Planned Parenthood promotes health services for men

Planned Parenthood of Indiana has launched a campaign to capitalize on the small but growing number of men who use its
34 health centers around the state.

The organization dubbed June 15-21 Men’s Health Week to promote services that include prevention
and treatment of sexually transmitted disease, plus testicular exams. The marketing campaign will continue
in July with testimonial radio ads.

In a testimonial ad appearing in this month’s Indianapolis Woman magazine, a man tells the story of learning to do
a testicular exam at a PPIN health center, and later detecting his cancer. (Planned Parenthood is hoping
its mostly female audience will help spread the word.)

"The majority of [Planned Parenthood] patients are still women. However, men make up one
of our fastest-growing demographics and represent an opportunity for growth," spokeswoman Kate Shepherd
said.

Just 5 percent of
the 91,168 patients treated by Planned Parenthood of Indiana in the 2008 fiscal year were men. But the number
of male patients rose 4.5 percent in the same year.

"With the targeted advertising planned in the upcoming fiscal year, we are hopeful
that the upward trend will continue," Shepherd said. "The fact is that both men and women need to take care of their
reproductive health."