Last Monday, the bill heavily backed by the GOP to defund the nonprofit organization Planned Parenthood was defeated 53-46. Still, Planned Parenthood and abortion are at the frontlines of discussion right now, especially following the release of a number of videos from an anti-abortion group that supposedly depict the illegal selling of aborted fetuses. Though the organization has defended itself publicly, claiming that the videos were exponentially edited and misinterpreted, the so called news that Planned Parenthood has been selling “baby parts” (as many people dramatically choose to refer to what is really fetal tissue) has obviously had a negative effect on the support for the organization at an extremely critical time. Nonetheless, many people see the plan to defund as part of a larger attack by the Senate on women’s health care and, ultimately, their rights.

Through all of the debate and back-and-forth over this issue, I have struggled hard to understand why many people so heavily oppose an organization meant to assist and take care of half of the population. For me, backing Planned Parenthood is a no-brainer, but I can understand why so many people have an issue supporting the group, especially if they are against abortion. Regardless, I believe it is possible that they don’t actually oppose what Planned Parenthood does, but rather are misinformed about the benefits that the organization provides to women and families across America.

That said, I decided to take the top 3 reasons I have encountered regarding why people oppose Planned Parenthood and provide an explanation on why one may want to reconsider their stance on the subject. Though I don’t expect anyone to immediately declare themselves pro-choice or decide to #StandWithPP because of this article, I hope I can provide a bit of information on why so many people vehemently support this group, and maybe prove to someone out there that Planned Parenthood is doing more good than harm.

1. I don’t support abortion

Being against abortion is obviously one of the top reasons why people do not support Planned Parenthood, and it is not a position I anticipate people to change their mind about very easily. Rather than make a pro-choice argument, I think it is much more important to highlight the ways in which you can be pro-life and still support Planned Parenthood. I’d be willing to bet that many people who claim they can't support Planned Parenthood because they do not support abortion are unaware that in a report published in 2009, Planned Parenthood confirmed that only about 3 percent of its total services were actual abortions. STI treatment and testing, as well as providing contraception, make up a whopping 70 percent of the services provided. The rest of Planned Par’s services in 2009 went to cancer screenings, such as mammograms, and other women’s health related practices. In fact, in its 2013-2014 report, Planned Parenthood states that it provided 487,000 breast exams, supplied over 3.5 million contraceptive services and information, and administered nearly 4.5 million STI testings and treatments. To defund the organization based on the misconstrued notion that to support it is to support abortion is outrageous. In fact, thanks to the organization’s provisions of birth control and other prevention services, over 516,000 unintended pregnancies (and, in theory, abortions) are prevented by their work annually. To support Planned Parenthood is to support women’s rights, family planning, and safe, reliable healthcare for America’s mothers and daughters.

2. The $500 million dollars of federal tax money spent funding Planned Parenthood is too much

One argument I have seen made time and time again for defunding Planned Parenthood is that it’s unfair that $500 million of taxpayers’ money is going to fund this organization that is highly controversial. Many pro-choice people claim it is wrong to force them to pay taxes to a group that performs abortions when they clearly do not support the practice. In response to such claims, I would like to refer folks to the fact that although Planned Parenthood does receive this federal funding, it is also prohibited by federal law to allocate any of said money toward covering the cost of abortions thanks to the Hyde Amendment. In fact, only 17 states actually will provide medically necessary abortion to women on Medicaid. This means that many low-income women must pay steep prices for the procedure already, and even when a pregnancy may jeapordize the life of the mother, 33 states in America will provide her with zero assistance.

If that isn’t enough to convince you, then also chew on the idea that even if the plan to defund had passed, that $500 million wouldn’t be refunded to taxpayers, but rather redirected to other health centers meant to provide the same services as 97% of what are provided by Planned Parenthood. The only difference would be making it harder on women to access health care, while increasing the traffic and decreasing the efficiency of these alternate centers.

3. There is evidence supporting the claim that PP is involved in the illegal selling of fetal tissue

Perhaps the most chronologically relevant argument against Planned Parenthood would be regarding the hidden camera videos of what have been described as a Planned Parenthood employee making illegal deals to sell fetal tissue. In the US, the selling of any human tissue or organ in the interest of profit is illegal. However, the videos that most of the public were exposed to were highly edited, and in the full version you can clearly hear the PP employee state that the transfer of fetal tissue to the nonexistent research group “should not be seen as some new revenue stream because that’s not what it is.” In reality, the only transfer of money that would have occurred in exchange for fetal tissue was meant to compensate workers for the process of the exchange, NOT to increase profits. In addition, one must also take into account that the use of fetal tissue for research has been taking place since the 1930s, and has led to breakthroughs in countless areas of medicine, such as vaccinations and stem cell research. To suddenly condemn the practice of using fetal tissue in research would be to deprive possibly millions of people from the access to the knowledge that could lead to a potential cure for life-threatening diseases. Nonetheless, the videos were disturbing to many, and the allegations of altered abortion practices in the interest of better preserving fetal tissue certainly should be cause for further investigation. But to completely defund a program that does so much good for the female community based on these allegations of malpractice is unreasonable.

Although this is a multi-faceted issue with many different points of view to be considered, I believe that once someone knows all of the facts, they will better understand the damage that the attacks on Planned Parenthood could potentially have. It is obvious that although the bill failed, the fight for women’s reproductive rights is far from over. This topic will continue to be relevant, especially with the upcoming presidential election looming in the distance. As we continue to expand the conversation around women’s bodies, healthcare, and abortion, it will only become more and more important to know all of the facts on the topic, and not to just pay attention to the eye-grabbing headlines in the media. That being said, I would like to make it clear that I personally support Planned Parenthood 100%. In my opinion, women’s bodies should not be up for political debate, and my health care shouldn’t be jeopardized because the idea of it makes some complete stranger uncomfortable. I think Senator Elizabeth Warren sums up the general feeling of those who care about women’s rights in one quote: “Do you [the senate] have any idea what year it is? Did you fall down, hit your head and think you woke up in the 1950s or the 1890s?”