Jacek, I know I won 't change your stance on abortion, just as you could never convince me I ought to submit my body to the government and let them decide what I can and cannot do. But I do hope you can recognise why so many women are left to choose abortion as a form of birth control-- something that, I agree, and they agree, is abhorrent.
My Catholic grandmother worked for the organization that became Planned Parenthood for over 25 years. She began as a translator (Spanish to English) and moved upward. When I was in the second grade our teacher assigned us to interview a grandparent and I chose my grandmother. She said she felt that woman should be able to choose what happens to their bodies. I had no idea what she meant at the
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Poor women cannot afford to pay for birth control, thanks to Conservatives. But the men who want to have sex with them, well, they get to have an erection, on the house.
When I lived in the UK, birth control was readily available, for free, as well as abortions. But abortion was not a prevalent conversation because, by providing reproductive education and options to everyone equally, women did not need to resort to abortion. Again, abortion is never a first choice. It is a last resort.
In the USA, if a girl or woman living in poverty or in a marginalized population becomes pregnant, Conservatives do not want her to have access to prenatal care or education. It is dangerous for young girls to have a baby, for both mother and child. Refusing to educate would-be mothers on how to have a safe pregnancy and prepare for childbirth increases infant and maternal mortality. Planned Parenthood provides this education, medical monitoring, and prenatal care.
A woman who has been refused education on her reproductive health, refused access to birth control, and now becomes pregnant, faces two decisions: birth a child or seek an abortion.
If that child is born, Conservatives do not want mother or child to have access to health care. (see repeal of ACA, repeal of Medicaid, repeal of CHIP, etc.)
Conservatives do not want mother or child to access to welfare. And yes, mother and child need to rely on welfare, because maybe she is still getting her education,
To them the debate over abortion is irrelevant, abortion is about liberty and privacy; every woman has the right to make decisions over her own body without the worry of the government stepping in. Restricting abortion demeans the woman and makes her ill-equipped to make decisions on her future, destiny and reproductive life. destiny and reproductive life.
The first argument for supporting Planned Parenthood is that it provides women with other health services and not just birth control or abortion. Without these services, women’s health will decline because many people can afford treatment. “Every year, Planned Parenthood’s doctors and nurses provide more than 3 million women with preventive health care, including nearly one million lifesaving screenings for cervical cancer, 830,000 breast exams, contraception to nearly 2.5 million patients and nearly four million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Literally, they are a trusted health care provider to millions of women (Whitman).” The statistic proves that Planned Parenthood does more than prevent unwanted pregnancy but also take on tasks care for women’s health.
Many of these healthcare services would be difficult to get elsewhere since many are covered by Medicaid reimbursements. When taking numbers into consideration an estimate of “390,000 [women] served by Planned Parenthood would lose access to care in the first year after defunding” (The Times Editorial Board 2017). This situation will only make the health system worse by leaving certain categories of people at stake for the pleasure of others, Republicans as the authors of the article would describe this issue as petty and punitive. Also, in regards to the violation of women’s rights, the government is stepping in by already making a decision for women due to the fact that many will be unable to receive contraception, a service provided by the organization, which will result in an increase in pregnancies.
Many controversial debates concerning Planned Parenthood and an exceeding amount of government funding to the organization are occurring in today’s news. A recent case in particular that caught the eye of many who weren't yet aware of the deliberation was when President Trump decided to sign an executive order on January 23, 2017 concerning the defunding of Planned Parenthood (Richardson). Not only did he sign this policy surrounded by seven privileged white men, but he signed it two days after the largest peaceful protest in U.S. history: The Women’s March. This matter does not only concern women, but it concerns men and children as well. As an organization, Planned Parenthood provides affordable
Planned Parenthood’s mission is for every individual to have access and manage their own reproductive system regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, income, marital status, sexual orientation, and/or residence. They value and respect the diversity within their organization and care for the well-being of their patients. They want people to have self-determination for their own reproductiveness and have confidentiality for each patient that walks through their door. Also, they believe that keeping within those areas of self-determination it will better the quality of life and help build strong relationships. “To provide comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care services in settings which preserve and protect the essential privacy and rights of each individual. To advocate public policies which guarantee these rights and ensure access to such services. To provide educational programs which enhance understanding of individual and societal
Given the misinformation depicted in the media it is difficult to discern what Planned Parenthood does and exactly how it is that they allocate their funds. Though opponents of Planned Parenthood would have us believe abortions and contraception is what they do, health screenings and prevention is a more accurate description. More so given the array of services they offered and the fact that those they serve are mainly from the uninsured and underrepresented minority population. Though steeped in controversy, Planned Parenthood services are of great benefit to society, more so given their efforts in preventive care. Because
Planned Parenthood is a controversial topic sweeping the nation of America with political and moral issues. Every day one could come across a new article on it, stubble upon a news article in their local paper or even on their local news station. Planned Parenthood directly provides reproductive health services, is involved in teach young students about sexual education, contributes to research in reproductive technology, and interacts with legal and political efforts aimed at protecting and developing reproductive rights.
