Just in case you and your pro-choice friends wanted to put together a counter-protest to the anti-abortion Planned Parenthood groups that regularly picket, you may have a new slogan.
According to Mary Numair of Portland, OR, yelling the phrase “Yeast Infections” will disperse crowds faster than you can say “How are we still dealing with this in 2015?”
The discovery of the positive effects of discussing this disease occurred from a spontaneous decision Numair made while at work last weekend. When a group of anti-abortion Planned Parenthood protesters began spreading out along the sidewalks and businesses, and even down the street from the Planned Parenthood facility, Numair grew frustrated. Instead of just venting to her co-workers though, she decided to take action. She was able to get someone to cover her shift at the coffee shop where she was working, and then set to work McGyvering a sign.
The “yeast infection” inspiration took place because Numair was unable to get healthcare coverage prior to Obamacare due to her reoccurring yeast infections (i.e. a “pre-existing condition”). Planned Parenthood was the only place where Numair could get treatment for a fair price without having health insurance. She told Christina Cauterucci on the Slate XX Factor Blog that she was incredibly grateful to have had the facility to go to so that she could get treatment.
What many of these anti-abortion Planned Parenthood protesters fail to understand is the fact that Planned Parenthood does so much more than abortions. Women like Numair are the rule, not the exception (the way abortions are). The vast majority of the almost three million people that visit Planned Parenthood do so for the reproductive health services, like yeast infections or urinary tract infections. However, this information seems to fall on deaf ears when it comes to these protesters, so Numair attempted to up the volume.
Despite the verbal abuse she endured (she states she was called a whore within her first 30 seconds of sidling up to the protesters), Numair stood firm. All it took to silence the anti-abortion Planned Parenthood protesters was Numair “started chanting ‘Yeast infections!’ . . . I have this cold, so it was just this obnoxious squeak, cheerleader-like. And I started doing high kicks, which I don’t normally do. . .” In the end, after sending the protesters into apoplexy by her daring to name a reproductive health issue, Numair also promised them that the next time they came back, she would be there as well. I both salute her tenacity and hope more women that Planned Parenthood has helped will take up her chant!
Cover image credit via Martha Soukup on Flickr available under a Creative Commons License.
