When my parents were first married my mom went to planned parenthood to go get some inexpensive birth control but the people at the center didn’t have any, or any idea where it could be found, so I’m a little skeptical of the reliability of planned parenthood in providing these services in the first place
So the thing I’ve always wondered about Planned parenthood getting tax dollars as funding. If the abortion part is so small (they claim less than 3% of the business), why hasn’t a competing medical services place been founded that does all the other things without the abortion part? If that existed would people still have a problem with donating to this new business?
* excluding those religious types who are opposed to any birth control.
I believe you're correct in your thinking. PP has become so political that the idea of a program that helps people is too far off the radar to become a reality.
Any non profit with federal $ flowing will become corrupt after decades. I believe what you are suggesting is precisely whats needed.
As a non profit you need a person who has a bunch of money and is more interested in providing family planning and reproductive health services to others than using the sizable investment in start up costs to make more money or buy nice things. Well... or just needs a tax shelter on a massive scale and is passionate about the subject. The “give away expensive things for free” market isn’t as competitive as one might think, and the entire reason for a government subsidized but private organization providing these services is that the government doesn’t do so on any meaningful scale.
The private sector generally doesn’t step in to take over civil service duties unless they have a sufficient motivator- usually profit. So most any “competitor” would have to be a charity- and a driving factor of a charitable organization is brand recognition. That’s why such a huge percentage of charity donations go to things like advertising- people don’t help things they don’t know about, and people are much more likely to trust a known charity than one they’ve never heard of.
Planned Parenthood walked away from Title X funding, which amounts to about $60,000,000 per year. Their total intake of money in 2014 was $1,300,000,000. Taking out the confusing zeroes, you can compare it to losing $60 when you have $1,300. They still have $1,240M.
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Ostensibly, the people who will suffer are the Title X clients which are the most poor and underserved in the USA. I'd like to think they can shuffle around some money and still educate and provide birth control to these women.
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Edit: autocorrect, changed from undeserved to underserved.
Or.... crazy idea.... we don’t penalize an organization dedicated to family planning for offering legal services along side other services. Lawyers defend actual child molesters- arguing against evidence or circumstance not against guilt to try and get better sentences or no time served and the like. Doctors offer medical treatments and options that not all people agree with. The police perform many vital civil functions but also perform duties and actions that while legal- are not popular with the public at large. The actions of the military are contentious with many- the things the government orders be done or are done to carry out an order. Wether one agrees with a legal course of action or not- it’s unethical for a service provider to not present an option just because they don’t personally believe in it.
" it’s unethical for a service provider to not present an option just because they don’t personally believe in it."
Isn't part of a provider's purpose to guide people to well being based off of their knowledge/beliefs?
I will not even attempt to counter the accusations about executives. I generally feel that to be the case with most executives- otherwise they’d be farmers. As to the other part...
It is the ethical responsibility of a service provider to inform you of options and offer their expertise to aid your dedication making- as well as their professional or personal opinions qualified as such. However it is NOT their duty to impose those beliefs upon you. If your doctor believes that it’s their duty to save you no matter what it isn’t their duty to violate your DNR request and put you on life support. If your doctor believes artificial life support is wrong- it is not their duty to intentionally not tell you about a potential option of treatment.
If your doctor is antivax it is not for them to not inform you of vaccines as an option for your child. It is not for your lawyer to not inform you of your legal options to a defense because they do not think you deserve to be free. It’s not for a judge to deny divorce or for a clerk to not inform you of annulment as an option because they don’t believe in those things.
These critical providers of the public trust- and ESPECIALLY those dealing with health issues- have a DUTY to maintain the public trust through informed consent. By providing patients options- any options they have as to their treatment- and to let the patient decide. It’s a matter of principal independent of how one feels about a particular treatment or a particular case. It’s fundamentally important because- well- how would you feel if you or someone you loved underwent medical treatment and had lasting consequences only to find out that there were other options you were never given because of what your provider or what your neighbor believed?
