A new program from Family Planning of South Central New York will offer reproductive and preventative health care for young women in the city of Binghamton.
The program will connect patients with annual cancer screenings, reproductive health care, and referrals to other medical services in Binghamton. A community educator and advocate will work directly with women to help them figure out their health goals and needs.
The program is for women between the ages of 16-21. Specifically, it is meant to reach young women who may have missed out on access to preventative health care in the past.
That could mean women dealing with housing insecurity, addiction or mental health challenges. The program also hopes to reach teenagers who have dropped out of school and don’t have access to services.
“There are many, many social supports in this wonderful city. But somehow some people seem to miss all of them,” said Debra Marcus, chief executive officer of Family Planning. “We want to find those people, we want to get them connected, again, to all the many benefits that are available.
She said providers will work to build trust with underserved women in the city.
“If women can't control their fertility, if they can't decide when and whether they want to have children, they can't take advantage of all those other things,” Marcus said. “They can't continue to stay in school, they can't get good jobs or it makes it much more difficult. So we see this as a real foundation for people to get their life started.”
Marcus said they expect most patients to come from referrals from other providers or agencies, but that women can also walk into their office in downtown Binghamton.
Family Planning accepts insurance, but also has a sliding-fee scale. Fees are adjusted based on a patient’s income.
The program comes from a partnership with Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield and the city of Binghamton. Excellus will provide $20,000 and the city has allocated $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
“A lot of the funding that's available seems to target young men. Things such as gang prevention or mentorship programs or youth sports,” Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said. “While young women who are in need, and especially young women who are in a critical period of their lives in their teens and early 20s, are oftentimes still in need of support services.”
The city’s contribution comes from a $1 million “youth fund” that uses ARPA money to support services for children and teens.