Planned Parenthood: A Closer Look

Interview with a Planned Parenthood Southeastern PA Spokesperson

Me: What do you do at Planned Parenthood?

It is Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania's (PPSP) mission to protect and enhance reproductive freedom, to increase access to reproductive health services and information, and to promote sexual health.

Me: What are some of the different things that Planned Parenthood specializes in?

The services offered in PPSP health centers include well woman/well person exams and general health screenings: breast and cervical cancer screenings; Sexually Transmitted Infection (STD) testing and treatment; birth control, including emergency contraception; transgender health services; and pregnancy testing and referrals. Our surgical centers offer abortion services. Planned Parenthood also serves men, and post-menopausal individuals.

How do you deal with the controversy about funding for Planned Parenthood?

“Defunding” denies Planned Parenthood reimbursements for services, the same reimbursements other health care providers receive. “Defunding” would prohibit more than half of Planned Parenthood's patients from getting affordable preventive care like birth control, STD tests and treatment, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and well-woman exams at a Planned Parenthood health center — often the only care option in their area.

Every year, 2.5 million women, men, and young people rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for essential health services. Proposals to “defund” Planned Parenthood will result in people losing access to health care, as numerous studies consistently show. Experts have repeatedly said that there are not enough providers to absorb Planned Parenthood’s patients.

We play defense against federal and local attacks on access to preventive health services, abortion services and more by continuing combat these attacks on a legislative level.

Advocacy efforts encompass many social, economic and political challenges including the “defunding” of Planned Parenthood by denying Medicaid reimbursement and other funding sources. We encourage people to show their support for continued access to Planned Parenthood services by holding phonebanks, participating in direct actions with partner organizations, holding neighborhood canvasses and events outside elected officials offices, securing and sharing patient stories, and taking patients and providers to visit lawmakers in reaction to these challenges.

In Pennsylvania, recently, we have fought and prevented another “defunding” bill, through grassroots actions and visits with lawmakers.

We are currently fighting the Trump-Pence administration’s proposed changes to the nation’s family planning program, known as Title X, which would make it impossible for patients to receive preventive care like birth control and cancer screenings from Planned Parenthood, prohibit providers from referring their patients for safe and legal abortion, effectively gagging them, and remove the guarantee that patients would get both full and accurate information about health care from their providers.

Title X funding covers about 25% of those seeking services at Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania. “Defunding”, or restricting or eliminating Title X and other government reimbursements would mean either the other Title X funded sites would be forced to increase their client caseloads, while also being forced to provide incomplete information and care – which many have said they cannot - or many patients would go without care at all.

What types of things do you experience in your day to day work that have to do with this controversy?

Protestors often gather outside of health centers, harassing and intimidating patients and staff as they try to enter PPSP health centers to receive healthcare, and do their jobs.

If you could send a message to those against your organization, what would it be?

Planned Parenthood cares for all, no matter what. No one is turned away at Planned Parenthood because of lack of funds, immigration status, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason. Our culture is one of acceptance and consistent, high-quality care. We will never stop fighting for all to have access to affordable, compassionate reproductive and sexual healthcare. Our doors stay open.

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I hope that Planned Parenthood remains for years to come, and that the adversities that it faces will ease as more and more people become educated on the impact of rights-- not just for women, but for everyone.