Perhaps YOU would never consent to recieving a cloned organ transplant. Perhaps YOU would never agree to gene therapy. Perhaps you see religious or moral or social issues associated with the treatments YOU don’t agree to. It’s your life and just the same as a medical provider cannot force you to undergo chemo therapy even if they are certain you’ll die otherwise and it’s your best chance- a medical provider cannot withhold treatment from a patient because of how THEY feel about it.
imagine a world where your doctor- a Jehovah’s Witness- didn’t opt for a blood transfusion or even give you the option. Imagine you or someone you loved died or faced terrible complications because of that- all because THEY don’t believe in the option? A care providers FIRST and PARAMOUNT concern MUST ALWAYS be the wishes of the patient and the care of the patient.
Where a treatment is legal practice that treatment has passed through ethical scrutiny and been deemed acceptable. While the ethics and legality of such treatment may he challenged through do process, until and if such a time where such treatment was banned then it IS an option and MUST be provided as an option.
Tl:dr- the concept of “informed consent” is the absolute backbone of an ethical medical system in service to the public trust. A patient denied information on the whims of a provider CAN NOT give informed consent because they lacked critical information that might have effected their decision on what choice to make. Where a treatment is legal- it is a right of a patient to be presented the option to decide for themselves what course to take.
I think you touched on a VERY important part of national non-profits: the people on the ground care deeply about the mission, but the higher ups are more concerned with the image and viability of the brand. Most give pennies on the dollar to the actual operations while most of the money goes to marketing. Always go local if you're donating money.
No. Not at all. There are only about 600 planned Parenthoods in the USA. There are over 13,000 women's health clinics which also offer those exact services, and better. I've heard and read testimonies about women trying to go to planned Parenthood for non abortion services and failing. My mom tried to go for a mammogram once and they turned her away. There are direct quotes from PP managers saying abortion is how they make money and they try to sell it to every women who comes in. In fact, there exist safer procedures for the women and it's been documented by past employees that PP does NOT use those procedures. Why? They use the higher risk procedures *specifically* bc they are faster, to get more abortions done in a day. And that's a quote from an executive. Look, if you're pro choice, support women's health clinics that *actually* care about women's health. Who recognize that abortion is a devastating decision to make and provides *every* alternative.......
......and every information they need to decide what's best for them, and the safest way to achieve that. They don't take money from poor women for those services, and they actually hire medical professionals who have degrees and have taken the Hippocratic oath of acting in their best interest. Planned Parenthood employees haven't. So, whether you are pro choice or pro life, please recognize that planned Parenthood is just another corrupt big business attempting to exploit people in need. Support other women's health organizations.
@cheesecrackers: Your comment is a lot to unpack. I tried to verify anything you said and I was having a hard time. Can you please give me sources on the following?
1) I see 13,000 women's clinics but you say 30,000. Either way, it's more than the 600 Planned Parenthood offices.
2) Dozens of articles exist about women being denied services... Please link some so we can see what you're trying to say. I've always had kind, respectful help there.
3) Why was your mom denied a mammogram?
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY, please give us the direct quotes from executives saying abortion makes them money and they try to sell it to anyone that walks in. My entire opinion of PP is hinged on you finding these quotes. If they exist and you didn't just say that, then PP is a diabolically evil abortion machine.
5) I would also love to see the quote about them using riskier procedures specifically so they can get more abortions done in a day. I have always read they only refer women to a doctor to have an
abortion in some cases, and no abortions are performed there. Maybe I read wrong. Please let me know!
6) You finish with focusing on other women's clinics, saying they actually hire medical professionals. Can you please tell us why you think Planned Parenthood doesn't hire medical professionals?
