“I was 14 the first time that I went to the gynecologist. At the appointment I burst into laughter, then I burst into tears. It was a surprise to everyone except me, because at the time I was the only one who knew about my secret, which was years of...High-res

“I was 14 the first time that I went to the gynecologist. At the appointment I burst into laughter, then I burst into tears. It was a surprise to everyone except me, because at the time I was the only one who knew about my secret, which was years of sexual abuse as a child. I continued my search for care that would meet my needs and I could not find it so I just started refusing to go to the gynecologist. But then I said, by the time I’m 25 I have to go. The doctor came in, and before she could even speak, I said, “You will not talk to me like I am broken or like I am stupid. I need your help to get through this and I need you to meet me where I am.” And she looked at me with such depth and compassion and said, “Of course I will meet you where you are and I will help you.” And that was the first time that I felt like I was in control of my body and what was about to happen to it. That moment was two years ago and it’s something that could have never happened without Planned Parenthood. I spent 10 years looking for someone who would just respect me, and Planned Parenthood did that. I will be forever grateful.” - Sage