These days Planned Parenthood seems more and more controversial. And with a president who so openly wishes to defund it because of his pro-life agenda, I think it is important to talk about why this non-profit organization matters.
A lot of people tend to think of Planned Parenthood as “taboo” because of the ever-debated issue of abortion. While I could write an entirely different article on a woman’s right to her own body and why abortion in itself should never be questioned, Planned Parenthood is so much more. In fact, abortions only make up 3% of Planned Parenthood’s services, and to take away the other 97% from women who need it seems ridiculous. Below is a photo showing just how patient care is divided.
Planned Parenthood offers services to both men AND women and as you can see above, these include STD testing and treatment, cancer screenings, and contraceptives and birth control. Many people don’t have easy access to these services, but Planned Parenthood allows people to be active in maintaining their health without having to worry about the price tag. Planned Parenthood boasts affordable healthcare. It is a place to turn when there is nowhere else to go.
Defunding Planned Parenthood could mean taking away a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body. It could make scared teens turn to the risk of unprotected sex because of a lack of access to birth control. It could mean that a woman is forced to live with an STD while it destroys her body, because she had no means of testing for it.
Planned Parenthood does a lot of great things and to defund it on the grounds of such a minor service offered, one that is still important to so many people, is something that I cannot support. While I do not know what exactly is in the future of Planned Parenthood, I do know that the GOP is battling against it. And because of that, I stand with Planned Parenthood.