Life Off-Label

In case you missed it, there’s been a pretty big stir lately when the news broke out that the Susan G. Komen foundation decided to no longer provide grants to Planned Parenthood to help fund breast cancer screenings. Komen claims it’s due to a policy that prohibits funding for organizations under congressional investigation, and technically Planned Parenthood falls into that category.

Now, I haven’t been much of a supporter of Komen since I saw a story about them using a million dollars of donor money to sue other charities. But that’s not what most people are so mad about right now. Many people are angry that such a large, influential organization would choose to alienate the many women who’ve relied on Planned Parenthood to have access to breast exams when they couldn’t turn elsewhere. According to the New York Times article I linked to above, past Komen funding has helped pay for breast screenings for at least 170,000 women, some of which did detect cancer in time to save their lives. Early detection is so so important, but it also costs money, and Planned Parenthood at least gives women with limited finances that option to still get early and regular screenings.

Many are also frustrated because they believe that the “congressional investigation” is merely an example of Republican congressmen putting a political agenda over womens’ health. After all, it’s no secret that Republicans lean in the pro-life direction and that many of them think Planned Parenthood is the scum of the earth.

I’m not exactly a fan of abortions myself. I mean… I don’t think anyone really is. Though I understand why people identify with the pro-life side of the fence, many who aren’t so strictly pro-life still realize it’s a complex issue and don’t sit there thinking, “Golly, you know what would make the world a better place? More abortions!” I won’t go into the details of my personal beliefs, but I will say that I’m not one of those who thinks Planned Parenthood is evil, and I think that if more people knew of the other services Planned Parenthood provides, good services that far outnumber the abortions, they wouldn’t think it was so evil either. Because I bet they didn’t know that some services, such as cheap access to birth control and sexual education programs, potentially prevent unwanted pregnancies, and therefore potentially prevent abortions. They also provide pre-natal care for those who are pregnant, and annual checkups for those who aren’t. Though I’ve been blessed with good health insurance either through my parents or my job, I know people who weren’t always so fortunate, and are grateful to Planned Parenthood for being an option to still have access to the care and checkups they needed when they couldn’t afford it elsewhere.

At a fundamental level, I believe everyone should have access to the healthcare they need, especially when it comes to preventative screenings, without worrying about how much it will cost. Of course, we all know it’s a lot easier said than done when it comes to figuring out how to implement it because it’s always going to cost someone, and noone wants to accept that burden. But even if we don’t have the solution to our healthcare problems now, we at least have organizations like Planned Parenthood, which through individual donations and grants through larger charities like Komen can help those who don’t have the financial means to currently seek certain treatment or screenings elsewhere. You never know when you might end up in that situation, and I know I’m glad there’s still that option there if I ever need it. A pro-life stance doesn’t have to only be taken in context with abortions, and when you broaden the scope to include people who’ve already been born, helping fund cancer screenings for those who can’t afford it is about as pro-life as it gets.