When someone dares to utter the words “Planned Parenthood,” the first thing to come to mind is “baby killers.” Although it is true they are one of the largest suppliers of abortions, performing about 25% of the national total, it only accounts for 3% of their services.
For those of you shouting about not wanting to pay for someone to murder an innocent, please direct your attention to Title X of Family Planning Program and Medicaid. It states “by law, Title X funds may not be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning,” except in cases of rape, incest, or for health reasons. Taxpayer dollars are going towards contraception, sex education, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer and STD screenings, and other women’s health services. Many people have been complaining about centers not providing mammograms, but often those services are referred out to other centers with the correct technology. You’re paying for 2.7 million men and women to be healthy. By defunding Planned Parenthood, you are taking away about 48% of their budget, which all goes to helping women be healthy. None of that money is for abortions so defunding the organization isn’t going to cause a massive decrease in abortions. It’s just going to hurt poor women.
The videos of Planned Parenthood selling fetal tissue bring up many emotional reactions. It is illegal to profit from tissue donation, but it is not illegal to donate the tissues. Think of a fatal car accident, if the person had specified they wanted their body donated to science or be an organ donor, no one would bat an eye. Similarly, the parents must consent to donating the fetus tissues first. An estimated $77 million will be used in fetal tissue research on brain connectivity, vaccines against HIV, and cell development.
It’s one thing to be Pro-Life, but it’s another to be against Planned Parenthood. Roe v. Wade is not going away anytime soon and targeting a non-profit organization that helps millions of women just because they also perform abortions is not the way to go.