They believe that in defunding Planned Parenthood, abortion rates will decrease, and bring them one step closer to overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision Supreme Court case that made abortion legal. However, these claims made by pro-life politicians have little basis in reality.
Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides healthcare and education to both men and women, having over 650 health centers that provide healthcare to countless communities around the world. Shockingly, 78% of those who use Planned Parenthoods services live at or below 150% of the federal poverty line, showing how important this organization is to low-income families (Topulos, Greene, Drazen). Their mission statement is “A Reason for Being”, which is shown through their efforts to provide health care, advocate public policies, create educational programs, and endorse research. There are those who do not believe Planned Parenthood should be funded by the government, though, due to the fact that they provide abortions to women in need. Studies show that the effects of not having Planned Parenthood available are disastrous, causing low-income families to lack a healthcare provider and the number of those who are infected with STD’s and STI’s to rise. The biggest concern communities have about the government defunding Planned Parenthood is the effects that it would have on low-income families who would no longer have access to something that many people take for granted: health care. Although many believe that Planned Parenthood mostly provides abortions, in reality, only 3% of the people that seek help from them receive an abortion, while 97% receive affordable and, in many cases,
Affordable reproductive health care is hard to find for low-income women, and many people feel that without Planned Parenthood women will have no care at all. Another problem according to the article “Planned Parenthood and the Next Generation of Feminist Activists”, the younger generation Americans do not “want to be labeled. They don’t like being singularly defined by their political party, or their sexual orientation, or their views on abortion” (Laguens 188). The younger generation simply do not want to identify as “pro-choice” or
According to the article, “Political Attacks on Planned Parenthood Are a Threat to Women 's Health” for some people, Planned Parenthood has come to symbolize abortion, which it has provided since 1970. But in all the rhetoric, facts have sometimes gone missing. For example, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona declared on the floor of the Senate that abortion accounts for "well over 90 percent" of what Planned Parenthood does. That figure is actually 3 percent. Planned Parenthood clinics perform one in four abortions in the U.S. but use no federal funds for this practice. To some abortion opponents, that 3 percent is reason enough to gut the organization. If a future Congress and White House were to do so, however, it would drive women once again into the back alleys, without necessarily decreasing the number of abortions. Stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding would also sacrifice the 97 percent of its public health work that has nothing to do with abortion, from which many people benefit directly. One in five American women have used the group 's services, and three out of four
It is more substantial than ever, to honor through words as well as through actions, that the right of women is to access their complete reproductive health choices with the dignity they deserve. Abortion is an effective individual decision within the health care field, and it’s a choice that should ultimately be appropriate for every woman who might not be physically, mentally, and economically capable enough of bringing a child into the world. “Though women have been endowed with the gift of bearing a life form, an abortion gives them the option whether they want to avail the present or not” (Finer and Joanna). Therefore, abortion should not be prohibited because it’s a reproductive right, and it reduces the numbers of homeless babies, and might reduce the crime rates.
“Excessive restrictions stigmatize women seeking abortions and discriminate against those who lack the knowledge and understanding of legal grounds for abortion and vulnerable groups, such as poor and rural women and girls” (Finer). Abortion is commonly known as a murderous crime in which a mother chooses to terminate her child, but I do not view abortion that way. Abortion is when a mother determines that she is not capable to raise a child at the moment. I believe that tougher abortion laws should not be passed because it should be a women’s basic right to her own body, also, many women do not have the financial resources it takes to raise a child, and either way women will still seek illegal ways to get an abortion with risky outcomes
The abortion question raises a number of issues that form the core of the abortion debate. Opponents and supporters of abortions have been battling over this particular problem for decades and still cannot come to an agreement. Being one of the most common and most controversial medical procedures, abortion tends to affect people on psychological and sociological levels. But while the discussion of the morality of abortion is an ongoing debate, the social issues surrounding abortion in most cases stay unnoticed. The social aspect of the issue is centered on the abortion policy. The main question of the abortion policy is whether the law should permit abortions and, if so under what circumstances. The other is whether the law should put the life of an unborn child first and legally protect it. The peculiarity of the abortion policy is that its measures are highly dependent on different public opinions.
Should an individual have the obligation to go through a nine month pregnancy, or go through childbirth, or the mental stress of raising or giving away the child? The individual rights a women has are not only for herself, but the child relying on her to live. One of the woman’s most basic freedoms is the right to control her own body and to determine if she bears a child. Only she can determine whether she is emotional, physical, and economic ready at any given time to have and raise a child.(Chicago Women’s Liberation Union) While the common good for abortion is in a recent study, US Supreme Court found that women have better mental health when they have abortion as an option. It also means children are born and raised by parents who wants them and that young teens have a chance to educate themselves and become parents when they are ready. People often think an abortion is a terrible thing, a choice for those irresponsible teenagers that get pregnant while lots of more stressful arguments go into abortion. Thinking of such a