03/11/2009 1:55 pm
POV
Orange County, CA, Cuts Ties With Planned Parenthood
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Planned Parenthood is under attack on both the federal and local level.
While several Republicans in Congress are fighting to make sure Planned Parenthood doesn’t get federal money designated for cheaper birth control, cancer screening or other programs, Orange County, CA, has also seen fit to halt its relationship with the family-planning group altogether — because it offers abortions. The Orange County Board of Supervisors suspended its $291,788 county contract with Planned Parenthood to provide health education about birth control, contraception, STDs and other topics for thousands of teens and preteens.
"I personally have a problem with government funding of an organization that provides abortion services," said Supervisor John Moorlach, reports the LA Times, even though the nonprofit says no county money is used for abortions.
Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Kimiko Martinez told OC Weekly that pregnancy termination is "less than ten percent of what our organization does." She continued, "Last year alone we saw nearly 60,000 community members in our health centers — more than 39,000 for our health-education programs," she said.
Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood does have something to celebrate. The Senate this week passed a $410-billion omnibus appropriations bill, complete with a provision known as the "Affordable Birth Control Act," designed to make birth control more available and affordable for women who obtain contraceptives at community health centers and college clinics.
"This crucial provision of the Appropriations Act has been a long time coming — more than two years since a legislative error made birth control prices skyrocket by as much as 900 percent," said Cecile Richards of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. "In this difficult economy, access to basic health care, including birth control, is more important than ever."
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I support them for providing birth control pills etc and pregnancy PREVENTION and womans exams..but draw the line at abortions as a form of birth control.
Sometimes can’t the federal government refuse to give them any money if they go against a federal program? If this is one, I also don’t see why this guys personal feelings have anything to do with who gets funded.
My two cents.
Orange County. Hmmm….something tells me the demographic of women and young ladies in other states and counties that utilize Planned Parenthood, don’t use Planned Parenthood in Orange County because THEY CAN AFFORD TO GO TO A PHYSICIAN OR HOSPITAL FOR THEIR EXAMS, MEDICATIONS AND NEEDS!
Keep in mind gang, Orange County is a place where if I remember it correctly has less than 9% of its population living under the poverty line. These people could care less about those who can’t afford medical services that rely on the help offered by admirable organizations like PP.
I’m so glad Kimiko addressed the fact that abortions are a small fraction of what PP offers its clientele. I don’t know when it happened, but for some reason when people hear Planned Parenthood they immediately equate that with abortions. For the record people, they offer far more medical, information and educational materials and assistance than you may believe. It’s not all about abortions and from what I have heard it is far more about the prevention of them.