The Susan J. Komen foundation pulled its Planned Parenthood funding earlier this week (as I’m sure everyone reading this knows by now) and I am upset. Unfortunately, the controversy has turned to the fact that Planned Parenthood provides abortions to patients and away from the fact that they also provide breast exams to patients. Patients who wouldn’t be able to afford to go to the doctor otherwise. I was one of these women.

I have talked about this before but it deserves mentioning again. When I was  in my twenties there was a time when I didn’t have access to affordable health insurance. I was on my own and could no longer use my parent’s insurance and I didn’t have the kind of job that provided insurance. I depended on Planned Parenthood for my healthcare. I went to them for my annual exam. Guess what was included in my annual exam? A breast exam. Because of Planned Parenthood I was  checked out by a doctor every year.

Planned Parenthood is about providing reproductive healthcare to women who can’t afford health insurance. This includes lots of services, abortion being one of them. Frankly, I am very grateful for this service. Some people are not. If you are not, fine. That’s YOUR opinion. But the issue here IS NOT abortion. According to this graphic,  3% of services that PP provides are abortions.  Cancer screening makes up 16% of its services. How ironic that an organization who says one of its goals is to:

“Invest in education and community health local programs to ensure quality care for all and to help underserved women overcome the social, economic, cultural and language barriers to quality breast care and treatment.”

pulls its funding from the one organization that can help them fulfill this very goal. Ironic and sad.

Here are some other organizations to consider if  you want to donate money to breast cancer research and treatment:

• Breast Cancer Action
• Breast Cancer Research Foundation
• Conquer Cancer Foundation
• And of course, there is Planned Parenthood who now needs the funds that have been yanked away.

Related articles

• Komen Foundation Ends Planned Parenthood Partnership, Making Me Choose Between My Breasts And Uterus (blisstree.com)
• Susan G. Komen Official Resigned in Protest Over Planned Parenthood Cut-Off (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• Why Did Susan G. Komen for the Cure Defund Planned Parenthood? (collegecandy.com)
• Planned Parenthood Says Susan G. Komen Cut Funds Because Of Politics (baltimore.cbslocal.com)