New Abortion-Opposition Strategy to Cripple Planned Parenthood

That the far-right Family Research Councilin the U.S is gunning for Planned Parenthood is nothing new.  Their latest tactics, however, are uniquely timely.  The Wall Street Journal reports that the latest volley in the reproductive health wars is a claim from the far-right that government money should not be used to fund the health clinics in these difficult financial times.

Arguing that the clinics are well-funded without states' money, they say it's time to let them go it alone.  In fact, about a third of Planned Parenthood's budget comes from state contributions.  To remove them would severely damage the clinics, leaving low-income women and teen girls even fewer options for health care.  Because even though Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the United States, abortion services account for only 3% of their work.  The other 97% includes contraception provision, STD testing and treatment, cancer screening and prevention and other Ob/Gyn and some men's reproductive health care.

I have taken advantages of Planned Parenthood's low-cost, basic women's health services, as have many, many women I know at times when we've been uninsured, or under-insured students or working for peanuts in retail, food service, or those dues-paying jobs for middle-class young adults that pay in little but prestige.  I can only imagine how vital Planned Parenthood's services are to people in a more permanent state of financial challenge.  It would be criminal to cut support for them now, when more and more people are losing jobs and thus healthcare.
 

See also: Planned Parenthood Gift Certificates?