As of late, smear-campaigns against Planned Parenthood have been polluting the Internet, stating that the company is selling aborted fetus parts for a quick payday. Although these videos have been disproved, and Governor Mike Pence’s office launched a full-fledged investigation that turned up (*gasp*) absolutely no truth to these rumors, people are still campaigning hard against Planned Parenthood. I honestly have to wonder who would want to defund a program that helps millions of Americans every day, many of them being college students. But, the truth is, the majority of citizens don’t see past the fact that PP performs abortions.
Although abortion services make up only three percent of the services Planned Parenthood provides, anti-abortion extremists refuse to look at all of the statistics. They believe that Planned Parenthood’s sole mission is to abort babies and sell the parts for fast cash. In all reality, if they have one mission, it would be the opposite of this. 35 percent of services performed by the company are contraception related. This means they are giving out condoms or prescribing birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancy. The contraceptive services offered by PP are of extreme importance to college students. Thanks to Planned Parenthood and the Affordable Care Act, most women can attain birth control for free. College students, who often don’t have insurance, can benefit even if they aren’t having sex. Many women take birth control for medical reasons, like ovarian cysts or severe acne. And if they are having sex and using birth control for preventing pregnancy, that’s their business, not yours.
But, isn’t it your business if they are having an abortion? No. As much as some of us hate to face the truth, abortion is an important service that Planned Parenthood provides. In a situation where you are in school and cannot afford to house, clothe, or feed a child, is the responsible thing to bring that child into the world? In season three of "Orange Is The New Black," Big Boo gives a perfect explanation as to why abortion is important to our economy and society. Basically, when Roe v. Wade was decided, and abortion was legalized, the children that would have grown up and created crime weren’t there to do so, and it impacted the crime rate dramatically, thus dropping the amount of inmates and improving the economy. Yet, abortion is important in a plethora of other situations as well. Rape victims rely on abortion when they are forced into a pregnancy. Abortion is a life-saving procedure for women whose lives are threatened by a pregnancy. Although it may be hard to swallow for some, abortion really is important.
Along with contraception, STD treatment, and abortion, Planned Parenthood also provides cancer screenings, cholesterol testing, diabetes resources, and counseling services. All of the programs PP offers are important, and defunding the program would impact the country in a negative way. Without Planned Parenthood, some services will be more expensive and less universally available. When it boils down to it, defunding Planned Parenthood would do more harm than good.
