People Need Planned Parenthood

P1. One of the greatest things about the United States is that we have such accessible healthcare.  Over the years former president, Barack Obama, did a wonderful job with the creation of Obamacare, which provides healthcare to millions of individuals all across the country.  Along with Obamacare, there is another institution that a plentitude of individuals turn to everyday, and that is Planned Parenthood.  Although Planned Parenthood is known mostly for abortions, it’s main purpose is actually to deliver various medical services to people who might not be able to afford such services on their own.  According to the Planned Parenthood website, “The clinics also provide many other healthcare services to women, men and children.” Recently, our current President Donald Trump spoke of cutting government spending on Planned Parenthood completely.  Such a drastic change with the healthcare system would strongly impact millions of people who might not be able to always afford healthcare.  Planned Parenthood has become a vital and established institution that provides many benefits for United States citizens, and if it were to be defunded, an extremely negative chain reaction would occur.  If the government chooses to defund Planned Parenthood, millions will lose access to healthcare, sexually transmitted diseases could become an epidemic, and women will lose their ability to get abortions under the Hyde Amendment.

P2. In today’s society people tend to only think about the information that is put right in front of them.  This tendency really has negatively impacted Planned Parenthood’s livelihood.  Most of what is heard about Planned Parenthood is that it’s main purpose is to provide abortions.  While that is true, it is not the main reason this institution was created.  Planned Parenthood was first founded as a birth control clinic, by women’s rights activist Margaret Sanger, in the early 1900s.  The clinic came to fruition right after birth control had become legal in the United States.  Back in these times the main forms of contraception were male and female condoms, since the pill was not fully developed yet.  Sanger’s goal was to make women aware of their bodies and their reproductive systems. In the following quote, the author’s at biography.com relay how Sanger first started off her feminist movement, “Sanger started her campaign to educate women about sex in 1912 by writing a newspaper column called “What Every Girl Should Know.”  This column was what started her movement towards women’s rights.  Sanger’s passion for women’s rights is what ultimately got the ball rolling with the major development of Planned Parenthood as a nationwide known and trusted institution.

P3. From the start, Margaret Sanger’s goal was to make women not have to suffer through getting pregnant and having to undergo illegal abortions.  Sanger wanted to stop the pregnancies before they happened, to prevent even the thought of an abortion from coming into play.  Information provided by Planned Parenthood itself says that, “Through her work, Sanger treated a number of women who had undergone back-alley abortions or tried to self-terminate their pregnancies. Sanger objected to the unnecessary suffering endured by these women, and she fought to make birth control information and contraceptives available.”  Sanger saw first hand what these women had to go through and wanted to put an end to it once and for all.  Her passion created a wonderful institution that has now grown to not only treat women, but men and teenagers as well. 

P4. Planned Parenthood has been a trusted healthcare provider for many years, and continues to provide outstanding service to it’s patients.  “The organization’s earliest roots date back to 1916, when social activist and nurse Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control and family planning centre in Brooklyn, New York, at a time when contraception and abortion were illegal.” This institution has been a trusted organization for over one hundred years now, and it should continue to stay that way.  With such passion and devotion, Sanger created an institution that revolutionized women’s healthcare forever.  Now in present day, not only does Planned Parenthood provide reproductive care for women, but men as well.

P5. Currently, Planned Parenthood provides many different healthcare services.  A lot of social media focuses on how Planned Parenthood is the highest abortion provider in the United States, “In its 2013-2014 report, the organization said while it provided over 327,000 abortions procedures, that amounted to just 3% of its overall services provided.”  While yes, this is true, what people might not know is that this institution also prevents hundreds of thousands of unwanted pregnancies per year.  The goal of Planned Parenthood is to stop unwanted pregnancies from occurring, so that abortions do not need to be performed.  That is why they provide birth control and sexual education to millions of women and men all over the world.  Without Planned Parenthood here to provide these necessary tools to the public, millions would go without birth control, and thousands of unwanted pregnancies would occur.

