IT HAS been brought to our attention that there are many misconceptions around Grounds concerning the history and the mission of Planned Parenthood. Many of these misconceptions stem from the dissemination of false information, and we would like to take this opportunity to respond to these claims.
Controversy still surrounds the founder of America's family planning movement, Margaret Sanger, in part because of the many quotes that have been falsely attributed to her and also because she was a product of her time. Like other "progressives" of her day, Sanger was involved in the eugenics movement. But she was a lifetime opponent of any racial application of eugenics principles -- believing instead that reproductive choices should be made on an individual level, not on a social or cultural basis. In fact, her outreach efforts to the African-American community were joined and endorsed by prominent leaders such as W.E.B DuBois and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Planned Parenthood holds that many of Sanger's 20th century attitudes, while popular and well-respected at the time, are objectionable and out of keeping with those of the 21st century. Dismissing the entire family planning movement on this basis, however, is unreasonable. Doing so would be like disavowing the Declaration of Independence because its author, Thomas Jefferson, bought and sold slaves. We believe that it is more constructive to acknowledge the dubious aspects of past ideologies while taking the values that we affirm -- bodily autonomy, human rights and social reform -- and applying them in a way that addresses our contemporary society.
That brings us to Planned Parenthood's work today. While some only associate the organization with abortion services, Planned Parenthood primarily provides prevention health care at over 860 health centers throughout the United States.Each year, we provide high-quality, affordable services to five million women and menfrom all walks of life. Among the services provided are cancer screening and prevention, pregnancy tests, contraceptive choices and sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment. Abortion services make up only three percent of Planned Parenthood's patient services. We do not deny the complexity of abortion or the many considerations involved -- this is why our nurses are trained to speak with absolute candor about the benefits and risks associated with any of the services provided. However, it is our position that family planning -- in addition to comprehensive sexuality education -- is a health issue.
One of the most important health issues, though, is the availability of medically accurate information. On Grounds, Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood works to spread such information to the University community. For example, one common claim made by some student organizations is that there is a link between induced abortion and breast cancer. A comprehensive study conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 2003, however, refutes the link between abortion and breast cancer; a subsequent study by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) confirms these findings, concluding that, "There is no evidence supporting a causal link between induced abortion and subsequent development of breast cancer."While it is true that scientific research has found some evidence of a health benefit granted to women who carry a pregnancy to full term, it is disingenuous to claim that having an abortion therefore causes an increased risk of breast cancer. No such link has been found, and yet the myth continues. For reasons such as this, Vox is dedicated to identifying and correcting medically inaccurate sexuality information on grounds. To this end, Vox and Planned Parenthood draw upon the most recent and comprehensive medical studies to ensure that any information we give out is supported by the medical community.
Finally, supporters of abstinence-only education find fault with Planned Parenthood's continued emphasis on real sex education in schools. Comprehensive sexuality education provides the tools for lifelong responsible decision-making about sexuality, including age-appropriate, medically-accurate information on a broad set of topics including human development, relationships, decision-making, abstinence, contraception and disease prevention. Information that is incorrect, too little or too late can result in long-term and life-threatening consequences. Abstinence-only programs that do not include family planning, disease prevention and responsible decision-making skills are dangerous and do not prevent pregnancy or disease. This is why many prominent health organizations have denounced abstinence-only programs in favor of comprehensive approaches, including the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institutes of Health.
Plenty of our goals and concerns may meet with both political and personal resistance -- that is to be expected. But while Planned Parenthood may continue to be a controversial organization, we hope that in the future we can at least be engaged on the issues and not on the basis of mistaken impressions and false attributions.
Sarah Benckart is the President and Matthew Tirrigan is a member of Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood.
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