Margaret Sanger’s first clinic handed out cervical caps. During World War I, many servicemen were diagnosed with venereal diseases. Due to this, the government responded by placing out an anti-venereal disease campaign. This changed contraception from a moral issue and began making it public health issue and research began. In Europe, soldiers began to use condoms, for which they brought back to the US and readily supported their use. In 1938, the judge lifted the federal ban on birth control, and diaphragms became one of the most popular use of birth control.
“In the 1950s, when the United States government, medical institutions, and the pharmaceutical industry wanted nothing to do with contraceptive research, funding for the development of the pill came from a very unlikely source—a single benefactor. Katherine McCormick provided almost every single dollar necessary to develop the oral contraceptive” (Katharine Dexter McCormick, 2018 p.1) Katharine’s financial backing, Gregory Pincus was able to develop the contraceptive pill, known as Enovid, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1960. This changed everything when it came to financial planning, sexual reproduction, education and public health.
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Currently, the United States is in a fight yet again. The Affordable care act required employers to provide contraceptive coverage without a co-pay. There were exceptions with religious nonprofits. There is currently a fight as to who would be required to cover contraception. The Supreme Court did rule in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and allowed privately-held companies with religious objections to refuse to cover birth control for their employees. (Byrd, 2018) The Trump administration seeks to continue this. The administration rules would allow virtually any employer or university with religious or moral objections to refuse to comply with the ACA requirement. Planned Parenthood is fighting again. Fighting to remove control of contraception from the political decision and give it back to women. They are fighting to make it illegal to discriminate with health insurance against women. (Byrd, 2018)
Sexual Education
Sexual Education changed in the 20th century primarily due to a much-needed response to the current country's health crisis. It was designed to teach people about venereal diseases and how to remain morally pure. It really was not to promote sex but to educate the married and create strict influences to have people outside of wedlock refrain. During that time in history, many people opposed sexual education, and that is still the same today. Currently, many sexual education program focus on the human body, and changes that occur when, sexual abstinence, contraception, sexual diseases, and teen pregnancy. “Planned Parenthood is the single largest provider of sex education in the United States, reaching 1.5 million people with education and outreach each year “ (How Planned Parenthood Teaches Sex Education, 2019)”. Planned Parenthood educators teach across all levels of the span. This includes from Elementary all the way to older adults. Some of the topics currently being taught involve, decision making, birth control, STIs, healthy relationships, consent, body image, anatomy, and puberty.
Many schools are local organizations are being pushed to change the way that sexual education is provided. This is mainly due to all the changes that are going on within the world in regard to the LGBTQ community and other gender topics overall. A recent poll has been completed by Planned Parenthood said; “93 percent of parents supported having sex education taught in middle school, and 96 percent of parents supported having education taught in high school”( (How Planned Parenthood Teaches Sex Education, 2019). Many people are arguing that sex education must be more than just biology or puberty and reproduction, but must really look into what real life is today. This is where the divide is with people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds especially. “Sex education programs that are balanced and realistic, encourage students to postpone sex until they are older, and promote safer-sex practices among those who choose to be sexually active have been proven effective at delaying first intercourse and increasing use of contraception among sexually active youth” (Birth Control, 2019)
Teen Pregnancy
Teen pregnancy is a widespread problem for centuries. Many years ago, this was proper practice and still is in some countries within the world, especially in third world countries. “In 2017, a total of 194, 377 babies were born to women aged 15-19, for a birth rate of 18.8 per 1,000 women in this age group” (Reproductive Health: Teen Pregnancy, 2018). Teen pregnancy affects all that are involved. Teens are not financially stable to many times support a child, let alone themselves. This causes many teens to be forced onto assistance programs within the local, state and federal government. Teen pregnancies can have long-term effects on the mom and child in regard to flourishing within the community. “Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22years of age, whereas approximately 90% of women who do not give birth during adolescence graduate from high school” (Reproductive Health: Teen Pregnancy, 2018). This is a cycle. As teen mothers, many times have children who become teen mothers. It is so important to help young people with the prevention of pregnancy.
