Don’t defund Planned Parenthood

Indiana State Representative Jackie Walorski made a move this legislative session to eliminate state funding for Planned Parenthood of Indiana. While we think defunding Planned Parenthood is a bad idea in the best circumstances, the current economic crisis makes adequate funding for Planned Parenthood even more of an imperative.

What happens if Planned Parenthood loses its government funding? About 55,000 low-income Hoosiers would lose basic health care – lifesaving annual exams, Pap tests, breast cancer screenings, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, HPV vaccines and birth control – available at 35 health clinics across the state.

Seventy-four percent of Planned Parenthood patients from Indiana fall at or below 150 percent of the poverty line. In this economic crisis, the last thing Indiana needs right now is for less-fortunate Hoosiers to lose access to health care.
Planned Parenthood is deeply committed to providing affordable health services to clients who, due to a lack of income or health insurance, often have nowhere else to turn.

In Fiscal Year 2008, Planned Parenthood of Indiana gave 400 free Pap tests at 23 clinics across the state as part of its “Free Pap Days” program.  

In addition, Planned Parenthood of Indiana, working with the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV, will provide free or low-cost testing for sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) at all 35 health centers as part of a national campaign to encourage young people under 25 to get tested for STDs.

Defunding Planned Parenthood would have a dramatic effect on women’s health care, particularly for low-income Hoosiers, and it is crucial we encourage our legislators to focus on positive efforts to improve our economy, rather than attacking Planned Parenthood and harming Hoosier women.

Judy Reckelhoff