Why women shouldn’t worry if Planned Parenthood is defunded

Planned Parenthood and its supporters have been freaking out since the November elections, which had the opposite effects they intended. The nation’s abortion giant spent millions on the campaigns of pro-abortion candidates, and instead, pro-lifers will continue to hold majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The White House will be occupied by Donald Trump, who has made a number of pro-life promises. The Vice President-elect, Mike Pence, earned his pro-life credentials while serving in the House and as governor of Indiana.

Planned Parenthood currently rakes in 553.7 million annually in taxpayer funds, according to the most recent annual report available. The organization has been taking to social media, sounding the alarm that this funding could be in jeopardy. At the same time, Planned Parenthood promises that their doors will stay open, yet they, of their own accord, have been closing Planned Parenthood centers not performing abortions. Does this mean, then, that the only doors that Planned Parenthood is willing to keep open are those that perform their greatest moneymaker (abortion)?

With all the hand wringing of Planned Parenthood and its supporters, it’s easy to forget that the organization bragged about a surge in donations after the election — which, as Live Action News’ Carole Novielli noted, raises the question of whether the abortion giant really needs taxpayer funding, or whether it’s just playing on its supporters’ fears.

If Planned Parenthood were to be defunded, whether at the state or national level, it is not reality that Big Government will come to a Planned Parenthood location, kick every single person out and padlock the door so nobody can ever walk through a Planned Parenthood door again. It also not reality that women will suddenly lose all access to health care services like pap smears and breast exams (Planned Parenthood’s market share for pap smears is less than one percent). Planned Parenthood performs 1.8 percent of breast exams, but these are not mammograms, which they merely refer for.

Debunking Planned Parenthood's "3%" Abortion Myth

Instead, what would happen if Planned Parenthood is defunded is that the money currently going to 665 Planned Parenthood locations (fewer now, since closures) would instead go to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). With their 13,540 centers, they outnumber Planned Parenthood 20 to 1. Women have far more options besides Planned Parenthood.

The idea of “options” is often discussed in the context of abortion, but Planned Parenthood isn’t really about options. As the nation’s largest abortion provider (and a worldwide leader as well), it’s really about abortion. It’s not exactly an organization known for helping women who want to keep their babies, no matter what they claim.

Live Action News has covered some of the other options available to women, including Bella Natural Women’s Care. Founded by a mother-daughter team, Dede Chism and Abby Sinnet, after they went on a medical missions trip in Peru, Bella NWC provides life-affirming care with an emphasis that “[e]very person that enters our office is treated with reverence and dignity.” Another resource to help women find life-affirming health care is the website Get Your Care.

Planned Parenthood’s patient numbers and legitimate health services are declining. Maybe this is because more women are realizing they can get care from medical facilities not affiliated with Planned Parenthood.

Maybe more women are seeing through Planned Parenthood’s rhetoric, realizing that with or without Planned Parenthood, real women’s health care isn’t going away.