ADangerousGameofPoliticsADangerousGameforWomen

EmilyVierling

FederalfundingforPlannedParenthoodbecameahotbuttonissuein2015whenGrandOldParty
politiciansbrandeditamorallybankruptorganization,undeservingoffederalfunds.Republican
presidentialfrontrunnerDonaldTrumpsummeduptheopposition:TheproblemthatIhavewithPlanned
Parenthoodistheabortionsituation.Itislikeanabortionfactory,frankly.Thisissimplyuntrue.Federal
fundingforPlannedParenthoodprovidesessential,affordablehealthservicestomillionsofAmericans.
TheGOPsobjectiontolegalabortionasmallfractionoftheservicesprovidedbyPlannedParenthood
andnotfederallyfundedisnotasufficientreasontosacrificequalitywomenshealthcare,cancer
preventionandtreatment,andpreventativeeducationprograms.

Establishedin1933,PlannedParenthoodprovideswomenshealthservicestolowincomeindividuals,
including,abortionservices,birthcontrol,generalhealthcare,pregnancy,sexandsexualityeducation,
relationshipcounseling,andSTDs.

Approximately2.7millionU.S.womendependuponPlannedParenthoodforaffordablehealthcare
servicesmadepossiblebytheTitleXhealthcareprogram(afederalprogramthatguaranteesawomans
righttofamilyplanningservicesregardlessofherabilitytopayforthem)andPlannedParenthoods
guidancethroughregistrationforfederalhealthcareprogramssuchasMedicaidandFPBP.Defunding
PlannedParenthoodwouldleavemillionsofwomenwithoutaccesstoessentialhealthcare,tothe
detrimentoftheirwelfareandthatofallsociety.

InJulyof2015,anantiabortiongroupcallingitselftheCenterforMedicalProgressleakedvideos
selectivelyeditedtoportrayPlannedParenthoodofficialsbreakingfederallaw.Specifically,thisgroup
andotherslikeithavetargetedPlannedParenthoodonthegroundsthattheyareillegallysellingbody
partsofabortedfetuses.However,investigationshavefoundthatthesevideoswerestagedandincluded
imagesoffetusesnotshotatPlannedParenthoodclinics.AsJackMartinez,ajournalistfor
Newsweek
,
states,theNationalAbortionFederationhassuedtheCenterforMedicalProgressonthegroundsthat
Daleidensalliesinfiltrateditsmeetingsbylyingabouttheiridentitiesinthevideos,CMPmembers
posedasPlannedParenthoodemployees.

Still,thevideosunleashedapoliticalfirestorm,andstateandnationalpoliticianshaverenewedeffortsto
stripthecountry'slargestwomen'shealthcareorganizationofgovernmentfunding.However,by
defundingPlannedParenthood,thegovernmentwouldbedefundingaffordablewomenshealthcare,not
eliminatingabortion.

Whilethevideofirestormisrecent,itisonlythelatestattemptbytheGOPtodefundPlannedParenthood.
Theconflictdatesto1979whentheMinnesotalegislaturepassedasweepinglawtoendallstatefamily
planningfundingtogroupsofferingabortion,abortioncounseling,orreferrals.However,afederaljudge
blockedthelaw,noting,"PlannedParenthood'sunpopularityinandofitselfandwithoutreferenceto
someindependentconsiderationsinthepublicinterestcannotjustifythelaw.

ThePlannedParenthooddebatehassparkedaconflictinoursociety,eachsidestakingclaimtothemoral
highground.TheutilitarianviewarguesthatPlannedParenthoodshouldnotbedefundedduetothe
essentialservicesthatbenefitwomenwhowouldnototherwisehaveaccessto,orbeabletoaffordquality
healthcare.

TheabortionservicesofPlannedParenthoodarenotfederallyfunded,sowhydefundthepartofthe
organizationthatprovidesimportant,affordableservicestounderprivilegedindividuals?Asstatedby
RichardNixon(whowasironicallyamemberoftheGOP),NoAmericanwomanshouldbedenied
accesstofamilyplanningassistancebecauseofhereconomiccondition.Conservativesfocusonthe
HarmPrinciple,thatpeopleshouldbeabletomaketheirowndecisionsunlessitisharmfultoothersin
thisinstance,anunbornbaby.ToryAggeler,aconservativeresidentofDurango,COsays,Ijustdont
wantmytaxpayerdollarsgoingtowardsanorganizationthatsupportssomethingIammorallyagainst.

Whileabortionisthefocusofopponents,defundingPlannedParenthoodwouldjeopardizewomen,and
byextension,theirchildrensandfamilieslivesaswell.Denyingmillionsofwomenaccessto
preventativeeducation,cancerscreeningsandtreatment,familyplanning,andsafeabortionservicesrisks
thewelfareandlivesofthoseleastabletoaffordit.
Formany,likeColleen(lastnamewithheldforprivacyreasons),PlannedParenthoodhasoffered
lifesavingservices.Colleenwas27,inbetweenjobswithnohealthinsurance.Itwasduringthistimethat
shediscoveredalumpinherbreast,butshedidnthaveenoughsavingstogotoaprivatedoctor.As
Colleendescribes,Ihadnofamilyhistoryofbreastcancer,andIhopeditwasnothingimportantto
worryabout.Iwasreallyclosetojustignoringit,IfIhadntgonetoPlannedParenthood,Iwouldnot
havegottenmydiagnosis.Imightnotevenbeheretoday.

WomenallovertheU.S.areinsituationslikeColleen,andformany,PlannedParenthoodistheonly
affordablequalityhealthorganizationtowhichtheycanturn.Itismorallywrongforasociety,whichhas
anobligationtoprovidehealthcaretowomenwhocan'taffordit,todenyhealthcareoveranobjectionto
legalabortion.Areweasasocietyreallywillingtosacrificewomenshealth,safety,andevenlivesfora
proxybattleaboutabortionintheallocationofgovernmentalfunds?

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WorksCited

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CulpRessler,Tara."HouseRepublicansProposeStrippingFamilyPlanningServicesFromMillionsOf
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"Colleen'sStory::PlannedParenthood."
Colleen'sStory::PlannedParenthood
.Ed.PlannedParenthood.
PlannedParenthood,n.d.Web.09Dec.2015.

<https://www.plannedparenthood.org/getinvolved/shareyourstory/colleen>.

Cohen,DavidS."CongressViolatesConstitutionwithPlannedParenthoodVote."
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n.d.Web.09Dec.2015.
<http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20150928_Congress_violates_Constitution_with_Planned
_Parenthood_vote.html>.

Barden,Nicholas."DefundingPlannedParenthood."
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America,n.d.Web.09Dec.2015.

<http://heritageaction.com/2015/09/defundingplannedparenthood/>.