History Of Planned Parenthood

From the time its conception, the United States has taken pride in existing as a country for the people. The actions of both federal and state governments should subsequently reflect the eclectic needs of an expanding and diverse populace. In order to provide the very basic necessities for its citizens, the government has a fundamental obligation to ensure access to quality and comprehensive healthcare services, including those focused on sexual and reproductive health. This is typically accomplished through delegation to smaller nonprofit organizations, most notably the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Though the beginning of a new presidency and reign of a majority-Republican Congress threatens to eradicate Planned Parenthood,
Most prominently, PPFA clinics offer affordable birth control, Pap smears for screening cervical cancer, life-saving abortions, breast exams, and STD tests to women, men, and young people alike. In the 100 years since nurse Margaret Sanger created the organization, the growth and expansion of Planned Parenthood, originally called the American Birth Control League, is testament to thes success and growing need for accessible reproductive health services in the United States (Alter). The organization has become practically ubiquitous as, following the current trend, 1 in every 5 American women will utilize the services offered by Planned Parenthood at some point in her life (Ernst). This is possible, according to the official PPFA website, through “56 independent local affiliates and 650 clinics currently in operation around the country to provide access to quality healthcare and educational services” (“Planned Parenthood at a Glance”). These clinics should receive government funding in order to continue serving the fundamental health care needs of the people, the same mission the organization has upheld since its founding in the
Of the 2.7 million Americans who benefit from Planned Parenthood, a large majority come from low-income families or neighborhoods; consequently, over half of PPFA clinics are located in underrepresented sectors in order to cater to the needs of the impoverished and marginalized (Mitts & Attanasio). This accessibility is especially important in a time when the chief support of health care, hospitals and family doctors, are increasingly moving away from poorer areas, where the most needy often live. Planned Parenthood ventures to eliminate the apparent correlation between affluence and health through targeting low-income areas. Of those benefiting from PPFA, CNN Correspondents Goldshmidt and Strickland wrote, “Nearly 80% had incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level”, as cited in a March Government Accountability Office Report (Goldshmidt & Strickland). Those poverty-stricken and unable to afford health insurance are still able to receive services from Planned Parenthood at severely reduced prices based on income level and determined by Title X’s sliding discount fee scale. Title X is the only government-funded grant program dedicated strictly to family planning and reproductive health services for low-income and uninsured patients, and it allocates a quarter of its funding to Planned