Planned Parenthood recently celebrated its 100th birthday in October of 2016, and with the celebration came a proclamation: “These doors stay open.” The organization has a history of providing reproductive health care services to women of all backgrounds, and especially low-income women. Here’s a cool video about Planned Parenthood’s history:
So why does the public need reassurance that the organization is going to stick around? Planned Parenthood has been challenged on numerous occasions due to the fact that it provides abortion services. I’m not going to get into the debates about whether or not abortion is permissible in every circumstance, or whether or not a fetus is a full-fledged person. Neither of those arguments are relevant to my purpose in writing this.
As most people know, abortion is legal in the U.S. as a result of the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. However, the regulations and limitations placed on abortions vary by state. According to NPR, Planned Parenthood is partially funded by the federal government through Title X, and largely funded by Medicaid, which draws from state and federal funds. However, Title X does not allow federal money to be spent on abortions. Medicaid allows the use of federal funds for abortion services, but not in every case. In 1977 the Hyde Amendment passed, which stated that the use of federal Medicaid funds for an abortion is not permissible except in cases of rape, incest, or when necessary to save the mother’s life. Again, the states get to decide what they do with their own money, so some allocate more funds to abortion services than others. Here’s where it is important to remember that abortions are not the only service that Planned Parenthood provides. In fact, in 2014 abortions accounted for only 3% of its total services provided to clients.
Using abortion as a reason to completely pull funding from Planned Parenthood becomes irrelevant when you look at the bigger picture. Where does the rest of that funding go? Well, the majority of Planned Parenthood’s services involve STD/STI prevention and treatment, and contraceptive services. Readers, you can check out the organization’s site for yourself, but here’s a list of topics that Planned Parenthood provides education and services for:
Abortion
Birth Control
Body Image
General Health Care
Men’s Sexual Health
Emergency Contraception
Pregnancy
Relationships
Sex & Sexuality
Sexual Orientation & Gender
STDs
Women’s Health
Why is there still a push to defund Planned Parenthood despite the fact that is has so much to offer in the realm of reproductive health care and education? I wish I could answer that question. The organization has helped so many women and men, and continues to do so. I have spoken to many women who belong to generations preceding mine, and many say that Planned Parenthood is where they went to get birth control pills for the first time. For many low-income women, Planned Parenthood may be one of their only options for receiving reproductive health services.
Call me crazy, but it does not bother me if some portion of taxpayer money goes toward helping people have safer sex, preventing unwanted pregnancies, or educating people about sexual health. Whether you categorize Planned Parenthood as a reproductive health, sexual health, or women’s health organization (and it is all of these), it falls under the umbrella of health. We all deserve access to services that improve our health. That is why I will always fight to keep Planned Parenthood’s doors open.
