Government Attack on Planned Parenthood

These are some of the most extreme measures we've seen: Congress is threatening to shut down the federal government tonight if no budget agreement can be made. Anti-choice politicians are still trying defund Planned Parenthood and Title X, the nation's family planning program. The debate has been mostly centered around abortion, yet anti-choice representatives don't seem to care that Title X funds have nothing to do with abortion. Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers cannot use federal funds to pay for abortion services. That's how we know this is not about being pro-life or pro-choice--it's about attacking women and their right to health care.

"It's an outrage to shut down the government over an extreme proposal that would deny millions of women Pap tests, breast cancer screenings, and birth control," Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO Carole Brite said in a statement. "Attacking Planned Parenthood's preventative health care hurts women, does not cut the deficit or fix the economy, and must be stopped."

It's true: cutting Title X funds actually costs more money than keeping these programs in place. For every dollar invested in family planning, tax payers save $3.74 in Medicare-related costs. In 2008 alone, Title X dollars in Illinois saved $96,620,000 in public funds by helping women avoid unintended pregnancies. Without these services, the abortion rate in Illinois would be 24 percent higher. Furthermore, defunding Planned Parenthood would cause millions of women to lose access to the health care they need. More than 90 percent of care Planned Parenthood provides is preventative. Every year, Planned Parenthood doctors and nurses provide:

-19,572 cervical cancer screenings
-21,393 breast exams
-affordable birth control to nearly 60,000 patients
-34,770 tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections including HIV testing

These services are vital to American women and their communities. Planned Parenthood needs your support now more than ever. Click here to call your Senators now--it may be our last chance to protect this crucial funding.

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, health care