Planned Parenthood: A Fight for Women’s Rights

Katrina McCarthy
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

Each day, across the United States, Planned Parenthood provides services that no other facility currently offers. With more than six-hundred health centers, the services provided are unmatched and range from sexual education to cancer screenings. Regardless of their socio-economic neighborhood, race, background, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation, no patient is denied the services that Planned Parenthood provides. Which is why I personally advocate for Planned Parenthood to remain open and continue to provide services to women and men.

Furthermore, in the past year, Planned Parenthood has distributed Zika Virus kits in the regions of the world where people have recently been impacted by this disease again. They have also expanded the Transgender Health Services, which allows for every person to be able to have access to hormone therapy. There are over 9.5 million services provided which could extend from not only breast exams and STD testing, but one of the most controversial aspects of Planned Parenthood, which is the contraceptive services that they provide.

A young girl protesting outside of Planned Parenthood.

Unplanned pregnancy is one of the scares that many women across the world have gone through at least once in their lives. Women have access to Plan B as well, but there is a downside to that contraceptive, it only works 48 hours after having sexual intercourse. For many desperate women and families, Planned Parenthood’s services are sometimes the last resort or only option for them. According to trained professionals who conducted a study of women who have had abortions, there is not only a physical side effect that these women endure after an abortion but also an emotional one. Women will have depressive thoughts, and guilt, and shame about the abortion, specifically those who believe that they are carrying a baby and not just a cluster of cells. Even though these patients of Planned Parenthood are having both emotional and physical side effects, they are still shamed by a great portion of the general population. Many people believe, specifically those who have great faith, that it is a baby these women are killing, not just a cluster of cells. Roe vs Wade, a case that was brought to the Supreme Court, allowed for women to have the right to their bodies, which is a controversial topic even to this day. Some believe that men should decide or that these women should have the child, even though these families will be put at financial risk because they cannot afford to attend hospital visits. They stand outside these health care centers with signs, protesting Planned Parenthood, though abortions are not the only service provided. There is also access to contraceptives such as birth control and condoms that allow people to take preventative steps to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.

Even though many women utilize these services across the world, many believe that the facility should be shut down based on their religious faiths. Without access to safe abortions, many women will revert to “older” methods, such as coat hangers that can have fatal side effects to the woman involved. Most abortions are carried out before the first trimester of pregnancy even begins, therefore the “baby” has not been formed. Though there are “late abortions” that a woman can have later in the pregnancy, but they are only conducted when the baby is becoming a potential risk to the woman. Through all of the services provided, Planned Parenthood plays a vital role in women’s lives around the world and should remain open to the public.

The annual Women’s March where women are standing with Planned Parenthood.

Works Cited

Adler, Nancy. Abortion Among Adolescents. University of San Fransisco: Nancy Adler, 1989.

Mitts, Lydia. Four Reasons Planned Parenthood Is an Essential Health Care Provider. Associate Director of Affordable Initiatives: Shannon Attanasio, 2017.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade