they may not receive any relevant or accurate information about their s*xual health and development.
According to a 2018 study by SIECUS, a majority of parents report preferring safe-s*x education over abstinence education - regardless of political party affiliation. Why, then, are teens being taught to “just say no” rather than learning how to make safe, smart, and healthy decisions for themselves? The answer to that question largely lies in the fact that, for years, the federal government has put funding into abstinence-based “education”. In most cases, too, individual school districts are left to make s*x-ed decisions themselves - which often results in relying on what the higher government is promoting.
In order to combat some of the negative effects of insufficient (and even harmful) s*x-ed experiences, genact collaborates with other campus organizations and resident assistants to provide free, comprehensive education to UTK students and the surrounding areas.

It has long been held that health care is a human right, but an ongoing point of issue with this is the exclusion of reproductive and s*xual health care from this statement. In order for healthcare for all to truly be inclusive, people need equal access to comprehensive s*x education, access to birth control, and the freedom to choose an abortion. This means ensuring that the access is not dependent on factors such as socioeconomic status, race, gender identity, or s*xual orientation - as these factors (especially race) can negatively affect the quality of care through legal restrictions, implicit biases of care providers, and unattainable costs for even simple needs.

How can we make this happen? One step you can take is to vote for officials who stand with the fight for equal and comprehensive health care; to take more personal action, you can educate yourself and others on reproductive and s*xual health and speak up and out about social injustices and barriers that prevent individuals from seeking this basic human right!

If you’re a student at UTK and want to learn more about reproductive and s*xual health, reach out to us about joining PPGAC! Our first meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 24th through zoom. :)

People seek abortions for hundreds of reasons - each situation is unique to the person making the decision. Regardless of the circumstances, though, anyone considering an abortion can have lots of questions.

There are two main ways to go about an abortion: the abortion pill, which works up to 11 weeks of pregnancy and allows the user more privacy, and in-clinic abortions, which are safe, simple procedures. The abortion “pill” refers to two medicines - mifepristone, which inhibits the body’s production of progesterone and therefore stops a pregnancy from growing, and misoprostol, which basically causes a heavy period to empty the uterus. Pill abortions can be completed in one to two days and can be administered in the privacy of ones home. They are very effective, especially for earlier pregnancies (less than 11 weeks). In-clinic abortion procedures are extremely effective and typically take only 5-10 minutes to complete. These are simple procedures, but the timing in which one may receive them varies state-by-state; in TN, clinical abortions are availble for pregancies up to 19 weeks and 6 days. Which method is used for an abortion depends on the individual’s preferences for privacy, support, and effectiveness for the point in pregnancy. Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis Planned Parenthood health clinics, Knoxville Women’s Clinic, Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, Nashville Area Health Center, Carafem Health Center in Mt. Juliet, CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, and Bristol Regional Women’s Center offer abortion consultations, services, and guidance through the process.

People can experience a lot of emotions before, during, and after an abortion, as well as face a lot of adversity for their choice. To reshape the conversation around abortion, the Tennessee Stories Project provides a platform for those who have had abortions to share their experiences with those who may be considering one or who are struggling with their decision. This resource is a great way to better understand the more personal aspects of abortion - by listening to the stories of others and providing a safe space to ask questions. The link to the TSP page can be found in the linktree in our bio!

“LGBTQ youth need and deserve to learn in settings that are inclusive of their experiences and that give them the education necessary to stay safe and healthy. Far too many LGBTQ youth are sitting in classrooms where their teachers and textbooks fail to appropriately address their identities, behaviors, and experiences. Nowhere is this absence more clear, and potentially more damaging, than in s*x education” -

You have to understand your body in order make healthy decisions about your s*x and s*xuality, and Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest provider of comprehensive s*x education, drawing from evidence and taught by trained professionals. PP works with other organizations in order to reach as many young people as possible and help them learn and grow in a safe and healthy environment - especially for LGBTQ youth who are often not included in traditional s*x education.

When it comes to safe, healthy s*x, there are more options than just a condom! Dental dams can be used as a barrier during oral s*x (or cut a condom into a rectangle!), finger cots and gloves can be used for safer manual s*x, and internal condoms provide a similar barrier as the traditional condom for vaginal or a**l s*x. Every body is different, so you can choose the protection that works best for you to always practice safe, enjoyable s*x!

Beth Holden, Vice President of PPGAC, wrote this piece for the Knox news. Give it a read!

Gov. Lee’s bill restricting abortions an attack on Tennesseans | Opinion The bill, which has no exception for r**e or in**st, will predominantly affect poor and working-class women, leaving them even more vulnerable.

Reproductive justice was first coined in 1994 by 12 Black women to address the shared experiences of and patterns of oppression faced by Black women and parents in America. The framework is based on three interconnected sets of human rights:
1. “The right to have a child under conditions of one’s choosing;
2. The right to not have a child using birth control, abortion, and/or abstinence; and
3. The right to parent children in safe and healthy environments free from violence by
individuals or the state” (Ross, 2017)

Reproductive justice sees reproductive issues as based in more than misogyny; it combats white supremacy, racism, Christian nationalism, homophobia, nativism, settler colonialism, transphobia, misogyny, and authoritarianism. By recognizing multiple systems of oppression, the framework works to fight against all intersecting systems impending on reproductive rights including, immigration restrictions, the prison-industrial complex, racial and gender binaries, police brutality, voting rights, environmental racism, and more.

You’ve probably heard us, as GenAct, use terms such as reproductive rights and reproductive freedom - we use these in an effort to not co-opt a movement created by and for Black women and parents. As a non-Black lead organization, we center the teachings of reproductive justice in everything we do and we are committed to continually learning. For more info on reproductive justice, and how to center it as a framework in your reproductive rights work, check out Loretta J. Ross’ article, “Reproductive Justice as Intersectional Feminist Activism”!

Swipe through to learn about some ways to fight back against Tennessee’s incredibly restrictive abortion ban. Although voting is important there is many ways to take action for reproductive freedom in this country. Political action is an important way to secure rights for individuals but we must also dismantle all systems of oppression in order to make sure we all have access to those rights. Follow to learn more about taking action in TN.

Join us and on Friday for a social-distanced car caravan in Knoxville to protest TN’s restrictive and unjust new abortion ban. The link to register and get the start location is in our bio.

Although harder to find, internal condoms are available at Planned Parenthood health clinics, other reproductive health clinics, and through a prescription at your local drugstore. They work great with other forms of birth control too, providing another layer of prevention against pregnancy and STDs.

Black lives matter yesterday, now, and forever. The horrific violence that faced is a result of systematic racism and a broken and oppressive system. Swipe through this post for a variety of ways you can take action. If you are able to donate, there is a link in our bio to the to bail out protestors in Minneapolis.

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Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi health clinics offer PrEP and PEP counseling and treatment options - also available through the PP Direct app!