Comments on: Halt government funding to Planned Parenthood in Utah?

By: Victoria

Victoria — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:08:14 +0000

Abortion is not the problem. The reason there is an increase in need of abortion is that there is abstinence-only sexual education offered in school under the current laws. His arguments are invalid because Planned Parenthood doesn’t use federal or state funding for abortions. They may provide abortions, but they also offer many other services, for low cost or for free for young men and women that don’t have insurance or have no where else to go. They also provide information about sex and STIs for Utah’s youth, since the majority of parents aren’t teaching their children, and the schools are forbidden by law to teach anything but abstinence.
Also, many of the clients that go to Planned Parenthood are at or below the poverty level. CNS News criticizes Planned Parenthood and complains that 363 million dollars was provided to planned parenthood in 2008, however they of course forget to mention that the majority of planned parenthoods clients at 150 percent below the federal “poverty” level. Had each of their pregnancy prevention clients had children, the amount of welfare and government aid would have severely overcome the mere 363 million dollars that Planned Parenthood put to good information and resource. Also, It’s clearly stated that none of their 363 million was provided to abortions. Instead, that 363 million went towards; 35 percent contraceptive, 34 percent testing and treatment, 17 percent to cancer and prevention, 10 percent to other woman’s health, and 1 percent to other services.

By taking away the funding for Planned Parenthood, that would put many people in a place with nowhere to turn. The sad fact of it is that a lot of people in our country cannot afford insurance and Planned Parenthood is their only option.
The fear and hatred placed around Planned Parenthood as simply an abortion clinic prevents them from assisting those who could use what they are really there for; to help women have a safe birth and to ensure women are not held back in any way.
Unless we as a country can lower general healthcare costs and enable all citizens equal access regardless of class, as well as educate our youth about safe sex, pregnancy and STIs, there will always be a need for organizations like Planned Parenthood. And with the current state of affairs that we are in, it doesn’t look like any of those things are going to change enough to eliminate the need for the services Planned Parenthood provides.

By: cquickly

cquickly — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:23:00 +0000

I applaud Representative Wimmer for his work to defund Planned Parenthood. This taxpayer funded abortion provider and promoter (abortion is presented as the best option) is involved in shielding and aiding teenage prostitution (see Andrew Breitbart’s sting operation) and advocates the sexual freedom of minors as well as gender exploration (see Planned Parenthood’s educational literature). It seems that growing their business is what Planned Parenthood is all about. The more sexually transmitted diseases, the more money required to combat the epidemic that they are actually promoting. Don’t just defund…how about eliminate?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:37:00 +0000

Thanks for your comment. You may be interested in reading an op-ed we wrote regarding rates of STDs and pregnancy in Utah: http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=7791998&itype=storyID&keyword=&qtype=

By: Truthsleuth7

Truthsleuth7 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Whether these services are provided by the health department itself or by Planned Parenthood, the services are vital to sexual reproductive health in our state where we have seen alarming rises in STDs. Unplanned pregnancies continue to be a problem in Utah because of a lack of sex education. At least birth control will now be available to women at a much lower cost as a preventative health item on insurance coverage. This will prevent the need for abortions.