RE: "Stage 5: Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood"

       On July 26th, 2017, my classmate from 50Stars blog published a post titled "Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood." They argued that federal funding for Planned Parenthood should continue because it provides many services to, primarily low-income, women aside from abortion. I completely agree with 50Stars's reasonings that Planned Parenthood provides a safe environment for abortions to take place, as well as contraceptions to prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce abortions altogether. However, I believe there is a stronger reasoning for the continuation of funding for this organization.

       Planned Parenthood does perform abortions for women who qualify, but only 3% of their services provided consist of abortions! They provide multiple options for women regarding pregnancies, resulting in "80% of patients receiving services to prevent unintended pregnancies." These clinics help to prevent approximately 560,000 unexpected pregnancies each year. Whether it is through their educational program or by promoting safe sex and handing out free condoms, Planned Parenthood is able to advise adolescents and young adults about personal choices and available options for the aftermath.
       Keeping Planned Parenthood is also essential for those who can only afford their healthcare. Nearly "4 in 10 report that it is their only source of healthcare," with these clinics providing regular check ups as well as more than 4.2 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections.

       The most important feature of Planned Parenthood is one that most people overlook: Planned Parenthood offers more than abortions. All in all, Planned Parenthood is the place to go for low-income families to educate themselves about their sexual and reproductive health or orientation, in addition to access to affordable contraceptives, abortions, and tests for different sexually transmitted diseases. I believe that it's an excellent nonprofit organization that deserves to be funded and frankly, we deserve to have Planned Parenthood.