P6. When it comes to Planned Parenthood actually performing abortions, there are many rules and guidelines put in place by the government that Planned Parenthood abides to.  Abortions are only performed under Planned Parenthood’s supervision when the woman who is pregnant has a situation that applies to the federal government’s 1977 Hyde Amendment.  Planned Parenthood’s website states that “The 1977 Hyde Amendment dictated that federal Medicaid funds could only be used to fund abortions in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. However, some states have expanded cases in which they will provide funds. Currently, 17 states allow funds to be used for “medically necessary” abortions. In  cases that these states count as medically necessary but that are not permitted by the federal guidelines, states cover the cost alone.”  Planned Parenthood only provides abortions in very dire measures, which seems to be very reasonable.

P7. No, abortions are not a pretty thing, but what everyone needs to realize is that they are sometimes necessary.  In some cases, there are such major issues with a pregnancy that it needs to be terminated.  This is extremely heartbreaking and abortions should never be a first option, but sometimes they are the only option.  Planned Parenthood provides this option safely, and with the government’s blessing.  Without Planned Parenthood around to provide abortions in a government approved matter, women are just going to go find other ways to get an abortion, which might not be the best and safest option.

P8. Nobody likes the idea of abortion.  Ending a human life is not something to take lightly, which is why Planned Parenthood takes it so seriously.  Abortions are extremely serious.  The argument that abortions are unethical because a human life is being ended is a valid point, but this point is overridden when it comes to the unfortunate need of such procedures.  It is completely understandable to be upset about what actually goes on when an abortion is performed, but this is where everyone must take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  Abortions are going to happen, just like how pregnancies are going to happen.  These things can never be fully prevented, but they can be controlled to a certain degree.  In the effort to prevent them, it makes sense to have a government appointed institution in charge of trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions.  Preventing unwanted pregnancies and abortions is an important issue in America, and Planned Parenthood truly assists in stopping such things from occurring.

P9. Not only does Planned Parenthood help to stop unwanted pregnancies and abortions from happening, it prevents sexually transmitted diseases from being spread.  Every year Planned Parenthood hands out millions of condoms.  Condoms are the only known form of protection against STD’s.  Unfortunately, condoms can be expensive and not everyone can afford them.  According to the Washington Post, “Planned Parenthood states that 80 percent of its patients are low-income,” which most likely means these people are going to Planned Parenthood because they cannot afford to buy condoms or birth control.  If Planned Parenthood were to be defunded, this would cause millions to go without protection against STD’s.  This could “lead to a potential outbreak of STDs,” all across the country.  Sexually transmitted diseases are very dangerous, and most often cause very bad complications.  According to the CDC, millions of sexually transmitted diseases are contracted every year.  We have these statistics because people have the ability to go and get checked out if they feel that they could have an STD.  Without Planned Parenthood,  the number of STD’s reported per year would most likely decrease, but the actual number of people contracting STD’s would most likely increase.  If people do not have the power to find out if they have a disease, they cannot be treated for it.  This leads to the spread of diseases to many more people.

P10. One in every eight people who live with HIV do not know it because there are sometimes no symptoms at first.  1.2 million people in the United States have contracted HIV. If not caught in time, HIV turns into AIDS, for which there is no cure.  There is not a cure for HIV either, but if caught in time it can be prevented from turning into AIDS, which is a terminal disease.  Without Planned Parenthood there to provide things such as STD screenings, Pap smears, and different types of birth control, the rate of STD’s in America could skyrocket to an all time high.    

P11. In order to prevent illnesses, such as STD’s and AIDS, medical screenings are a necessity.  Every year Planned Parenthood provides countless numbers of medical testing for people in the United States, but if President Trump and congress choose to defund government spending towards Planned Parenthood, these services are not going to be accessible to everyone.  Statistics found by Michele Ye Hee Lee of the Washington Post say that, “According to the 2013-14 annual report, Planned Parenthood’s affiliated clinics provided 10.6 million services for 2.7 million clients in 2013.  “Other women’s health services” are pregnancy tests and “prenatal services,” which are described as “care you receive from a health care provider, such as a doctor or midwife, during pregnancy.” These services may take place at a Planned Parenthood clinic, or may be referred out to another provider. “Contraception” includes emergency contraception kits, vasectomies and female sterilization procedures. “Other services” includes adoption referrals and family practice services for men and women.” 

