Andrew Fuller

Professor Jamie Nelson

Political Science 1100-406

11/29/2017

Planned Parenthood Research Paper

Planned Parenthood is a highly controversial interest group here in the United States. My

purpose is to explain the history of Planned Parenthood, the effect the group has on legislation,

and the influences it has had on society. I write as an individual who does not support Planned

Parenthood, but recognize the good the organization has done in supporting womens health in

the past and in the future.

Planned Parenthood has an extensive mission. Among other things Planned Parenthoods

purpose is to [protect] the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to

manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity,

sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence(1). Planned Parenthood also provides

information and care for those who may have questions about sexually transmitted diseases,

reproductive health, abortion, birth control, and sexual orientation.

Founded in 1916 by Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood became rooted in the idea that

women should have information that was necessary for them to live happier, healthier lives.

Margaret Sanger was working as a nurse and educator when she conceived the idea of Planned

Parenthood. She, her sister and a friend opened a birth control clinic in Brownsville, Brooklyn

that offered advice to women about birth control. Nine days later, police officers came, raided,

and shut down the clinic arresting the three women in the process. Margaret Sanger refused to

pay the fine, so consequently, she spent thirty days in jail teaching the other inmates about birth
control. In 1923, Sanger opened the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau in Manhattan to

provide birth control devices to women and to collect statistics about the safety and long-term

effectiveness of birth control. That same year, Sanger incorporated the American Birth Control

League, an ambitious new organization that examined the global impact of population growth,

disarmament, and famine. The two organizations eventually merged to become Planned

Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA)(2).

In our day, Planned Parenthood has been modified to appeal to both women and men. As

technology, medical information, and treatment techniques have changed, so has Planned

Parenthood. Now offering services that can apply to both men and women, Planned Parenthood

helps those who have questions about STDs, Cancer, sexuality issues and orientation,

contraception, in addition to birth control and abortion. Now affecting a large community of

people, Planned Parenthood works to help increase understanding through the services they offer

to people.

Planned Parenthood has many enemies in the world. Opponents of Planned Parenthood

use rhetoric that evokes emotional reactions. Mainly reaching audiences who are Pro-Life, they

focus on aspects of the organization that directly oppose their view points. Topics such as

abortion, gender identity and sexual identity, and birth control are often brought up by

opponents. A more famous opponent of Planned Parenthood, an Organization named The

Center of Medical Progress (CMP) said this, Planned Parenthood and their business partners

like StemExpress preyed on pregnant women to harvest and sell aborted baby body parts in an

illegal profit-driven scheme. Public officials should shut down Planned Parenthoods barbaric

abortion empire so Planned Parenthood can never defraud the public, hurt patients, or sell

aborted baby hearts, lungs, livers, and brains again (3). Obviously a strong statement, referring
to an issue as to whether Planned Parenthood was selling aborted baby body parts for

examination. Whether or not that is true, is still anyones best guess. This is an extreme example

of an opponent that goes against Planned Parenthood. Most of the time the opponents of Planned

Parenthood dont agree with Abortion, birth control, sexual orientation, and regulated

contraception. Summed into one sentence, these people can be referred to Pro-Life, whereas

people who subscribe to Planned Parenthood like ideologies are referred to Pro-Choice.

According to the New York Times, Planned Parenthood supported Hillary Clinton in the

presidential election race during 2016-2017. She became the first candidate that was supported

by Planned Parenthood in all 100 years of it's existence. The Times article explains the

connection between Planned Parenthood and Mrs. Clinton by saying Planned Parenthoods

case, Mrs. Clintons future and the groups are intrinsically linked: Planned Parenthood needs to

have a Democrat elected president to protect its funding, and Mrs. Clinton is hoping abortion

rights and the Republican candidates positions will motivate female voters to support her.(4)

Planned Parenthood has mainly supported the Democratic party, relying on the connecting ideals

between the organization and party.

Planned Parenthood is mainly funded by the federal government and donations. There is

no budget set aside by the federal government for Planned Parenthood, instead the money that

they receive comes via medicaid reimbursement. For example, an individual may have medicaid

coverage, and is seeking care from any one of Planned Parenthood clinics in their area. The

person may receive an STD test, birth control, pap smear or other care while at the clinic.

Planned Parenthood then submits a claim to medicaid for the care it just provided to the

individual similarly to insurance claims. Medicaid then reimburses Planned Parenthood for the
services provided. Then, the state medicaid agency sends a bill to the federal government for all

medicaid reimbursements made to providers statewide and the federal government reimburses

the state for part of the costs. Thus, Planned Parenthood is simply reimbursed by medicaid, and

medicaid is reimbursed partially by the state and federal government. Another way Planned

Parenthood is funded is through donation, which may come anonymously or with a name

attached. An entertaining story about funding Planned Parenthood comes since winning the

election, Planned Parenthood has received 82,000 Donations in the name of Mike Pence, our

Vice President who is adamantly anti-Planned Parenthood. Mila Kunis has started a monthly

donation to Planned Parenthood in his name since his winning election, in order to be comedic

and show her opinion.

Planned Parenthood has completely changed the way a person may view women's sexual

health. They have been instrumental in encouraging legislation about abortion and birth control

in our country, and maybe the world. They have been the Pro-Choice voice throughout the last

century with no intention of stopping.

From humble beginnings in brooklyn, Planned Parenthood has become a force of

women's health to be reckoned with. They have become the Pro-Choice voice in our society and

have influenced a lot of legislation throughout the century. Planned Parenthood has been and will

continue to be a very controversial organization because of the set values and ideals it espouses

to. We as humans get emotionally charged when we talk about things such as abortion, birth

control, and regulated contraception, because they relate to each of us individually. It's

important that we find ways to navigate these social issues to create good laws that support

everyone. The argument between Pro-Choice and Pro-Life is just warming up.
 Works Cited

(1)Parenthood, Planned. What is Planned Parenthood's Mission Statement? Planned

Parenthood, www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/mission.

(2)Parenthood, Planned. The History & Impact of Planned Parenthood. Planned

Parenthood, www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/our-history

(3)David, Author. "It's Stealing Baby Parts": Whistleblower Saw StemExpress Take

Fetus Parts from Planned Parenthood Without Patient Consent. The Center for Medical

Progress, 21 Nov. 2017, www.centerformedicalprogress.org/2017/11/its-stealing-baby-parts-

whistleblower-saw-stemexpress-take-fetus-parts-from-planned-parenthood-without-patient-

consent.

(4)Chozick, Amy. Planned Parenthood, in Its First Primary Endorsement, Backs Hillary

Clinton. The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2016,

www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/07/planned-parenthood-in-its-first-primary-

endorsement-backs-hillary-clinton/