I am very concerned about what I see happening in our community — women and girls who don’t have access to the affordable, quality healthcare services that they need. As a result, my community — our community — is literally dying.
On Making Women A Priority
What our mothers and grandmothers fought so hard for could be taken away too easily, and I know how hard it has been to make these gains for women. For example, my mother was a public school teacher. She made so many sacrifices for me to have the life that I have today. But when she retired, the cost of the health care options presented to her was astronomically high, and we had to investigate other options to ensure that she was covered.
On Making Health Care A Priority
We need health care reform so women don’t have to struggle to find affordable care the way my mother had to. I am shocked that some politicians want to roll back the gains afforded to women under healthcare reform and prevent access to critical healthcare providers like Planned Parenthood.
Both my mother and grandmother, who is in her 90s, firmly believe that a woman should have access to the type of care she deserves, and should have the right to make her own health decisions. I couldn’t agree more.
I refuse to allow those rights to be taken away — not on my watch.
Nia Long: Get Your Priorities Straight was originally published on blackdoctor.org
