It's not about abortions it is about
healthcare. Fact Checking today's hysteria about Planned Parenthood, an
organization/business that has assisted women AND men in accessing medical help
for 100 years. I have never been a patient/client at PP but know plenty of
women that have. Many couldn't afford birth control, needed medical advice but
couldn't afford to go to the doctor OR needed screened for cancer. I am one of
the many that have had excellent medical care AND parents that I could go to
for medical advice/assistance but am also one that knows firsthand that not all
women have/had that. So my question today is "Will the reduction in PP
funding of $500 million by the Federal Government shutdown PP as we know it?”
The nitty gritty of it that I can
research is that through the Medicaid process that low-income women are able to
access the assistance they need...let's get one thing straight
though...abortions are NOT covered by ANY dollar that is given by the Federal
Government. The majority of services covered by the Federal Government involve
birth control and emergency contraception, breast exams, gynecological care,
HIV testing and counseling, pregnancy testing and options counseling, testing
and treatment of sexually-transmitted infections, and men's health services.
This is key as we have a huge
medical crisis in the United States, even with Obamacare (ACA) we have millions
that can't afford the basic health needs of themselves and their families. This
being said we not only need PP but we need the other agencies/businesses to be
funded as much as possible by the Federal Government. I don’t know that PP is the most perfect
place for all women but I do know that women (and men) have a clinic that is
safe for them to go to for not just reproductive issues but health screenings
as well.
In a perfect world (for some) we
would not need Planned Parenthood, we would remain celibate unless we were
going to procreate. Sex would only be
used for procreation and then for those of us that cannot (or choose not)
create a human we should not have sex.
For what other purpose does sex have then to procreate?
*I am being sarcastic as we know
even the most staunch opponent of PP has had sex at some point just for the
sheer pleasure not to create life.
But the world I live in, and so do
you, is not perfect! We have
sexually-transmitted diseases that kill, the latest is Zika, yes a sexually
transmitted disease, and without clinics such as PP poor women would not have
the resources to get the condoms and counseling they need in order to keep
themselves healthy as well as the lives of others. We have children whose parents needed not
only PP but possibly other counseling to help them make better choices! Choices that would break the cycle of
poverty. I am not here to say that ALL
the patients/clients of PP are poor, but that is exactly who is being
overlooked in this debate! The elected
are not poor, the elected have resources, the elected have money, the elected
have power! The elected I believe have
the responsibility to love and support those that they represent, even those
that they do not reflect. Elected
officials are by far the ones that have the most resources, resources that
should be fact checking and reflecting the desires of all the people, not just
the ones that can afford healthcare.
PP is not for everyone (it actually
is for everyone…) but for those that feel safe walking in the doors of the
clinic, it should be a place where the elected financially support. Are there other free clinics? Yes, in many areas, but in looking there are
many, many counties here in America that PP is the only option. Taking away the $500 million will shut the
doors to these clinics and then without the ACA where are we putting the poor
then? I don’t live in a large metropolis
and my history of working in small rural areas have shown me that without PP
those options are just not available…and if they aren’t available we, as a
people, are saying that they aren’t important and that to me just isn’t
acceptable.
Let's not forget that we are in this
together...and what we truly need is more funding and research not reduction in
funding!
If you are for the removing of the
funding for PP I would urge you to do as I have, research the actual
availability of options out there, research the clientele that need healthcare
and above all research the truth. Read
articles that counter your opinions, read articles that will shed light on what
is reported. I did, I found more facts
than opinions, I found that the “truth” on both sides is really meat in the
middle, yes meat not meet, there is meat in this story, meat that should be
highlighted so that tax dollars go to those that will best benefit.
And yes, here is the information I
found in my research... http://www.businessinsider.com/defunding-planned-parenthood-abortions-donald-trump-congress-paul-ryan-republicans-2017-1
Just curious, does PP over something that our community health clinics do not. Just wondering if that is a viable option for those needing care.
ReplyDeleteThey are more readily available and often have more funding as well as more resources. Not the only option here in town but in many counties is the only viable option.
ReplyDelete