Planned Parenthood dispels misperceptions
This past Tuesday, a display was brought to campus called “The Planned Parenthood Project.” This display misrepresented itself as being associate with Planned Parenthood. It was printed in Planned Parenthood’s signature hot pink and contained no indication of outside sponsorship. When students approached the display they found inaccurate and disparaging information about Planned Parenthood. It claimed that Planned Parenthood distributes faulty birth control, contained cherry-picked statistics to make it seem as if Planned Parenthood’s main service is abortion and downplayed all of the preventative services offered by Planned Parenthood. VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood organized a counter protest with other student organizations including Students Advocating Gender Equality, the Organization of Women Leaders, Transcend and Spectrum to help dispel the myths being propagated by this display.
Voices for Planned Parenthood displayed Planned Parenthood’s Annual Report on large posters to show the whole story of Planned Parenthood’s services. While it is true that Planned Parenthood provides abortion care, we would also like people to know that Planned Parenthood is here for them if they need other services like STI testing, breast exams, pap smears, prenatal care, adoption referrals, safer sex education and contraceptives all at a low cost. In Michigan, 97 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services are preventative care. In the 3 percent of cases where Planned Parenthood is assisting with unplanned pregnancy, they provide unbiased options counseling.
Planned Parenthood does not pressure anyone into choosing abortion. They are a pro-choice organization. Pro-choice means supporting any choice a pregnant person makes concerning their pregnancy or health. I am an adoptee. I would not be associated with an organization that did not support a pregnant person’s decision to parent or place a child up for adoption, but this is not the case at Planned Parenthood. In every interaction I have had with them, Planned Parenthood has displayed a strong commitment to supporting pregnant people in their decision to parent, place for adoption or terminate. They are a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people.
It is disappointing to see Planned Parenthood slandered on campus when so many students may need Planned Parenthood’s services at some point. One in five Americans will turn to Planned Parenthood for unbiased, confidential care in their lifetimes. It is my hope that students will realize that Planned Parenthood is a health resource for them at all times, not only when they are faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
Ashlea Phenicie, junior, Adrian
President of Voices for Planned Parenthood
