The Benefits Of 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 one of the largest abortion providers in the nation. Trumps say he respects woman and wants to take care of them. His remarks about Planned Parenthood are against I and do not support ending taxpayers funding have Planned Parenthood. “ I am against abortion … and that is a tremendous amount of the work they do said Trump. (Huff Post) Trump believes there is good aspects to this and that it can be considered in only certain situations. “We have to help woman” said trump (Fox News) During the interview in fox new he mentioned how he wants to help woman and try to look also at the positives of Planned Parenthood. This displays that trump might have reconsidered not funding panned parents hood. In another interview with

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,

One of the main reasons for the support of defunding is the fact that the clinics perform abortions. Abortion is legal according to the Supreme Court as of 1973 and should not used a reason to support the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood was founded in New York City in 1916 as the first birth control center offered to women. The clinics did not start offering abortions until the 1970s when the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that “the constitutional right to privacy also applies to a woman’s decision, in consultation with her doctor, to have an abortion” (Planned Parenthood). Also according to Planned parenthood, the court recognized in Roe v. Wade, not only a woman’s constitutional right to choose, but that the state may prohibit an abortion after a certain point in the pregnancy, except when the mother’s life is in danger. Many states do have laws in place that prohibit abortion after a certain number a weeks, which varies from state-to-state. Using abortion as an excuse for defunding of Planned Parenthood is irrelevant because it is legal according to the Supreme Court of the United

There are a lot of cultural beliefs and biases that impact the stance that people choose to take regarding defunding Planned Parenthood. The biggest, and most obvious, belief is religion – namely Christianity. As a Christian myself, I tend to feel perplexed when this issue is brought up, because I know what I believe and how I feel, but I feel as though it is not my place, or the government’s, to get involved in this decision. Most Christians believe that abortion is a huge sin, as you are taking the life of a human away. With that, most have the distorted belief that all Planned Parenthood does is abortions, when it is only three percent of what they do, and it is not funded in any way, shape, or form federally, per a law former President Obama put in place (Parenthood 2017).

“Nothing matters.” That quote attributed to Ambrose Bierce may be true in some cases. It may be true to those who do not value the funding of Planned Parenthood. But something does matter. And that is the funding of the healthcare resource Planned Parenthood. Many do not understand the vital role Planned Parenthood plays in the lives of up and coming parents. Planned Parenthood has been operating and serving those in need of care in the United States and overseas for more than 40 years (“Planned Parenthood Global”). Planned Parenthood has vowed in their mission statement:

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.

Over the last one hundred years the program known as planned parenthood has selflessly devoting millions of dollars and countless hours. To providing health care that is not only safe but also affordable. (Lawrence and Ness) The comprehensive health care that planned parenthood provides is, in my opinion extremely beneficial to every single man and woman that has ever happened to be a patient of planned parenthood. Planned parenthood provides an extraordinary amount of benefits that have helped millions of people all around the world. Benefits such as free testing for sexually transmitted. Access to the full range of reproductive and preventive health services for woman and men both. Examinations, vaccinations, and abortion as well as many more. According to the author of Defunding Planned Parenthood Defined “Extreme politicians, led by Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, want to shut down Planned Parenthood”. If so many benefits are being provided by planned parenthood why is government funding for the program being taken away? Excluding their personal feelings towards abortion. I personally cannot think of any logical conclusion that would lead vice president Mike Pence and human services secretary Tom Price to think shutting down planned parenthood is a good idea by any stretch of the imagination. The services provided by planned parenthood are much too valuable to simply disappear for millions of people. If these services where to

The eliminating of funds to clinics will cause many to go without preventative care such as contraception. If people no longer have access to birth control, the population rate will continue to rise. When the government takes away funding, and therefore, birth control, unplanned births will happen and with that additional fees that the government will have to cough up. Sure, you save money up front when defunding Planned Parenthood but in the long run you are causing a bigger problem. As Groff states, “Family planning is a regular part of women’s health, every $1 spent on family planning saves $4. It is fiscally responsible” (1). With unwanted pregnancies, come unwanted children or children for whom we are not prepared for which go into foster care as well as

Given the misinformation depicted in the media it is difficult to discern what Planned Parenthood does and exactly how it is that they allocate their funds. Though opponents of Planned Parenthood would have us believe abortions and contraception is what they do, health screenings and prevention is a more accurate description. More so given the array of services they offered and the fact that those they serve are mainly from the uninsured and underrepresented minority population. Though steeped in controversy, Planned Parenthood services are of great benefit to society, more so given their efforts in preventive care. Because

There are over 650 Planned Parenthood health centers across the United States, yet not everyone will receive the help they need. Planned Parenthood has been helping women take care of their bodies and take control of their lives since 1916. For so many people, topics like birth control and abortion are taboo and this should not be an acceptable way to live. This world is so new and needs to be a place where women can make decisions about their bodies without concern or judgement from others. Despite all Planned Parenthood does to help not only women, but everyone who walks through their doors, many people wish to shut it down. Defunding Planned Parenthood would do nothing but harm the United States.

Five years ago, we learned in Texas what can happen when efforts to defund Planned Parenthood are carried out. The network of health-care providers falls apart and women lose access to essential preventive services. Planned Parenthood is not something that, at first, was affecting Texas government. When Texas decided to focus on the fact that they preform abortions, basically, just ignoring the fact the government started by providing reproductive health care and still do. That’s when Planned Parenthood was forced to fight back, which started to affect Texas government because of their involvement. Years ago, Texas voluntarily gave up $30 million a year in federal funding for women’s health programs, just so it could exclude Planned Parenthood from the roster of approved

Another consequence that will have to be dealt with in the event that a bill stripping Planned Parenthood of funding is passed, is the loss of a safe, non-judgmental place for men and women to receive sex-education, birth control, general health care, treatment for STDs, pap smears and breast exams, and refuge and support for those in abusive relationships. All of these services make up 97% percent of what Planned Parenthood does, leaving only three percent of what they do as being abortions. With the help of Planned Parenthood, the rate of teen pregnancy is declining and is a 20-year low, one million people outside the US receive health care they wouldn’t otherwise have access to, the rate of the diagnosis of and death from cervical cancer has

On July 21, 2015 the House of Representatives introduced bill H.R. 3134 to Congress. According to the Congress.gov website H.R. 3134, also known as the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, “prohibits, for one-year period, the availability of federal funds for any purpose to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., or any of its affiliates or clinics, unless they certify that the affiliates and clinics will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion during such period.” However, there are two exceptions to this bill. The first is if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, and second if the pregnancy can result in death. If a woman has a physical illness, disorder, or injury and giving birth will result in the death of her or the child and a physician can