Planned Parenthood Debate

By Karissa Vetsch

The controversy began this summer when a video was leaked from an undercover camera from actors meeting with Planned Parenthood employees that discussed the sale of fetus tissue. These videos raised allegations against Planned Parenthood for allegedly illegally selling fetus tissues for profit. The government almost shut down over the Planned Parenthood debate. The shut down would have happened had Congress not made a decision over bills being passed that funded many things including Planned Parenthood. (link to the undercover video)

Planned Parenthood offers heath care to teens, men and women. Their organization gives out contraception, tests and treats sexually transmitted diseases and screens for some cancers.

This topic will not just disappear. Already there has been a hearing with Planned Parenthood’s President Cecile Richards on the witness table. House Republicans plan on keeping this topic in the lime-light by possibly holding three more hearings before the next budget debate. House Democratic representatives are standing firm by not passing anything that doesn’t include the funding of Planned Parenthood.

If Planned Parenthood loses funding, their health services will not be available. This can have an impact on college students. Planned Parenthood offers a variety of services including general, sexual and reproductive health services. The closest Planned Parenthood to Forest City, Iowa is 1 hour and 25 minutes away in Mankato, Minnesota.

“Planned Parenthood is important to continue because, even though it does not closely relate to abusive cases, sexual health care and education is important to offer for college students. Especially at inexpensive prices,” said former Crisis Intervention Service employee Heather Yeoman. Yoeman is an Assistant Professor at Waldorf College.

Planned Parenthood has continued to be funded for many reasons the health advantages it offers to women. It has already been decided that money cannot go towards funding abortions in anyway.

In response to the videos posted this summer, Planned Parenthood released a statement:

“In health care, patients sometimes want to donate tissue to scientific research that can help lead to medical breakthroughs, such as treatments and cures for serious diseases,” said Eric Ferrero, Vice President of Planned Parenthood as a response to the videos posted this summer. “Women at Planned Parenthood who have abortions are no different. At several of our health centers, we help patients who want to donate tissue for scientific research, and we do this just like every other high-quality health care provider does — with full, appropriate consent from patients and under the highest ethical and legal standards. There is no financial benefit for tissue donation for either the patient or for Planned Parenthood.  In some instances, actual costs, such as the cost to transport tissue to leading research centers, are reimbursed, which is standard across the medical field.”

With the whole Planned Parenthood debate, the controversy going on and large impact, it is important to know what this whole debate is about.