Protect Planned Parenthood

Protect Planned Parenthood

Right now, there is a fight in Ohio to save Planned Parenthood. House Bill 298 and Senate Bill 201 have been rammed through by Ohio Republicans who want to cut essential family planning and reproductive health services for thousands of women across the state. Those who utilize Planned Parenthood are generally low income and uninsured. Planned Parenthood provides these services at an accessible cost and to block access to these services would be detrimental to the health of Ohio women.

The Planned Parenthood defunding bills seek to reprioritize the federal family planning dollars distributed through the state, redirecting dollars to health departments first and family planning providers last. Planned Parenthood will only be eligible for funding if there are dollars available after all other providers have been funded.

More than 90 percent of the services provided by Planned Parenthood are essential lifesaving cancer screenings, breast exams, birth control, sex education, and counseling to Ohio women and families, regardless of one’s ability to pay.

The majority of Ohio voters do not agree with this bill and do not want to see a resources as valuable as Planned Parenthood to be stripped from our state.

Planned Parenthood saves taxpayer dollars. It provides birth control and contraception in order to prevent unintended pregnancies. The cost of providing these services is far less than the cost of the public assistance provided to a low-income woman who is dealing with an unintended pregnancy.

Abortion services are less than 3 percent of the services provided by Planned Parenthood, yet the right wing has taken it on as one of the main targets in their fight to rewrite history and ban abortions. We need to stand up against the attacks from the right on women and the poor.

Amanda Zackel-Fedor, Austintown