Planned Parenthood

What is a Safety Net Provider?
Safety net providers are defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as “providers that by mandate or mission organize and deliver a significant level of health care and other health-related services to the uninsured, Medicaid, and other vulnerable patients.”

Planned Parenthood is the most trusted safety net provider of reproductive health care in the United States and 18 developing countries. As a safety net provider, PPSWO helps tens of thousands of women and men in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky gain access to routine and preventive reproductive health care services they would otherwise be unable to secure.

According to the Hamilton County Maternal and Child Health Assessment, June 2008 areas of concern include:

The improvement or stability experienced by Hamilton County in some birth outcomes between the early 1990s and early 2000s began to reverse in the years following, including:
- Percent of women receiving late or no prenatal care

Percent of preterm births
Teen birth rates, for both 15-to17-year old women and 18-to-19-year old women

The percent of low birth-weight births increased in both Hamilton County and the state between 1990 and 2006, with Hamilton County having a higher rate than the state every year.
African-American women in Hamilton County had consistently worse outcomes than white women:
- Percent of women receiving late/no prenatal care
- Percent of preterm births
- Percent low birth-weight babies
- Teen birth rate: About three to four time the white teen birth rate, with increasing rates among 18-19 year olds every year between 2003 and 2006.
The fact that Hispanics had worse and/or worsening rates in a number of health indicators, combined with the high growth rate of the Hispanic population, has significant implications for prevention and early intervention health programs in Hamilton County. Hispanic women:
- Showed a dramatic increase in the rate of late/no prenatal care after 1993, and between 2000 and 2005, were more likely than were white or African-American women to have late/no prenatal care.
- Showed a dramatic increase in preterm births between 2001 and 2006.
- Were far less likely than were other women whose deliveries were paid for by Medicaid to have at least one postpartum visit.
- In both the 15-to-17 and 18-to-19 year old age group showed an irregular but dramatic increase in birth r4ates between 1990 and 2006, and since 2003, have had the highest teen birth rate of the three race/ethnic groups.
Hamilton County’s infant mortality rates were above the statewide rates every year between 1990 and 2006. The county experienced a decline in infant mortality between 1993 and 1997, but since that period, rates have remained relatively unchanged.
Women in Hamilton County had substantially higher rates of both Chlamydia and gonorrhea than men between 1995 and 2006.
Cincinnati’s Chlamydia rates were the highest among Ohio’s nine largest cities every year between 2001 and 2007, and its gonorrhea rates were the highest among Ohio’s nine largest cities every year but one between 2001 and 2007. Cincinnati’s rates of both diseases were consistently about 2.4 times Hamilton County’s rates throughout the period.
Syphilis rates among African-Americans dramatically decreased between 1995 and 1999. The rates then remained about the same through 2003, but increased after that year.
Hamilton County’s rates of both living with HIV/AIDS and new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS were higher than state rates between 2000 and 2006. Both the county and state experienced an increase in rates of living with HIV/AIDS in that time period. Although Hamilton County males had a higher rate of living with HIV/AIDS, females had a higher rate of increase between 2000 and 2006. Hamilton County females had a higher rate of growth of both living with HIV/AIDS and new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS than females statewide.
Although Hamilton County males had a higher rate of living with HIV/AIDS, females had a higher rate of increase between 2000 and 2006. amilton County females had a higher rate of growth of both living with HIV/AIDS and new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS than females statewide.
African-Americans:
- Had higher rates of Chlamydia and gonorrhea than whites and Hispanics.
- Had the highest rate of living with HIV/AIDS among the three race/ethnic groups, and the highest rate of increase.
- Had the highest rate of reported new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS and a dramatic increase in the rate between 2004 and 2006.
Hispanics:
- Had higher growth rates of Chlamydia and gonorrhea than whites or African-Americans in Hamilton County.
- Had a dramatic increase in the rate of reported new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS between 2004 and 2006

Respondents who said usual source of care was the emergency room were included among those not having a usual source of care. Other than the question about usual source of care, all questions are about access problems in the past 12 months. SOURCE: Kaiser Low-Income Coverage and Access Survey.

For nearly 80 years PPSWO has been the region’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We provide vital health care services, comprehensive sex education and sexual health information to thousands of women and men in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

The best way to help teens prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is to provide them with age-appropriate, medically-accurate, comprehensive sex education. Planned Parenthood has the largest network of sex educators in the nation. In 2006, over 2,200 Planned Parenthood affiliate staff and volunteer educators provided educational programs to over 1.2 million individuals of all ages, including teens and parents.

By supporting Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, you can have a direct affect on the health outcomes of women and men in Hamilton County, and the other 19 Ohio and 3 Northern Kentucky Counties we serve with our 10 health centers. Scientific, statistically and medically significant studies have shown that access to birth control and comprehensive sex education can and will reduce unintended pregnancy (and thereby decrease the need for abortion) and the incidence of STIs. As a safety net provider, PPSWO services populations most at-risk for infant and maternal mortality, unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. By helping us help those who don’t have mainstream, regular access to reproductive and preventive health care, you improve the health outcomes for Ohioans, Kentuckians and all Americans. In doing so, you also improve Ohio’s economy.

Which of the following is the single most important economic issue facing you and your
family (Feb. 2008, registered voters)

SOURCE: Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 Issue 6: March 2008 (conducted February 7-16, 2008)

¹Data Source: American Hospital Association, Families USA, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Updated 6-30-08 by Ohio Hospital Association, 155 E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43215.