The War on Planned Parenthood

The GOP has been waging a war against women for years. One of the main issues going on in recent years, is the call to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. For nearly a century, Planned Parenthood has promoted women’s health and well-being, through educationally based programs, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning. Conservatives everywhere are using their positions of power to rob women of the valuable health care resources that Planned Parenthood provides. The GOP believes cutting funding to Planned Parenthood, thereby preventing women from taking advantage of their services, will reduce the number of abortions performed in the U.S., as they believe this is the mission of Planned Parenthood. And what many don't realize (and the GOP doesn't WANT you to know) is that abortion services make up only 3% of Planned Parenthood's work. They don't tell you about the 83% of their work devoted to PREVENTING unplanned/unwanted pregnancies - they don't tell you about the one MILLION pap smears, and the over 800,000 breast health exams they provide each year. They also provide 4 MILLION STD/HIV tests, and provide educational programs to over 1 million young people each year. We are already seeing the results of the GOPs war on women, right here in Minnesota. Planned Parenthood plans to close six Minnesota clinics on Aug. 1 because of federal budget cuts. NONE of these clinics provided abortions. What these clinics DID provide, were breast cancer screenings, pap smears,contraception, as well as testing for cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases to low income Minnesotans - people who were trying to be responsible for their health, and for the health of their families.
Of course, none of this matters to Conservatives, who seek to force their christian ideologies and "family values" on the Nation.
Look, the point is, I don't like the idea of abortion personally. I understand how people can’t bear the thought of it, and they have the right to their convictions, but they don't have the right to impose it on others who don't share the same convictions. Regardless, this is NOT the mission of Planned Parenthood. I don’t understand is why anyone would want to eliminate funding when the REAL mission of Planned Parenthood, focuses on contraception and reproductive health for those who couldn’t otherwise afford it. Planned Parenthood isn't some insidious group, scheming to undermine America's moral precepts. It's a lifeline for the economically disadvantaged who have a desire to be responsible with their bodies and their sexuality, and avoid a future filled with regret.
Basically, what I'm saying, is if it isn't YOUR uterus, stay out of it.