Planned Parenthood is needed in America because it provides health services for low income families and helps to educate teenagers on reproductive and sexual health. Some voters see Planned Parenthood only as a place that performs abortions, but it is much more than that. Planned Parenthood provides access to contraception, screens for different types of caners, offers STD testing and treatment, and gives primary care to low income families. Without Planned Parenthood, low income families will no longer have access to the resources they need to live healthy lives. Educational programs that Planned Parenthood provides teach sexual education that schools fails to teach the youth of America.

The first birth control center was opened on October 16th 1916 by Margaret Sanger, Ethel Byrne, and Fanta Mindell. These women wanted to provide advice and birth control information to the women in their community and because of this, the clinic was raided by the police nine days after the clinic was open and the women were charged for sharing birth control information (Planned Parenthood 100 years 2017). Twenty years later a judge, writing for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote a federal law stating “birth control was no longer seen as obscene” (Planned Parenthood 100 years 2017) in the states of New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. In 1965 birth control was legalized for married couples only, then in 1972 it was legalized for unmarried people (Planned Parenthood 100 years 2017). In 1979 to ensure teens had accurate information on sexual health Planned Parenthood established a national sex education program (Planned Parenthood 100 years 2017). For a hundred years, Planned Parenthood has been fighting for and providing health care for women. It was founded on “the revolutionary idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams” (Planned Parenthood 2017). They provide “a wide range of safe, reliable health care — and the majority is preventive, primary care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical and other cancers” (Planned Parenthood 2017). Without Planned Parenthood, low income families will not have access to health services and teenagers could be left uneducated about sexual health.

Planned Parenthood is able to provide affordable health care to low income women because of the federal funding they receive. Planned Parenthood explains how the federal funding works for them. They receive Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood’s doctors and nurses performing the preventive medical services they provide, including “lifesaving cancer screenings, HIV tests, and birth control” (Planned Parenthood 2017). This means that Planned Parenthood uses their own money to pay for these services, then Medicaid gives the money back to them. They also gain funding from Title X, “funds that can only be used to support family planning health care” (Planned Parenthood 2017). Title X helps clinics give low income or uninsured patients access to preventive health services. The Congressional Digest published an article titled Federal Grants for Family Planning. The article states, “Priority for services is given to persons from low-income families, who may not be charged for care” (2015). If a family is considered low-income they will not have to pay for health care at a clinic that is covered by Title X.

Jill Filipovic, a senior political writer for Cosmopolitan, wrote an article addressing how defunding Planned Parenthood will cut women off from life saving health services. Filipovic tells a story about a woman named Colleen who was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer (2015). When Colleen felt a lump on her breast she wanted to get it checked out, but she did not have health insurance or the money that it would cost to see a doctor. Then she remembered that Planned Parenthood does free ultrasound and biopsy. From this free testing Colleen found out that she had stage two breast cancer and was able to get the proper treatment and is now in remission. Because Planned Parenthood receives Title X they were able to save Colleen’s life. If Planned Parenthood stops receiving federal funds, millions of low income and uninsured families like Colleen will lose access to health services.

Pro-life supporters are trying to defund Planned Parenthood because Planned Parenthood performs abortions. The article Anti-Abortion Groups Target Funding of Planned Parenthood written by Sharmila Devi explains why abortion groups are targeting Planned Parenthood. In the article it states “Two anti-abortion groups have claimed that thousands of community health centers, which receive federal funds to serve the uninsured and jobless, could replace Planned Parenthood's services should it lose federal funding” (2015). These groups believe that if Planned Parenthood was defunded then money could go to other health centers. The article also states “Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University, said that defunding Planned Parenthood would create a health-care crisis for millions of women. "The health-care system doesn't work in the way that opponents [of Planned Parenthood] think it does,” she said. "You can't end services for millions of women and overnight get a replacement in every community where they're needed” (2015). There is no guarantee that, if Planned Parenthood was defunded, there could be a replacement clinic that provides the same services for low income families.

What would happen if Planned Parenthood was defunded? Texas removed Planned Parenthood from providing health care services to the public. In the March edition of The New England Journal of Medicine there was an article titled Effects of Removal of Planned Parenthood from the Texas Women’s Health Program. The article states that, “For women using injectable contraceptives, there was a reduction in the rate of contraceptive continuation and an increase in the rate of childbirth covered by Medicaid” (Stevenson 2016). The rate of contraceptive purchases went down, while childbirth increased. Filipovic’s article states “Health care providers in the state made 63,581 fewer claims for birth control than they did when Planned Parenthood was a provider receiving state funds” (2015). Women in Texas are not going to other health clinics because not all clinics help women who have low income. Filipovic continues and states “While Planned Parenthood does provide abortion services at some of its clinics, more than 90 percent of the services the organization renders are things like Pap smears, birth control prescriptions, breast exams, sexual health education, and treatment and testing for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV” (2015). According to a CNN article titled Planned Parenthood: Fast Facts and Revealing Numbers only “3% of the services” goes towards abortions (Goldschmidt and Strickland 2017). The federal funding that Planned Parenthood receives does not go towards abortions, it goes to much needed testing that people need who can not afford health care. If the organization is not receiving federal funds for abortions, why are pro-life supporters trying to defund it? Without Planned Parenthood in Texas, low income women were not able to receive contraceptives that would help prevent pregnancies when having sex, which led to an increase in childbirth. These women have no where to turn to for support are using illegal and unsafe abortions.

