Against Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is an organization that has been around since at least 1921. Recently, it has been in the limelight due to the on-going Presidential debates leading up to the 2016 election. It appears that the Republicans want to take away all federal funding to shut down the clinics where as the democrats believe that the republicans are misguided in their claims.

Planned Parenthood is a controversial topic sweeping the nation of America with political and moral issues. Every day one could come across a new article on it, stubble upon a news article in their local paper or even on their local news station. Planned Parenthood directly provides reproductive health services, is involved in teach young students about sexual education, contributes to research in reproductive technology, and interacts with legal and political efforts aimed at protecting and developing reproductive rights.

There is a common misconception that Planned Parenthood is a center for abortions, and that’s it. Only three percent of Planned Parenthood’s services relate to abortions. Planned Parenthood receives $500 million in federal funding and it is

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides healthcare and education to both men and women, having over 650 health centers that provide healthcare to countless communities around the world. Shockingly, 78% of those who use Planned Parenthoods services live at or below 150% of the federal poverty line, showing how important this organization is to low-income families (Topulos, Greene, Drazen). Their mission statement is “A Reason for Being”, which is shown through their efforts to provide health care, advocate public policies, create educational programs, and endorse research. There are those who do not believe Planned Parenthood should be funded by the government, though, due to the fact that they provide abortions to women in need. Studies show that the effects of not having Planned Parenthood available are disastrous, causing low-income families to lack a healthcare provider and the number of those who are infected with STD’s and STI’s to rise. The biggest concern communities have about the government defunding Planned Parenthood is the effects that it would have on low-income families who would no longer have access to something that many people take for granted: health care. Although many believe that Planned Parenthood mostly provides abortions, in reality, only 3% of the people that seek help from them receive an abortion, while 97% receive affordable and, in many cases,

Abortions only make up three percent of the procedures done at Planned Parenthood clinics (“2014 2015 Annual Report”). There are a variety of other life saving and essential health care procedures done at the clinics, such as STD and STI testing, pregnancy tests, contraception, exams, and other health issues relating to both men and women. Many people believe that the federal government should defund planned parenthood; however, this would make it almost impossible for many low-income individuals to receive the care that they need. The federal government should not defund Planned Parenthood (PP) because abortion is not a valid reason for opposing funding because it is allowed by law, low-income individuals and families need the affordable

Planned Parenthood is one of the most controversial businesses out there to date. If you were to get a group of ten random people, I would imagine that at least six of them have an opinion related to it, and all of them an opinion on abortion, another highly controversial subject. Why is Planned Parenthood so controversial? Why do so many people want to fight for defunding from the federal government for that entity? Abortions are the biggest reason.

In overview, Planned Parenthood is an underappreciated healthcare resource that has helped terminate/prevent unwanted pregnancy, contributed to vital medical research, and educated persons of all ages in matters including sexuality and safe practices/choices.

Planned parenthood has been a topic of controversy the last couple of years, as people throughout the nation ask whether or not the healthcare organization should be defunded. When video footage was released in 2015 of “Planned Parenthood medical officials discussing the sale of fetal tissue to researchers,” it seemed likely that federal funds would be revoked as backlash from the public was noted (Welch). Although the nonprofit organization does offer the termination of unplanned pregnancies, the organization offers many more services to women and men, such as free birth control and yearly health checkups “backed by medical experts and more than 100 years of research in reproductive health” (Planned Parenthood). As many people struggle financially to provide for their families, Planned Parenthood’s services are a relief to those who otherwise would not be able to afford healthcare, which is why the organization should not be defunded.

Since many believe that Planned Parenthood only performs abortions, a frenzy against it has been created. “We don’t want to commit taxpayer funding for abortions, and Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider” (Strickland quoting Paul Ryan, 2017). Republicans rather see federal funding go towards federal community centers. However, to clarify this misconception we need to look at what federal funding is going towards. Planned Parenthood receives its funding from Medicaid reimbursements (Berg, 2017). They do not keep any hidden money, or have money put aside to preform free abortions. As the federal money that comes in goes straight towards helping patients.

"Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare, providing birth control, pap smears, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and pregnancy tests to 5 million people each year. It has an annual budget of $800 million, 860 clinics, at least one representative in each state and enough members and staff that its reach into the grassroots is unmatched by any other entity fighting for reproductive freedom and women's equality" (Conniff, 2012).

There is clearly huge controversy and strong opinions surrounding Planned Parenthood, but those who are against it do not truly know what they are fighting against. Only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood services are abortion, so what happens with the other 97 percent? Planned Parenthood offers basic wellness check-ups, birth control, STD and STI testing, and cancer screenings. “...the heart of what Planned Parenthood does has nothing to do with abortion” (Nixon). All of these services can be life changing and life saving. It’s easier to go to a clinic like Planned Parenthood vs a traditional doctor because patients can walk right in. Plus there are services offered at Planned Parenthood that are not offered at other health centers. General practice clinics are not equipped for STD screenings or family planning services like Planned Parenthood clinics are (Zernike). So many people are caught up in their feelings about abortion that they will not acknowledge how beneficial Planned Parenthood is for myriads of people.

Planned Parenthood has been a topic of discussion for a while now. Do you know what Planned Parenthood does? Is defunding Planned Parenthood the right thing to do? These are some questions that people ask themselves. Most people only believe what they see and hear from the news and the papers. Is all Planned Parenthood about is abortions? The Government and the Trump administration want to defund the program, but why? Let’s get into it and find out.

There has been plenty of talk about how much of the services Planned Parenthood really provides. According to Planned Parenthood, the organization only provides 3% of abortions to the 2.7 million women they service a year. (3) However, the Susan B. Anthony List states that the organization provides 94% of abortions. (1) Both of these statistics can be misleading though. The Washington Post states, “SBA List, which opposes abortion rights, arrives at its 94% figure by comparing abortions to two other categories of services that are provided to pregnant patients – or ‘pregnancy services’” (Ye Hee Lee 1). In other words, the SBA List does not account for the other services like, STD testing, adoption services, and contraception, that Planned Parenthood provides. The Washington Post also notes, “The 3% figure that Planned Parenthood uses is misleading, comparing

Although it provides many reproductive healthcare services, abortion has always been the center of most public debates and opposition. Planned Parenthood receives greater attention since more than half of its funding comes from federal subsidies. Republicans and Democrats have vehemently disagreed on the subject and often accused the other side of misrepresenting facts and undermining the greater public good for petty political interests.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health services both for females and males. Services include screening for and treating sexually transmitted diseases, infections, and providing contraception. Another service they provide is abortions; although controversial in 2014 the organization reported that only 3% of their services were for abortions. The organization manages more than 820 health centers in the United States, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Nigeria, South Sudan, Senegal, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Nicaragua, and Kenya. Planned Parenthood helps over five million patients a year: most of the patients are impoverished and more than a quarter of the patients are under the age of nineteen years old. According to a latest yearly report, the organization supplied around 860,000 screenings a year for breast and cervical cancer. They also issued nearly 4.5 million examinations and medical care for sexually transmitted diseases. Approximately one-third of its resources are supplied contraceptives. In particular, in its latest yearly report, Planned Parenthood stated that it supply’s knowledge of birth control and services to three million people annually. If Planned Parenthood is defunded there will be less convenience of contraceptives will mean additional undesired pregnancies and more abortions. Out of the three hundred and thirty of the countries, Planned Parenthood helps at least half of the patients who