The rate of teen pregnancy is the lowest it has been within the last 50 years or so, but it is still higher than it needs to be. Planned Parenthood is on the forefront of helping with this. They want to provide an evidence-based practice type of teenage pregnancy education. They want to continue to grow their youth development programs. Many people within communities are placing an unrealistic emphasis on preventing sexual behaviors in teenagers. When in fact it there need to be more proper education so that the prevention of teenage pregnancies occurs.
“In the U.S., one in three television programs contains a scene devoting primary emphasis to sexual behavior, and one in 10 contains a scene in which intercourse is depicted or strongly implied, yet sexual precautions and the consequences of sexual behavior are rarely depicted”(Reducing Teenage Pregnancy, 2019 p.3). Teens see this and think it is ok, but really do not understand what it takes to raise a child. There are three options when a teenager gets pregnant. The teenager can parent, choose abortion, or choose adoption. All three of the choices are hard ones to make and prevention is key to not have these young people have to make them at all.
Abortion
Abortion is a very controversial topic right now and in the past. People, religious organizations, pro-life and pro-choice groups, federal and state government officials and the legislature is all arguing about the rules, approval, and regulations that should be in place when it comes to abortions. There are many reason that women choose to have an abortion. Some women have been raped or have suffered incest. Some women found out that their baby has a birth defect or will not survive. Some women need to do so to save their own life due to health issues. Some women make the decision due to social or economic reasons. Some women are too young or not ready. Whatever the reason, this is a very personal one at that.
There are two sides to this argument ever since the US government legalized abortion. One side does not believe that women have the right to end a life of an unborn child and the other side believes that women have the right to decide what happens to their own bodies. “Outlawing abortion did nothing to prevent pregnancy, and some estimates put the number of annual illegal abortions from 200,000 to 1.2 million in the 1950s and 1960s” (Gill, 2019).
Planned Parenthood completes many abortions in their clinics. Safe and sterile. They offer two kinds of abortions. The first being a medical abortion or what is referred to as the abortion pill. The second being an in-clinic abortion. There are some states in the US where you do not have to be 18 or older, and you also do not have to have parental consent. There are some states that require that you only be a certain amount of weeks pregnant. There are some states that do not allow for abortions at all. There are many times in which abortions are necessary and when you limited the availability or option, illegal abortions happen. This is very dangerous and can cause infertility, infection, and even death.
“In the landmark Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstdt case on June 27, 2016, the US Supreme Court ruled that two abortion restrictions in Texas are unconstitutional because they would shut down most clinics in the state and cause an undue burden for Texas women to access safe, legal abortion” (Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, 2019). This case was a historic constitutional gain for women’s right to abortion. Since 2011 there are many states that began a 6-week ban. This means that anything after 6 weeks would not be permitted. Many of these bans are being challenged, but there is a new trend to begin them.
The fate of abortions seems to lie within the lawmakers, rather than with the women. This is what Planned Parenthood is fighting for. To help women keep making their own decision for their own bodies.
Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet is a large abortion supporter. He has donated thousands of dollars to the fund. He has his own non-profit and he also gives money to many abortion organizations and groups, including Planned Parenthood. Warren and his wife Susan Thompson Buffett supported abortion fully. They have been very concerned about overpopulation and supported family planning to stop the continued growth of the world’s population. After Susan’s passing, he changed his personal foundation's name and continues to help personally donate to allow women to have abortions and keep organizations up and running.
Conclusion
Planned Parenthood is one of the largest pro-choice organizations in the United States. It helps women, youth, teens, men, and couples to have proper sex education. Along with this it helps to complete testing on STDs and Cancer. There are so many benefits of this organization. Women’s rights have recently become the front scene due to the current divide with the government. There have been numerous groups and protests that the federal government should not decide what a woman can and cannot do with their own body. This is in the case of birth control, abortion, and even basic yearly screenings for health. People like Margaret Sanger paved the way to help women today have the option to choose conceptive, family planning and also to allow for this to be legal within the United States. Through support from donations and other federal grants, Planned Parenthood has been able to continue its services. Warren Buffet continued donations has allowed for the organization to reach even more people. Currently, there are many arguments when it comes to Planned Parenthood that are being addressed by local supporters, the federal government and especially within the Political parties. The prochoice and prolife has split the people and their viewpoints. Without the option to have safe abortions, and access to birth control, especially the morning-after pill, there will be so many illegal procedures done.
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