Service to women

Opinion: September 19, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By Angela C . TRUDELL VASQUEZ

McClatchy-Tribune

I admit it. And I’m not ashamed about it. I’ve used the services of Planned Parenthood. I was in college, I needed birth control, and I had very little money. Planned Parenthood was there for me.

Even after I got a job with health-care benefits I still chose to go to Planned Parenthood because I believe in its mission. I know it serves communities of color and people who do not have health insurance. That makes a big difference to me — then and now.

I’m not alone. According to Planned Parenthood, one in five women will use its services at least once in their lifetime. Millions of women go to Planned Parenthood for cancer screenings. And yes, some go there for abortions, which is their right and often a health-care decision.

It is almost unfathomable to me that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have pledged to defund Planned Parenthood and have taken such a backward position on abortion.

While the majority of the country believes abortion should remain legal, the Republican leadership generally does not, except in the most extreme instances. Ryan believes in an exception only for the life of the mother, not for her health. He opposes abortion in cases of rape or incest, and he recently said, shockingly, that rape is another method of conception. Romney, for his part, believes in exceptions for rape and incest.

Poor communities

This Republican ticket would make it almost impossible for women to access essential family planning services in rural or in impoverished communities, where the majority are low income and many are people of color.

Men who think they know what’s best for a woman who faces an unplanned pregnancy are fooling themselves.

The decision to terminate or go on with a pregnancy should always rest with the woman, her doctor and her trusted circle of support. It’s a deeply personal decision.

Angela C. Trudell Vasquez is a writer for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.