how are they wrong?
Opposition to Planned Parenthood can effectively be split into two demographics: (1) those who understand Planned Parenthood's operations and are ideologically opposed and (2) those who don't understand what Planned Parenthood does. Distancing myself from the moral or ideological opponents, I hope to enlighten those who are simply misinformed by debunking the MISCONCEPTIONS and exposing the TRUTHS about Planned Parenthood.
What does Planned Parenthood really do?
Abortion comprises 3% of Planned Parenthood's medical services
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MISCONCEPTION
TRUTH
Planned Parenthood is just a place to get abortions.
Planned Parenthood provides millions of men and women every year, across the globe, with sexual and reproductive health services that include—but are not limited to—contraception, STI/STD screenings, breast exams, cancer screenings, and abortion.
LGBTQ Outreach and Support
Planned Parenthood is a important source of healthcare, education, and advocacy for men.
Planned Parenthood recognizes that not all abortion patients have sex only with men. Patients in need of affordable health care encompass the entire spectrum of sexuality and gender expression.
To show its recognition of all sexual minorities, Planned Parenthood adapted its self-interview module in 2014. The interview originally provided three response categories to the question of sexual identity: “heterosexual or straight,” “homosexual, gay or lesbian” or “bisexual." Planned Parenthood modified the question by adding a “something else” category and allowed patients to write in a response (PPFA, 2015).
"In recognizing that not all abortion patients have sex only with men or identify as straight or heterosexual, sexual orientation was measured for the first time in 2014. We adapted an item from the NSFG audio computer-assisted self-interview module that asked “Do you think of yourself as…” and provided three response categories: “heterosexual or straight,” “homosexual, gay or lesbian” or “bisexual” (question 32). In our modification of this question, we added a “something else” category, and allowed patients to write in a response. While 81 respondents, or 1%, chose this option, none of the write-in answers achieved enough responses to justify analysis as its own category. Nine percent of respondents did not answer this item, higher than for standard demographic items, likely because of its sensitive nature." (PPFA, 2015)
Planned Parenthood is available to everyone — regardless of gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation.
Planned Parenthood clinics are only for women
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MISCONCEPTION
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If Planned Parenthood were to be shut down, women would have other places to turn for healthcare.
In more than 20% of the counties where Planned Parenthood health centers operate, there are no other health care providers who serve patients who rely on safety-net providers
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Taxpayer dollars are being used to pay for abortion.
The Hyde Amendment, 1976
Since 1976, the Hyde Amendment has prohibited federal funding for abortion. Since 1994, federal funding for abortion was legal for three extremely narrow exceptions: when continuing the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life, or when the pregnancy is a result from rape or incest.
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The idea of whether or not abortion should be federally funded is still under debate. Those who say "yay" argue that under the Hyde Amendment, women who don't have the means to choose are effectively stripped of their right to choose. Therefore the Hyde Amendment is particularly injurious for low-income women, women of color, young people and immigrants. Those who say "nay" are often ideologically or morally opposed to abortion itself, and therefore opposed to the use of taxpayer dollars to support the service.
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TRUTH
The nation’s community health centers could pick up the slack if Planned Parenthood is defunded.
There simply aren’t enough healthcare providers in existence to absorb Planned Parenthood’s patient base. Even in areas where other healthcare providers exist, these providers don’t have the resources to pick up the slack.
“In Texas, the Governor and Legislature in 2012 moved to exclude Planned Parenthood clinics from that state’s family planning program; non-Planned Parenthood clinics were faced with having to increase their women’s health service capacity by 81 percent on average simply to overcome the loss of Planned Parenthood services.” (Rosenbaum, 2015)
We've established that (1) abortion is only 3% of Planned Parenthood's services and (2) federal funding can't be used for abortion except in extremely narrow circumstances. In addition to being misinformed about abortion infrastructure, many Americans are misinformed about the medical procedure itself.
TRUTH
Federal law has prohibited federal funding from going towards abortion since 1976.
It's science. Emergency contraception pills like delay ovulation. When ovulation is stalled, the egg and the sperm don’t meet in the first place. Egg and sperm don't meet: therefore there is no fertilization and no pregnancy one could even potentially abort. Copper IUDs and hormonal IUDs also prevent fertilization.
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Beyond abortion, many individuals are ignorant about the diversity of roles that Planned Parenthood plays in our nation's healthcare system.
Abortion is very safe.
Abortion is unsafe.
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Emergency contraception is birth control.
Emergency contraception, such as an IUD or the Plan B pill, is another form of abortion.
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To be specific, abortion 99% safe. U.S. Women experience major complications less than 1% of the time. Comparatively, abortion is just as safe as other outpatient gynecological procedures.
This misconception illicits a fundamental misunderstanding of how the nation's healthcare system works.
Also, we’ve seen it before...
In California, the community wrote a letter warning Senator Barbara Boxer that the defunding of Planned Parenthood clinics would put “untenable stress” on the state's other health centers. Below is the letter from Andie-Martinez Patterson, director of government affairs for the California Primary Care Association to Sen. Boxer (July 30, 2015).
click here to download the document