Furthermore, Planned Parenthood should not be defunded because they provide sexual education for high school students. If teenagers are not taught how to be sexually safe, then STDs and teen pregnancies will go up. An article published in the Health Education titled Sexuality Education: Implications for Health, Equity, and Social Justice in the United States, states “school-based sexuality education has been delivered [and has] been inadequate and in some cases even degrading to the sexual and general health and well-being of school-aged youth” (John and Tokunaga 2015). The article also states “Sexuality education efforts did not include sensitivity to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer (LGBTQ) individuals, the racial and ethnic issues, socioeconomic class, ability, and other identities of difference” (John and Tokunaga 2015). The article shows that there are gaps that need to be filled in public school sexual educational programs. Planned Parenthood offers resources to schools that help fill that gap. Planned Parenthood provides sex education to more than “1.5 million young people and adults” each year (Goldschmidt and Strickland 2017). A local Planned Parenthood office can provide effective training and workshops for schools on teaching sexual health. Not all schools teach sexual education for the LGBTQ community. Even though schools may not teach sexual safety for the LGBTQ community, Planned Parenthood does. They offer courses for schools that teaches educators how to talk about uncomfortable topics, such as gay and lesbian sex. Staff at a local Planned Parenthood centers can talk to a patient who is confused about their sexual identity and can help them find information and resources that they need. LGBTQ students can be at risk for unsafe behaviors as well as emotional issues so services catering to them are important.

Planned Parenthood was originally created to educate women about birth control, and has turned into an organization that provides health care for low income families all across America. They offer medical services such as preventive care, cancer screenings, STD tests, abortions, birth control, prenatal care, sexual education, and some counseling. They are able to provide their services because of donations, as well as federal funds. The fact that they provide abortions is a controversial issue and has provided ammunition for the fight to defund Planned Parenthood. Per the law Planned Parenthood does not use federal funds to perform abortions. But they do use federal funds for other necessary services that they provide to their clients. Defunding would leave millions of people without basic health care. Without the proper funding, Planned Parenthood can not save women like Colleen or teach students sexual education. Texas has shown the negative effects that can results in closing Planned Parenthood offices. The alternative plans that Pro-life supporters want to put in to place will require infrastructure that is not currently in place. This would leave millions of people without health care while those centers are set up. Planned Parenthood already reaches all of these people and has proven that they fulfill a need that is greater than just abortions. America needs Planned Parenthood because they provide health services for low income families and helps to educate teenagers on reproductive and sexual health.

Work Cited

Devi, Sharmila. "Anti-Abortion Groups Target Funding of Planned Parenthood." The Lancet, vol. 386, no. 9997, 2015, pp. 941 ProQuest Central, https://centhsally.centenaryuniversity.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1709551106?accountid=9997.doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00113-0.

Elia, John P., and Jessica Tokunaga. "Sexuality Education: Implications for Health, Equity, and Social Justice in the United States." Health Education, vol. 115, no. 1, 2015, pp. 105-120 ProQuest Central, https://centhsally.centenaryuniversity.edu/login?u...search.proquest.com/docview/1642188260?accountid=9997.

"Federal Grants for Family Planning." Congressional Digest, vol. 94, no. 8, Oct. 2015, p. 3. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspxdirect=true&db=pwh&AN=110316139&site=pov-live&scope=site.

Filipovic, Jill. “Defunding Planned Parenthood Is the Opposite of ‘Pro-Life.’” Cosmopolitan, Cosmopolitan, 6 Jan. 2017, www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a44240/defunding-planned-parenthood-is-the-opposite-of-pro-life/ Accessed 20 Feb. 2017.

Goldschmidt, Debra, and Ashley Strickland. “Planned Parenthood: Fast Facts and Revealing Numbers.” CNN, Cable News Network, 17 Jan. 2017, www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/health/planned-parenthood-by-the-numbers/ Accessed 8 Mar. 2017.

Parenthood, Planned. “How Federal Funding Works at Planned Parenthood.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Planned Parenthood, http://www.istandwithpp.org/how-federal-funding-works-planned-parenthood. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.

Parenthood, Planned. “Who We Are.” Planned Parenthood, 17 Feb. 2017, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017.

Parenthood, Planned. “Planned Parenthood | 100 Years Strong.” Planned Parenthood 100 Years Strong, Planned Parenthood, 100years.plannedparenthood.org/?_ga=1.153224504.1423520534.1485373110#e1916-1936. Accessed 8 Mar. 2017.

Stevenson, Amanda J., et al. "Effect of Removal of Planned Parenthood from the Texas Women's Health Program." The New England journal of medicine, vol. 374, no. 9, 2016, pp. 853-860 ProQuest Central, https://centhsally.centenaryuniversity.edu/login?u...search.proquest.com/docview/1770399059?accountid=9997.