Funds Pulled from Planned Parenthood [UPDATE]

[dreadfulpenny81]

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the nation's largest breast cancer charity, has pulled hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants toward breast cancer screenings from Planned Parenthood, citing it's newly implemented policy that they will not award grants to groups under investigation from the federal government. This is great news for many in the pro

Comments

[eajou]

Those supporting Planned Parenthood can choose not to donate to the breast cancer charity. In my opinion, THAT shows an abortion-first mentality instead of someone willing to support women's health and well-being.

No.

It is my understanding that different PP offer different services depending on their funding. Just because a few can't offer full-out 100% reproductive services does not mean that there are not PP out there that do offer those services. Also, the exact quote regarding mammograms was, “We actually don’t have a, um, mammogram machine, at our clinics.”. However, that does not mean that they do NOT help women get mammograms. It means that they don't have the machines THERE. Not to mention, mammograms is not the extent of woman's health necessities. For example, PP also does pap smears, provides birth control (unlike other places that will only help you if you are already pregnant) and so forth. Every PP has different levels of funding. If not for PP then I wouldn't have had ANY support towards my health and well-being in

[w0rdinista]

However, that does not mean that they do NOT help women get mammograms.

True, but if they were primarily acting as a referral service, sending women to clinics where they can get mammograms (and usually not for free), then why were they receiving funds earmarked for breast exams and mammograms? All other reproductive issues aside (since Komen is geared towards breast health and cancer awareness, prevention, and cures -- I don't see where BC pills and pap smears really have a place in this particular debate; go to PP for birth-control, sure -- for me, that's what "Planned Parenthood" is supposed to mean: be a parent when you plan it), if the money is meant to be for mammograms, and PP is acting as a referral service... that seems... I don't know. Not quite right

[eajou]

Nah, I've never had a mammogram there so I don't know. Nor do I particularly have a view on the fact that the funds were pulled from PP. I do not know whether or not PP does not provide ANY mammograms in any of their clinics or what, I was just throwing an alternative out there because people keep stating that the quoted statement "proves" that PP has nothing to do with breast health. Which may or may not be true, IDK. They could do mammograms there or they could ALL be referrals, IDK. But keep in mind that they might not have done mammograms in that particular location, but that does not mean that PP does not do mammograms in any location either.

However, the allegation from the OP was that donating to PP makes you not someone willing to support women's health and well-being, which insinuates that the ONLY reason that PP exists is against supporting women's health. This is not true because PP does offer services outside of abortions that help women who cannot afford to get these services otherwise; services that "alternative birth

[w0rdinista]

Well, I know the quoted statement came from one of 30 PP clinics in 27 states, none of which provided mammograms, and all of which referred the caller to a different clinic.

I don't particularly agree with the OP's stance that PP's sole objective is anti-women's health. I have known people who've had medical reasons for needing BC pills, and could only afford them through PP. (I myself have had to be on BC pills for a medical reason that, thankfully, got cleared up. Though I hate the damn things myself -- every time I've tried them, I have horribly unpleasant side-effects.) That said, I cannot help but feel that the voices touting PP as a leader in breast-health and breast cancer awareness (as some on my F-list have been doing) might not be aware of the fact that -- in at least 30 clinics -- they are a referral service rather than one that actually offers mammos (when the PP CEO/President did in fact state that it was a service they offered

[eajou]

Yeah, like I said, I really could care less that PP lost funding from that source. If they didn't use the funds for breast health then it makes no sense for Susan G. Komen to be donating to them. I don't care, I have not personally used PP for that purpose nor have tried to at this point in my life. Plus, I don't begrudge Komen for donating to where they want.

It is that stance that I see by the OP and some posters that PP is entirely anti-woman's health that makes me go, "EH?!". I couldn't care less if someone does want BC for medical purposes or if they want to be proactive about their BC options. The point is that PP is one of the only places around here that offers those services to low-income individuals

[dreadfulpenny81]

Hence why SGK cut out the middle man and funds will now be given directly to the providers. At least that way, they're aware of exactly how their funds are being used.