P12. Prenatal services are vital to the health of men, women, and teenagers; with Planned Parenthood people can get what they need at little to no cost.  Generally, any medical service is relatively pricey.  For instance, a simple check up to the doctor could cost hundreds of dollars, which is not always affordable for middle to lower class citizens.  Most of Planned Parenthood’s clients come from low income households.  Without Planned Parenthood around to help these people, their health would be sure to suffer.  Information provided by Planned Parenthood itself states that, “An estimated one in five American women visits Planned Parenthood health centers during her lifetime. Without Planned Parenthood’s approximately 650 health centers across the country, many patients would not have timely access to basic preventive health care services.”  One in five women is a fairly large amount, when considering our country’s population is around three million.  That would mean one in five women would not have access to things like birth control, STD screenings, and gynecological check ups. 

P13. A very large number of women would suffer from defunding Planned Parenthood, but a large number of men would also suffer.  Men go to Planned Parenthood mainly for STD testing, but there are also other services provided.  When a man goes to a Planned Parenthood clinic, he has a number of services available to him.  A few options include; cancer screenings, physical exams, and infertility testing.  Facts sourced from familiesusa.org state that, “For many individuals, Planned Parenthood is their primary source of care and the provider they most trust with their health care needs. A Guttmacher report found that, among women who receive care from a family planning center like Planned Parenthood, nearly 4 in 10 report that it is their only source of health care.”  If for every four in ten people rely on Planned Parenthood as their only form of healthcare, the defunding of this institution would be detrimental to the little access to healthcare these people have. 

P14. One of the reasons Planned Parenthood is so great is that it provides healthcare to everyone, but the majority are middle to lower class individuals.  Statistics found on familiesusa.org confirm that, “In 2013, 78 percent of Planned Parenthood patients had incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $36,375 a year for a family of four. Half of Planned Parenthood patients are covered through Medicaid, which serves low-income individuals and families.”  All people deserve to have healthcare.  It is not fair that the small percentage of the upper class in the United States can afford the best health services around, while everyone else is struggling to afford an appointment at the doctor’s office.  Planned Parenthood makes this problem greatly helps to minimize that problem.  It is so important that every single citizen of the United States has full access to healthcare.   The factual website familiesusa.org also states that, “Alongside other safety net providers like community health centers, Planned Parenthood is an important partner in providing high-quality care to underserved communities. If Planned Parenthood centers are closed or defunded, there is no guarantee that other health care providers will be able to serve their patients.”

P15. In conclusion, it is clearly seen that Planned Parenthood is a prominent and vital institution in the United States.  The number of healthcare services it provides every year is utterly amazing, and without such a great place to go for healthcare, many individuals could be finding themselves without any access to medical services at all.  If the American government chooses to defund Planned Parenthood, they will be taking away millions of peoples’ access to healthcare, and for many people Planned Parenthood is their only form of medical care.  This decision would truly be like taking a step back into the times of Margaret Sanger, when she was fighting for women’s reproductive healthcare rights.  It would be a grave mistake for this country to take steps backwards, towards times when not everyone was equal.  For this country to keep it’s people safe, healthy, and informed; Planned Parenthood is absolutely necessary.

Works Cited

http://www.biography.com/people/margaret-sanger-9471186 “Margaret Sanger.” Biography.com. Ed. AE Networks Television. A&E Networks Television, 08 July 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-heartland/who-we-are/history Online, Planned Parenthood. “Our History.” Planned Parenthood. PP, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

http://www.loyolamaroon.com/10013950/oped/opinion-defunding-planned-parenthood-disaster/ “Opinion: Defunding Planned Parenthood Would Be a Disaster.” The Maroon. Ed. Op Ed Opinions. Loyola Maroon, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/2015/std-surveillance-report-press-release.html C, C. D. “Reported Cases of STDs on the Rise in the U.S.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/08/12/for-planned-parenthood-abortion-stats-3-percent-and-94-percent-are-both-misleading/ Lee, Michelle Ye Hee. “For Planned Parenthood Abortion Stats, ‘3 Percent’ and ’94 Percent’ Are Both Misleading.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 12 Aug. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

https://www.istandwithpp.org/defund-defined/impact-defunding-planned-parenthood Parenthood, Planned. “The Impact of Defunding Planned Parenthood.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund. PP, 1 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

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

Family Usa. “Four Reasons Planned Parenthood Is an Essential Health Care Provider.”Families USA. Familiesusa.org, 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. “Four Reasons Planned Parenthood Is an Essential Health Care Provider.”Families USA. Familiesusa.org, 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.