7) I can tell you're very emotional about this. If half of what you said is true about Planned Parenthood, they need to be shut down immediatly. I'm going to be honest with you: nothing I've heard about or personally experienced wrt Planned Parenthood has lead me to believe the statements you've made are true, but I want to make sure I don't just have my eyes closed here. A bunch of people have upvoted you, so maybe y'all know something I don't. Please send me some reading material! :)
Hi, thanks for your comment! Yeah, I *may* have written what I said with some emotional fuel. To answer your questions, 1) yeah, I heard that statistic over radio and I misheard. 30 vs 13 is similar 2) this is probably the most inaccurate. Hard to find articles, but testimonies, yes. I have heard tons of testimonies online and in person about people trying to get non abortion services and not being able to or being referred away. You can find online, though, that those services make up only 4% of what they offer and most buildings are not equipped for cancer screenings, prenatal health care, or counseling. 3) They actually didn't have any mammogram equipment. I'm fairly certain none do, I googled it just now. 4) another slight inaccuracy. The exact quote is "For my clinic specifically, we were required to perform 1,135 abortions per year, so we're selling those abortions to pregnant women who are coming in." And that is from a manager not an executive. However, I would like to add....
...that the CEO quotes their mission is to "provide, protect, and expand access to abortion." They're a for profit organization, enforce abortion quotas, and make hundreds of millions every year regardless of government assistance. 5) that one is from a podcast by Abby Johnson, a previous manager and pro life speaker. They do perform in clinic abortion. They advertise their abortions taking 5-10 minutes, however a safer abortion is done with an ultrasound machine and takes 10-15. 6) I'm honestly not sure about this one. Maybe they do it because it's easier to find employees? 7) so, I recognize there are some inaccuracies and I'll edit my original post to reflect the changes. I still stand by my statement that PP is a terrible company exploiting those in need. I recommend listening or reading some of the articles or quotes by Abby Johnson. I recognize she's pro life and may seem biased because of that, but she really did work at PP for many years as a manager...
...and assisted in many of their services. I would say that puts her in a position of credibility. Is there enough evidence to slam planned Parenthood into the ground? Idk. There isn't enough evidence for any other corrupt big business. All I'm saying is I, as a woman, would prefer to get my health services done someplace else. Thanks for raising eyebrows and helping fact check my post though :)
Now- my words might seem combative but they are not. They are intended to be comprehensive. Much of what you say about planned parenthood as reasons not to support it are true of any business- sadly- any hospital. Pushes a given course of treatment or procedure as a matter of politics of policy? That’s almost every hospital in America- not to mention individual doctors who are incentivized and paid by pharmaceutical companies or equipment makers to push their products over other options, or who seek to influence policy and practice or law through their treatment policies.
Using procedures that aren’t the “best” available for the sake of time, cost, profit, etc? Yeah. That’s... most medical or really any company. As a counter point to the assumption that they use the “fastest” procedure possible to maximize the number of abortions they do.... with private hospitals free to refuse to perform abortions, and public hospitals (we’ll get to them..) able to deny abortions- and with planned parenthood having limited resources and facilities... one could also contend it’s a compromise to be able to handle the demand for abortions that largely gets placed on them, using a less “ideal” but faster method so that patients in need of abortion can be seen in a timely matter no?
Now- we already covered private hospitals don’t have to do abortions. Public ones “kinda” do but not REALLY. Federal laws exist for “medical need” but as with a woman who died in Texas because she was denied an abortion at a public hospital- the physician or administration can still claim there isn’t a “need” even if that ultimately results in a patients death because “at the time” the condition was assessed they can claim abortion wasn’t yet warranted. Hospitals get away with things like this and it’s known in law- such as administering “pain management” like “morphine drips” to terminal patients in pain as a method of quasi legal assisted suicide which can be easily justified and plausibly denied.
If you read studies, reports, the news, or use common sense- those “most vulnerable” or “in need” get the worst most predatory care in most aspects of society including medical care. A person who has chronic health issues untreated or maintained for economic disparity and lack of insurance isn’t likely to get bang up treatment if they go to a doctor or hospital, but a person with money and good insurance with a case of the sniffles will be treated better overall.
But see- planned parenthood medical aid is most specifically intended to be used by people who DON’T have much choice. So I’m glad you can choose to “take your business elsewhere” but the organization is primarily intended to service people who don’t have a choice between planned parenthood or somewhere else- but between planned parenthood or a coat hanger.
