Should The Government Defund Planned Parenthood?

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.

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,

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.

Millions of women across America will struggle to receive the medical attention they need if the federal government stops funding to Planned Parenthood. Every year 363 million dollars goes into the funding “pot” collectively at Planned Parenthood’s nationwide (Clark 5). This money is used predominantly by women; for six in ten women, Planned Parenthood acts as their main source of health care (Clark 4). Many individuals with low incomes depend on these clinics to maintain or help better their health. Recently, the federal government is trying to pass the Pence Amendment, which would eliminate funding to these institutions. The federal government needs to realize how important Planned Parenthood

First of all, the government has an ethical obligation to provide for its citizens. Part of the job as a person in power has an emphasis on keeping all citizens provided for. Planned Parenthood keeps its patients provided and cared for, and defunding it strips the only access of health care that they have. To begin, denying people health care who do not have enough money to get their own has no moral standard. As a person in power, there is an expectation to provide and care about all citizens in the country. Planned Parenthood allows many men and women to have access to many affordable health care services. Senator Bernie Sanders states, “Planned Parenthood provides vital healthcare services for millions of women, who rely on its clinic every year for affordable, quality health care services including cancer prevention, STI and HIV testing and general primary health care services” (Fighting). Furthermore, many laws have been put into place that protect the people’s rights. Section One of the Fourteenth Amendment states, “... No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction of the equal protection

In the past year Planned Parenthood has been the topic of discussion in the Government and political circuit. A scandalous video came out this past year from an anti-abortion group who recorded employees of Planned Parenthood discussing the selling of fetal tissue to companies. Planned Parenthood has denied those allegations. It has been a heated argument among Democrats and Republicans, to keep, or to defund the organization. The issue was taken to the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss its fate in September of 2015 (Walsh, 2015). The bill did not end up passing, but many are still pushing to completely rid of the organization (Walsh, 2015). So, should the Government defund Planned Parenthood?

The first argument for supporting Planned Parenthood is that it provides women with other health services and not just birth control or abortion. Without these services, women’s health will decline because many people can afford treatment. “Every year, Planned Parenthood’s doctors and nurses provide more than 3 million women with preventive health care, including nearly one million lifesaving screenings for cervical cancer, 830,000 breast exams, contraception to nearly 2.5 million patients and nearly four million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Literally, they are a trusted health care provider to millions of women (Whitman).” The statistic proves that Planned Parenthood does more than prevent unwanted pregnancy but also take on tasks care for women’s health.

The article “Editorial Defunding Planned Parenthood hurts the healthcare system,” states that Republicans, who dominate control in Congress, prioritize to defund Planned Parenthood. This proposal has been proposed previously, but it has not been able to surpass Obama’s veto. Since this is no longer the case, Republicans are now taking action to remove all federal funding such as Medicaid reimbursements. The proposed removal of funds is due to the fact that Planned Parenthood is associated with abortions, which are not highly supported but also ostracized by Republicans. However, Planned Parenthood provides many other reproductive services: “breast examinations, cervical cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted

Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona said in 2011 on the floor of the Senate that abortion accounts for “well over 90 percent” of what Planned Parenthood does. Which is false, the actual figure is 3 percent. Planned Parenthood performs one in four abortions in the U.S. but they also use no federal funds for this service. Stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding would also put 97 percent of its public health work that has nothing to do with abortion at risk. (The Editors)

"The American taxpayer should not be asked to fund an organization like Planned Parenthood that has shown a sheer disdain for human dignity and complete disregard for women and their babies,” she said on Monday in a floor speech.

I believe that the American government should always protect the life of human beings. The government should eliminate access to abortions and artificial contraceptives and defund abortion services through organizations like Planned Parenthood. However, I don’t think that Planned Parenthood should be defunded because it provides other positive health services for women like breast exams. As for abortions, my Christian faith provides me with an opportunity to believe that life begins at conception and ends at a natural death. A baby’s heart starts beating at 18 days after conception, so why does the baby not have the same rights that a living person may have. Some may say that, “Well, an unborn baby is not born yet, so the baby has no voice

Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon’s winter of 2013 article “40 Years: Planned Parenthood Becomes Abortion Empire” published on the National Right to Life News website was another voiced opinion added to the debate of the controversial funding of Planned Parenthood. As director of education and research at National Right to Life Center (NRLC) and an active member of Manassas Assembly of God Church, O’Bannon has made his audience aware of his knowledge and passion of the subject, and has written many other articles concerning Planned Parenthood (PPFA), its services, and its subjective data. He does not support the organization or its funding by the government. Throughout the article, O’Bannon shames PPFA’s hopes to remain in business by normalizing

For nearly 100 years, Planned Parenthood has not only been helping couples start their family but it has been servicing abortions and now recently have started to send out body parts of children's, I’m taling about ittle infants as well has been getting their arms chopped off, hearts rippd out, eyes scoped out and thrown on the tables of people known to be scientists, conducting deadly experiments on the parts of hose childerns. Which is why Planned Parenthood needs to be banned, fort he disgusting works they have done. For almost a ceurywe have ben providing this instution will thousands of money, but have we gone back and checked what exactly have they been doing. (http://www.opensecrets

Currently in the United States there has been an ongoing debate over a pressing social issue: Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood or not? A common misconception of Planned Parenthood is that it is mainly an abortion clinic. Planned Parenthood is so much more than that, it is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to provide affordable reproductive health care and to educate people in all areas of human sexuality (Plannedparenthood.org, 2018). The extent of defunding Planned Parenthood would not only affect America, but it would affect patients globally.

Above all, Planned Parenthood has provided care to millions of individuals regardless of their economic condition. At the March on Washington, Scarlett Johansson spoke about her experience as a Planned Parenthood patient. Johansson’s family struggled financially, so she sought medical attention at Planned Parenthood. Fortunately, Johansson was given access to private health insurance when she landed herself a job in the Entertainment Industry. However, if she hadn’t become an actress, then Planned Parenthood would’ve been the only way around her financial situation (Scarlett Johansson's Speech At The Women's March On Washington). This reveals the importance of Planned Parenthood and if it were to be defunded, low-income families wouldn’t be