Planned Parenthood Responds to Allen West

By Lisa Rab Fri., Mar. 25 2011 at 4:22 PM

West doesn't want the clinics in black neighborhoods.

At a town hall meeting this week, U.S. Rep. Allen West said he found it "offensive" that many Planned Parenthood programs are located in black neighborhoods.Judith Selzer, vice president of public policy for South Florida's chapter of Planned Parenthood, wrote the Juice to respond. Here's an excerpt from her comments:

A study by the Guttmacher Institute found that only one in 10 centers that perform abortions are located in predominately African-American neighborhoods, and the funding Congressman West voted to cut was for Pap smears, breast exams, HIV testing and birth control. None of the funding is used for abortion services.

For over 90 years, Planned Parenthood has been providing affordable, preventive health care and education to women, men and teens in every community. We strongly believe that every woman, regardless of her income, where she lives, her race or ethnic background, deserves to have the full range of reproductive health

care, from access to birth control to making personal and private medical decisions about terminating a pregnancy.

More than 90% of the services Planned Parenthood offers are preventive services that help women, families and communities stay healthy. At Planned Parenthood, we treat health care as a basic human right-- one that's dispensed freely and without judgment to every person, regardless of race, gender, class or age.

If Congressman West wants to know what Planned Parenthood is doing in black neighborhoods, the answer to that question is certainly apparent if he visits a local health center or meets one of our educators.

No organization does more than Planned Parenthood to prevent unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. Our health care services include life saving cancer screenings, breast health care, prenatal services, well-woman exams, contraceptive services, STD prevention and treatment and much more.

Planned Parenthood serves millions of women and families who would otherwise have no access to the most basic of preventative health care information and services. Using misinformation in an attempt to discredit and disavow the very positive work of Planned Parenthood is irresponsible and hurts women.

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Tags:

abortion, Allen West, Planned Parenthood, sexual health, women's health

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West to the West Wing

Three points.1. Planned Parenthood is lying. They don't do mammograms. Please see:http://liveaction.org/blog/pla...2. All the money goes into the same pool. If you give PP subsidies for, say, STD treatment, that frees up funds that WOULD have been spent on STD treatment to fund abortions instead. Um, this is not rocket science. 3. PP is most assuredly NOT the only option for poor women. Can you say "public health department"? Can you say "community clinics"? Can you say "doctors who take Medicaid"?

Saynsumthn Blog

that was a nice spin- how about doing the HARD work of investigative journalism and REALLY looking into what Planned Parenthood stands for. Ask them how come they have a RACIST founder who admitted she gave KLAN Speeches and had dozens of invites by the KLAN and today they still PRAISE this Klan speaker? It is difficult to dismiss the charge of racism when your founder was locking arms with the KLAN and the RACIST Eugenics Society responsible for the FORCED sterilization of thousands of black women in the US . But- I guess that would be much to probing for a JOURNALIST to ask, huh? I would advise you and your editorial staff watch the documentary Maafa21 because there is MORE much more to this racism thing and Planned Parenthood there ...http://www.maafa21.com

Mike

Kellog was a eugenics society member and so was Edison.We better stop using light bulbs and eating breakfast cereal.

Maafa21 is yellow journalisom at its worst.

Mcfreeak

By the end of 2013 all Planned Parenthood's regional affiliates will be mandated to perform abortions.

Prove this. Show me a legit news site or fact check to back it up.

EricL

I wonder how the Pro-choice community would feel if the government gave funds to a Pro-life oranization? Anyways, By the end of 2013 all Planned Parenthood's regional affiliates will be mandated to perform abortions. I completely agree with Congressman West and I believe it is unfair for Planned Parenthood to recieve a dime from me. GO WEST!

Fairandbalanced

An organization like Planned Parenthood with it's many controversial activities should not be funded with taxpayer money. This is such a no-bnrainer there should not even be a debate on this subject.

Michele Hickford

Taxpayer money allows Planned Parenthood to fund its operations and "nice" things like pap smears so it can use private funding for abortions. If all the government funding was removed, what do you think they’d spend their money on? Since 1973, 13 MILLION black babies have been aborted - compare that to the statistics of violent crime for the same period (only 306,313). The black population represents about 12% of the population, yet makes up 36% of the abortions. Planned Parenthood is "helping" the black community destroy itself. I’m offended by that as well.