I’ve had too much time on my hands lately. Modeling has slowed down again, I’m not getting many hours at the coffee shop, and I don’t have too many blogging ideas. I need a hobby, another job, or something to occupy my mind. I have been spending too many hours on social media.
In the past week or so, a photo has been circulating around my feed from the page Live Action. *Photo below*
If you are on my social media, you’ve probably seen me arguing with strangers on the internet about this photo. I am not going to express my thoughts on abortion, well at least not today. This is not what I am concerned about in this photo. I am passionate about debunking the myths about planned parenthood because they do so much more than provide safe and legal abortions.
In the tight-knit, religious community that I grew up in everyone identified as being pro-life. There wasn’t much education on the topic. Everything was one-sided, and planned parenthood is always portrayed as a villain. It wasn’t until I wrote a paper in high school about the evils of PP that I learned about the positive work that they do.
Planned Parenthood provides education
When writing this post, I thoroughly looked through the Planned parenthood website. I found many helpful articles about sexuality. In the section of the website designed for teenagers, they cover consent, STDs, virginity, masturbation, and more. These are all important topics that teens need to learn about from a reliable source.
They provide healthcare
I don’t have health insurance, and dredge the day that I get sick enough to need to go to the doctor. My situation isn’t that uncommon. I work hard, pay my bills on time, but seeing a physician for regular check ups is a dream. I am blessed to be relatively healthy and try to maintain that by keeping a healthy diet. It is comforting to know that if I need birth control, a pap smear, or even a wellness check I can go to the only planned parenthood in town and receive help. There are so many out there just like me who have to rely on organizations such as PP for health care. For some, this is the only opportunity to see a doctor.
Planned Parenthood helps with family planning
By providing affordable birth control and access to Plan B, they help women choose when they are going to have a family. If consider yourself to be Pro-Life, it seems preposterous to me to try to take away affordable birth control. Most who are seeking contraceptives are doing so because it isn’t the right time to start having kids (or add more to the family). Isn’t that usually the main reason individuals get abortions in the first place? Without access to birth control or Plan B, it puts females at greater risks to get pregnant before they are ready.
For those who are trying to start a family, they can help as well. According to their website, some locations help navigate fertility/infertility.
They provide safe abortions and counseling
Yes, I said I wouldn’t cover my views on abortion but I feel that this is important. Whether or not abortion is legal, the procedure will happen. Similar to how gun control won’t eliminate violence. Banning abortion won’t stop ending an unwanted pregnancy. Terminating a pregnancy without the supervision of a doctor can be fatal. As a female, I do not want to revert back to abortions being done with hangers in back alleys.
Why does Planned Parenthood matter?
The answer will vary based off of who you ask. Some would argue, that it should be defunded and shut down. All of the reasons I listed are important. For me, I believe that the education they provide could’ve been life-altering in my journey.
I wonder how my (non-existant) sex life would’ve been different if someone had just told me that it’s natural and perfectly okay to desire the bedroom. I question if I’d be more comfortable in my body and sexuality. I think about how my peers would’ve tremendously benefited from having a true sex education,one where value wasn’t correlated purity. I think about how the conversation might have been shifted if we were spoken to about consent, not about our clothes making our brothers stumble.
For those of you that are curious, I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve relied on the services of Planned Parenthood. I wrote this blog because I’m tired of the misconception that PP only provides abortions. Without these medical facilities, so many will be going without health care. I encourage you to form your own opinions on this oh so controversial place.
With love,
Lama-Leah
Email: lamaleahblog@gmail.com
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https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/sex-education/abstinence-only-programs
https://www.thoughtco.com/states-highest-teenage-pregnancy-birth-rates-3533772
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