As the new Republican-dominated government comes into power, talks have begun again about defunding Planned Parenthood (PP) because it provides abortions for women. Planned Parenthood is funded through the Title X Family Planning Program, a government grant program that helps family planning and prevention, and Medicaid coverage. Multiple advocacy groups that support PP, often called pro-choice, and those against it, often called pro-life, have risen to either oppose or support the new legislation. Throughout the ordeal, a question arose: what do men have to lose?
Despite unpopular opinion, PP provides more than just abortion services. They provide sexually-transmitted disease (STD) testing, contraceptives and cancer screenings, just to name a few. These services, which men do benefit from, allow for a healthy sex life and help stop preventable diseases, especially in areas with poor sexual education. For example, according to ABC news, an outbreak of chlamydia hit a Texas high school that did not teach sexual education. PP has the proper tools necessary to help students overcome the STD outbreak.
Funding Planned Parenthood makes the lives of millions of women easier. According to their 2014-2015 annual report, PP stated that “more than 55 million women now have no-copay birth control thanks to the Affordable Care Act — saving women an estimated $1.4 billion in its first year alone.” Ironically, if PP is defunded, fewer women would have access to safe contraceptives, meaning it is possible more abortions would occur due to unwanted pregnancies. Part of being a decent person is wanting a woman to be independent, and affordable healthcare is one way to do so.
Morally, it is logical to want to support women by providing safe access to affordable healthcare. Oftentimes, these services are offered in low-income areas and are potentially the only affordable healthcare available. If an impoverished girl becomes pregnant unexpectedly, it could lead to a life in poverty since the mother must take care of her child. A father should want his daughter to have the opportunity to succeed in life, whether it is by pursuing higher education, joining the workforce or military or something else. PP helps prevent unwanted pregnancies, thus, helping people plan a family when they are in a stable place to do so.
Aside from the moral considerations, defunding PP has many frightening political implications. The Hyde Amendment, which was passed in 1976, states that federal funding cannot be used for abortion services, except in the case of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger. This law has repeatedly been referenced during attempts to defund PP. Although PP provides abortion services outside of those requirements, when the state permits, of course, they follow the Hyde Amendment’s requirements and use non-federal funds in such cases.
Despite this, lawmakers are still adamant about revoking funding simply because PP provides abortions. The political implication is that it sets a dangerous precedent that lawmakers can defund programs if that program provides a service the lawmaker does not like, even if the government does not fund that specific service. No matter who you are, would you want a politician to pass legislation with no legitimate reason?
On top of this precedent, a recent incident regarding Speaker of the House Paul Ryan brings a note of fear to our political system. According to the Huffington Post, women’s healthcare advocates brought 87,000 petition signatures asking Speaker of the House Paul Ryan not to defund PP, but they were met by Capitol police blocking their entrance, which is out of the ordinary. Once they were escorted in, there was another oddity. They found out Ryan’s door was locked and he was not accepting walk-ins or drop-offs.
This incident sets yet another dangerous precedent. America was founded on the rights of the people to assemble and petition the government. By not allowing these activists to deliver petitions, not only was it infringing on their First Amendment right to petition, but it also made it seem OK to ignore the people in future cases. Whether or not you agree with Planned Parenthood or abortion, the rights we possess as Americans are essential. It may start with PP activists being denied their rights, but once it starts, where does it stop?
Overall, Planned Parenthood is, in my opinion, one of the most important affordable healthcare companies in the country. Men have a stake in the company when it comes to the healthcare it provides as well as the connotations of the lawmakers trying to stop it. Men need to stand with Planned Parenthood and support the organization and the ideals it stands for.
