A Note on Planned Parenthood

Some Congressmen are trying to defund Planned Parenthood. I don't understand the rationale for that. The government funds aren't used for abortion. Even if they were, I'm not sure the fact that some people don't want their taxes used for particular purposes is a good reason to stop funding those organizations. I would rather not fund the Iraq / Afghanistan War, gambling, liquor stores, or oil company subsidies, and there are a number of people who agree with me on that, but the government keeps spending money on them.

At any rate, I'd like to put in a good word for Planned Parenthood. About 30 years ago, as a young college student, I took advantage of my local Planned Parenthood office for one of those annual exams that young women are supposed to get. I used the college health clinic for any needed run of the mill health problems but didn't want to get such a personal exam there.

One year Planned Parenthood called to tell me there was a problem with the exam, or rather that the exam had found a problem. I followed up with a gynecologist who took some cell samples and froze some cells off. Both Planned Parenthood and the other doctor told me that if I'd let the situation go for a few years there was a good chance I would have developed cervical cancer.

It may not be accurate to say Planned Parenthood saved my life but certainly having access to low cost easily available preventive medical care at that stage of my life made a big difference in my long term overall health.

I hope that Congress will continue to fund something as important as Planned Parenthood. It is an important health care provider for women of all ages.