I was attending my friend’s performance at the Power Center in Ann Arbor when I saw the booth. A presumable undergraduate student was manning the table. She was an kind looking girl with an inviting smile and passionate cause. A black cloth covered the worn down wood of the table and laid out across the cloth was pins, buttons, and pamphlets all advocating for Planned Parenthood. I looked at the items spread across the table and asked if I could have a sticker for my laptop. The sticker read, “I Stand With Planned Parenthood.” Damn right I do.
Recently there has been a lot of controversy on whether Planned Parenthood will be defunded and shut down. When I first heard this I thought back to that booth and the inviting smile of the girl. I thought about my sticker and what it meant to me.
The notion that an institution that is providing so many women with life-saving examinations, medicine, and counseling could be shut down is astounding.
I want to say that I am surprised about the things that people are saying as justification to defund Planned Parenthood but in a world that has Donald Trump leading the poles I no longer think I can be surprised.
The only explanation that I can think of for this injustice is ignorance; ignorance to what Planned Parenthood really does and is capable of doing for women.
In 2013 Planned Parenthood served 2.7 million women, men, and young people.
Yes, you read that correctly. So, take a second to imagine if this was defunded. What would happen to those 2.7 million people? What would they do? Where would they go?
So really, what is everyone so afraid of? Why are people voting to demolish such a place that helps millions of our fellow Americans every year?
Yes, Planned Parenthood offers services for abortion.
Is that what you were looking to hear? Waiting for a big unveiling of the truth? Exploitation of the bad guys?
Well guess what? That is not what is happening here.
Abortion services account for only three percent of the services that Planned Parenthood provides.
Do you know what that means? That means that these individuals that are voting to defund Planned Parenthood are willing to sacrifice the other 97% of their services because of a mere 3%.
One in five women utilize the services offered at Planned Parenthood in their lifetime.
Think about your mom. Think about your sister. Think about the women of the world. Are you willing to rip that right from them?
Still not convinced? Let me hit you with some knowledge about these other 97% of their services:
According to Stand With Planned Parenthood, “Most women who access care from a family planning center say it’s their main source of health care (and 4 in 10 say it’s their only source of care).”
In 2013, Planned Parenthood health centers across the country provided
10.6 million services to their patients. Services that included:
- nearly 4.5 million STI tests and treatments, including HIV tests
- over 900,000 cancer screenings and preventive services;
- more than 3.5 million contraceptive services
- approximately 65,000 family practice services — including treatment of chronic diseases and authorization for hospital care.
Women deserve to be healthy, confident, and safe. I hope that this is something that lawmakers think more about next time they try to rid society of a life-saving measure.
I stand with Planned Parenthood, why wouldn’t you?