They DO have short comings, and any organization can always do better. It’s not sufficient to say that because they serve low income etc. that it’s excusable not to offer the best care possible- but we do have to keep in context what they are workin with.
As for profits- given the legal challenges they regularly face, the amount of lobbying they have to do just to keep their doors open if they continue to provide abortions etc- they have a tremendous overhead. Smaller local analogs May face similar but smaller scale issues but don’t have the attention and mass of adversity on a national stage and capital political level- nor are they generally involved as directly in the expensive and drawn out advocacy required to allow such services he offered at all, so yes. They can put more of a donation towards service as opposed to other administrative costs.
If people would just get off their collective dicks and let them abort some fetuses in peace- they could probably focus on better care. Just my guess. It makes it harder to do a good job when you have to fight off wave after wave of people trying to stop you from doing your job while you do it no? In the end though like any long lasting and functional care provider in America, they gotta stay in business today to help anyone tomorrow. The care you get may depend greatly on exactly who you deal with, and they can and do need to improve in serving the public.
The primary intended “customer” of planned parenthood is the person who for financial or other reasons can’t simply go to a doctor or get what they need over the counter. Well... “can’t” is a strong word and is seldom true. Effectively can’t perhaps works better.
The teen who’s parents don’t know they are sexually active or don’t approve and see providing such things as “condoning” the behavior; or who’s religious beliefs which forbid certain things aren’t shared by their child. The shy or anxious person who, if they had to face their life long physician or the local drug store crowd to get what they need would just go without. Anyone seeking anonymity from the kid who’s family raped them and or is abusive- the small town where a single trip to the drugstore has everyone knowing your business and could literally ruin your social and financial life... etc etc.
And of course- the person who doesn’t have money for that. Who can’t afford a doctors visit and has no insurance, who can’t figure out how to work the expense for OTC into their budget. The person who for one reason or another may not be able to get to another qualified provider but can get to the planned parenthood. The person who lives in a community or jurisdiction where the services they want or need are banned by moral objection or perhaps even law. There’s long lists. People with other options aren’t the fundamental group planned parenthood is supposed to help. People who otherwise would have only the worst options- effectively no safe options, are the people of gives options to.
* excluding those religious types who are opposed to any birth control.
Any non profit with federal $ flowing will become corrupt after decades. I believe what you are suggesting is precisely whats needed.
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Ostensibly, the people who will suffer are the Title X clients which are the most poor and underserved in the USA. I'd like to think they can shuffle around some money and still educate and provide birth control to these women.
,
Edit: autocorrect, changed from undeserved to underserved.
Isn't part of a provider's purpose to guide people to well being based off of their knowledge/beliefs?
1) I see 13,000 women's clinics but you say 30,000. Either way, it's more than the 600 Planned Parenthood offices.
2) Dozens of articles exist about women being denied services... Please link some so we can see what you're trying to say. I've always had kind, respectful help there.
3) Why was your mom denied a mammogram?
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY, please give us the direct quotes from executives saying abortion makes them money and they try to sell it to anyone that walks in. My entire opinion of PP is hinged on you finding these quotes. If they exist and you didn't just say that, then PP is a diabolically evil abortion machine.
5) I would also love to see the quote about them using riskier procedures specifically so they can get more abortions done in a day. I have always read they only refer women to a doctor to have an
6) You finish with focusing on other women's clinics, saying they actually hire medical professionals. Can you please tell us why you think Planned Parenthood doesn't hire medical professionals?
7) I can tell you're very emotional about this. If half of what you said is true about Planned Parenthood, they need to be shut down immediatly. I'm going to be honest with you: nothing I've heard about or personally experienced wrt Planned Parenthood has lead me to believe the statements you've made are true, but I want to make sure I don't just have my eyes closed here. A bunch of people have upvoted you, so maybe y'all know something I don't. Please send me some reading material! :)