Parent’s aren’t the only ones that plan

Written by Abigail Sweetman ’18

Urologists rarely find themselves under moral scrutiny. In fact, they are part of a small group of individuals who observe thousands of penises a year without suffering social consequences. Yes, the intimate and uncomfortable experience of prostate exams make for raunchy and relatable cocktail party conversations, but these reproductive health professionals rarely find themselves demonized on the ground of bioethics.
If urologists were to offer their expertise and training to work in affordable, accessible clinics, they’d be lauded.  Disease testes are uncontroversial subjects. Urologists provide services with the intent of preserving male sexual health; gynecologists perform the same services for women. However, gynecologists working for Planned Parenthood face undeserved discrimination. This is a testament to women’s health, and how we should work to preserve it.
According to a 2013 health tracking poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 40 percent of women put off or postpone getting necessary health care; 33 percent skipped recommended medical tests or procedures; and 23 percent cut pills or skipped doses of medicine.  Women are less likely to prioritize their health over other factors—especially when those factors are work, family, or money-related. In addition, National Women’s Law Center has said that women who are more likely to live in poverty, are also more likely to stay in a job they don’t like for healthcare benefits. Additionally, they are more likely to stay in a marriage for the same reasons. In this regard, women have less personal agency than men, and Planned Parenthood fills a necessary space in women’s healthcare: It’s accessible, affordable, and comprehensive.
In an average year, Planned Parenthood provides a multitude of services, including: birth control for 579,000 citizens, 270,000 pap tests, 360,000 breast exams, and 4.2 million tests/treatments for STIs. These services are discreet and effective, and are favorable for many women. Many STIs, particularly chlamydia and gonorrhea, can cause infertility if untreated. Each year, 4,120 women die of cervical cancer—a number that has been dramatically reduced by annual pap smears after the age of 21. Another 40,450 women die of breast cancer each year, despite the fact that breast cancer research receives more funding than any other disease the National Institute of Health subsidizes research for. It’s easy to hear the word abortion and retreat immediately to the things in which you believe. It’s harder to recognize good in places you didn’t expect.
Saint Joseph’s University attracts a primarily Catholic student body. As Catholics, it’s understandable to be abhorred at the prospect of Planned Parenthood, which is a government-subsidized entity that provides services that include both birth control and abortion. These aren’t services that devout Catholics plan on utilizing or supporting. Conservative Catholicism, as exemplified by the National Catholic Bioethics Center, would suggest that a devout Catholic would avoid any affiliation with an organization associated with principles that work against the Catholic doctrine. I encourage conservative Catholics to seek and support healthcare that helps them practice their faith to the fullest of their abilities. However, if your faith is more flexible, I encourage you to consider the ways you can be an advocate for healthcare.
There’s an undervalued strength that comes from strong positions on controversial issues. Family planning choices are moral issues to be considered personally, and should not be mandated by government action. Abortion and birth control are choices that many Catholic women will not make, because their moral codes do not condone it. However, they are choices that many other women—and many other families—must make. Planned Parenthood gives women the agency to make choices for their own health. While the current stance of American political conservatism favors the idea that government-funded women’s services are excessive and morally dubious, I urge you to consider that these services are necessary measures towards preserving public health.