TO THE EDITOR:
The unbalanced and biased reporting in “Planned Parenthood faces more cuts” was appalling. Planned Parenthood presents skewed statistics. The organization reports that only 3 percent of its services constitute abortions. Each “service” Planned Parenthood provides — every abortion, STD test and even every single condom — counts as one service.
But doesn’t Planned Parenthood prevent the need for abortions by distributing contraception? According to the agency’s own statistics from September and October 2010, it performs more abortions than it prevents: 324,008 abortions in 2008, 283,000 prevented in 2010. The Guttmacher Institute reports that 54 percent of all women who have an abortion used a form of contraception when they got pregnant.
Furthermore, contrary to Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina spokeswoman Paige Johnson’s statement, Planned Parenthood does not provide mammogram services — no Planned Parenthood in the United States does. Planned Parenthood is a level 1 breast clinic which can only provide manual breast exams; These can be performed anywhere by any nurse.
Also, the Woman’s Right to Know Bill will mandate that the woman know of the availability of an ultrasound image (not force her to see it), medical risks of the procedure and of carrying the pregnancy to term, and resources available should she decide to carry the baby to term. How is this detrimental to the woman? Don’t we want to empower women with information and ensure that impulses instigated by fear, uncertainty and perhaps even force don’t result in a traumatic experience?
Christina Geradts
President
Carolina Students for Life
