Pro-Health Care

When most people hear "Planned Parenthood", it is unfortunate that their minds immediately connect it with "abortion". The pro-life vs. pro-choice war is one that has been raging for quite some time now, and to many people, abortions go against what they believe is right. For others, to have or not have an abortion is a choice, no matter what the circumstances may be. I'm not here to argue for either side. I'm here to argue for health care and the hundreds of thousands of Texans who are uninsured and also unqualified for federal health care programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. Where are those people supposed to go when they need help? Who are they supposed to turn to?

Recently, the state of Texas has taken action against Planned Parenthood and has passed a new law banning them from being a part of the Women's Health Program. The Women's Health Program is designed for low-income women to have access to affordable women's services such as PAP smears, screening for cervical and breast cancer, testing for STDs and HIV/AIDS, family planning counseling, birth control, and even screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure. This program is funded, federally, by Medicaid and, by law, does not fund or cover abortion services. The program reflects Texas' desire to minimize the amount of abortions performed in the state each year and, by it's standards, Planned Parenthood facilities that do not perform abortion services qualify for the funding and have received funding at those clinics for the last 5 years. The state of Texas has decided to pull the funding anyway and impose a new law banning Planned Parenthood from being a part of the program. They are claiming that since Planned Parenthood has other clinics that do provide the service, none of their clinics can receive the funding.

In retaliation, Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas, stating, "The groups, none of which provide abortions, contend in the federal lawsuit that a new state law banning organizations affiliated with abortion providers from participating in the Women's Health Program has nothing to do with providing medical care and is simply intended to silence individuals or groups who support abortion rights. Texas law already requires that groups receiving federal or state funding be legally and financially separate from clinics that perform abortions." I couldn't agree more. People need these clinics. They do much, much more than provide abortion services and I think it would be good for all Texas citizens if we could remember that. Yes, this is an organization focused on women's health and yes, they do provide abortion services, but do so much for those who need it. They provide birth control, family planning counseling, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, HIV/AIDS tests for men and women, testing for other STDs, basic health care for men, women, and children, and counseling on many subjects from relationships to gender identity disorders and depression.

As I said before, it is because of their name that they are constantly being attacked and targeted by politicians, but without them, how many Texans will lose out on health care? Currently, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured citizens of all the states. This is an organization that is doing what they can to help those in need and we're spitting in their faces. According to an Austin Chronicle article posted last week, Planned Parenthood  only makes up 2% of all the providers that participate in the Women's Health Program and they see 40% of the patients. What does that tell you? We need them.

I certainly hope that the judge rules in favor of Planned Parenthood. They will undoubtedly be attacked again, but I hope that this wakes some people up to the reality that you, as an individual, may not need Planned Parenthood, but many low-income, uninsured Texas citizens do.