Why I volunteer with Planned Parenthood

I was recently asked to write about why I volunteer with Planned Parenthood. I wrote a long piece all about my upbringing- how my family taught me about equality and women's rights. How I work in the domestic violence field and hear women say on a daily basis that they are scared to bring a child into their home, and how I truly believe in the work that they do there.

There has been a lot of oppostion to Planned Parenthood in the last few weeks. Bills being written to take away funding, to penalize people who's insurance will assist with abortion services, etc.
 I posted something on my facebook today- asking people to stand with planned parenthood.
I got a response from someone I went to church with in Wichita that said "their take on abortions. one billion dollars annually". It made me disgusted. I know that people believe Planned Parenthood is only in it for ALL the money they are making. I mean they are obviously one of the most successful, rich organizations in the country... I mean seriously?? That is not the case. Planned Parenthood believes in providing affordable healthcare to low income families, education and prevention before anything else, in hopes to prevent women from ever having to make the decision to terminate a pregnancy. But also believes in a woman's right to choose and fears what would happen if that was ever taken away.

There are so many reasons why pregnancies are terminated and before we go placing blame on the agencies that assist women in need why don't we address the issue of unintended pregnancy in the first place.

-Educate youth on birth control and safe sex.

-Provide condoms and contraception to people that need them or can't afford them.

-Understand that victims of domestic violence are often experiencing reproductive control and might be terrified to bring a child into that relationship

-Provide/Offer victims of sexual assault with Plan B- in all cases

My mom sent me a quote today that really made me start to think

“There are tens of millions Americans who oppose abortion because of deeply held moral principles. But they’re attached to a political movement that sometimes seems to have come unmoored from any concern for life after birth.”

For anyone that has ever protested at a Family Planning Clinic, worked at a Pregnancy crisis center or convinced someone to not terminate a pregnancy. I sure hope you helped her after the baby was born.

What I know today is that so many people are focused on a political movement. And that unintended pregnancies will continue to happen and if a woman's right to choose is ever revoked people will still find a way to terminate pregnancies- which would cause illness and death to many women. Which would be a huge step back.
I also know that if Planned Parenthood's funds were taken away it would be extremely counter-productive. Planned Parenthood provides affordable health care and contraceptives, and SOME of their agencies provide abortion services- if they lost funding people would not have a place to receive affordable contraceptives, STD screening and exams- thus increasing STD's, unintended pregnancies and abortions. Which seems to be opposite of what anti-choice folks want.

I know that Planned Parenthood is an amazing organization and I will always support and stand by them. I am proud to be associated with such a place!