The Free Press commentary “Terminate abortion, please” last Tuesday states: “If poorer women lack sufficient access to birth control, then let’s use federal funding to get more of it to them. If boys and girls need better sex education, let’s make sure they get it … There are a hundred ideas out there waiting to be implemented, if we could only stop our political posturing long enough to imagine.”
A Step Ahead Chattanooga is doing just that in 11 Southeast Tennessee counties. Our program differs from the writer’s vision in that we serve all women (you don’t have to be “poor” to be uninsured or under-insured), and we are not federally funded. We are financially supported through donations by individuals, foundations and businesses. Our mission is to provide information about and free access to long-term, reversible birth control. That’s it. As a prevention-only organization, we do not refer for abortion, adoption or the morning-after pill (Plan B.)
In just five years, A Step Ahead Chattanooga has connected more than 2,700 women with free contraception. We encourage readers to learn about – and support – our work at astepaheadchattanooga.org.
Susan Vandergriff
A Step Ahead Chattanooga