Planned Parenthood is frequently linked with the subject of sex, abortion and contraception; sometimes it seems as though the organization is synonymous with the ideas of abortion and women's rights. Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, delivered a lecture on Friday about the future of women's rights and health care in America; the event was sponsored by the Tufts Democrats and VOX as part of the Dems' "Issues of the Future Symposium."
While the lecture sparked debate between the pro-life and pro-choice members of the Tufts community, it also managed to somewhat detangle Planned Parenthood from the heated subject of abortion and place the issues in the larger context of fundamental health care.
The United States has the second-highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world, with about 80 pregnancies for every 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19 (a rate that is double the average of most western European countries). Teenagers under the age of 18 in the United States also have a higher rate of sexual activity than countries like Canada and Great Britain and a higher instance of sexual transmitted infections (STIs). The United States still mainly focuses on abstinence-only sex education.
The facts speak for themselves. Not only do teenagers in the United States become sexually active earlier, but they are suspected to have lower use of and access to contraception and less knowledge of how to prevent pregnancy and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. And yet organizations like Planned Parenthood, which while offering abortion services also offer pregnancy counseling, STI testing, various modes of birth control and contraception, gynecological examinations and information about sexual practices, family planning and health and pregnancy for both men and women, are often vilified for directly addressing the problem and offering solutions. In her lecture, Richards mentioned how a man in Minnesota drove his car through a Planned Parenthood clinic as a way of demonstrating his anti-abortion sentiments, and even the Planned Parenthood Web site warns those who make appointments at their clinics that there could be pro-life protesters outside who may harass them.
It is easy to understand how, in a country where the government has put so much emphasis on abstinence-only sex education and many people feel uncomfortable seriously discussing sex, an organization like Planned Parenthood and the information it offers would make people uncomfortable. But that's not a reason to fear or ignore it. Whatever your views on Roe v. Wade, it cannot be denied that the services that Planned Parenthood and other similar organizations provide extend far beyond abortion. They help men and women, especially teenagers, make decisions that are best for them by presenting them with all the facts and all of the options. And while abortion can be categorized as an issue of "women's rights," STIs certainly affect both genders.
So while the subject may spark serious debate or, in some cases, make people uncomfortable, the issues that Planned Parenthood addresses must become part of the dialogue concerning overall sexual health.
