KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We all know health care can be expensive and hard to access.
Efforts are ongoing in Kansas City to make your sexual and reproductive health care more inclusive and affordable. Community members and activists alike came together to talk about it on Saturday.
“It's just a time, a chance for all identities, all people to come together and talk about sex education that we didn't get in school,” Erin Bradley said.
Erin Bradley is with Front Porch Alliance, a non-profit in Kansas City that offers several educational programs. They teamed up with Planned Parenthood of Great Plains to host a Reproductive and Sexual Health Symposium.
“Healthcare is expensive, and it can be uncomfortable when you have to go to an office where there's so many things, places, and systems you don't understand,” Bradley said.
According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, reproductive health care costs for women can be nearly $19,000 additional in spending.
“I'm an advocate for sexual health, specifically for the black and brown community,” participant Latrice Thomas said.
Thomas also wants to prioritize the inequities within sexual and reproductive health costs.
“In most cases, we just don't have the conversation due to culture. You know, stigma. It's just one of those things that are uncomfortable,” Thomas said.
It's why Erin Bradley said the conversations must be followed with actions.
“We want to not just get the education out there, but connect people with resources because it is expensive,” Bradley said. “There are ways that people can get connected to stuff that is affordable and accessible."
