Woman Goes To Planned Parenthood At Age Of 21, Shares Her Horrific Experience In Viral Facebook Post
Planned Parenthood has long become associated with one defining and incredibly divisive issue: abortion. Yes, the reproductive healthcare organization does offer this service in certain clinics. However, abortions account for only 3% of healthcare services carried out by Planned Parenthood and are not funded by government money.
In 2014, Planned Parenthood received 40% of its funding from the government, helping to provide care for hundreds of thousands of people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it. They offer services such as birth control; emergency contraception; clinical breast examinations; cervical cancer screening; pregnancy testing and pregnancy options counseling; prenatal care; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections; sex education; vasectomies and LGBT services.
The core aim of Planned Parenthood is the prevention of sexual diseases and unwanted pregnancies – fewer unwanted babies equals fewer abortions. Makes sense right?
Not to some, including, it seems, the current administration. So obsessed have people become with the abortion issue, the government is now threatening to permanently eliminate federal funding for the organization; potentially denying essential reproductive healthcare for up to 650,000 women in low-income neighborhoods and communities.
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face!
Image credits: Fairoroie
Education is vital here, with more people needing to be informed about the reality of Planned Parenthood rather than making knee-jerk, irrational judgments based on partisan political affiliations.
This story, told by Autumn Mizer, perfectly encapsulates the importance of the service, particularly for low-income communities. Planned Parenthood is far more than just abortions, it literally saves lives.
Why do some people see affordable healthcare as such a terrible thing? Can you imagine being yelled at and threatened by ignoramuses simply for getting a cancer screening?
It’s not just women that benefit from the services offered. Men can go for STD screenings, testicular and prostate cancer screening, vasectomies and even erectile dysfunction treatment; perhaps something that those angry and aggressive protesters could really benefit from?
Image credits: Paul Sableman (not the actual photo)
Defunding this vital service is a really bad idea, and will undoubtedly lead to many more unwanted pregnancies, sexual health issues and even more abortions.
For now, let’s celebrate Planned Parenthood for all of the essential, non-abortion services that they offer and spread the word about what it really represents: affordable, preventative healthcare for your most personal and private health issues, carried out without judgment.
People shared their own stories about the services that Planned Parenthood provide
Have you ever been to Planned Parenthood? What do you think about likely defunding of the organization? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The author did not choose the title of this article
And this is why people should mind their damn business. Whether this woman was going for cancer screening, counselling, contraception, abortion etc it is no one else’s damn business except the patients and the person/specialist who is there to help her.
This exactly. People should mind their own damn business instead of trying to live lives for others.
Load More Replies...PP caught my grandma's cancer. PP is where I get my screenings. PP is where I'm screamed at by "good Christians" for... uh... getting my yearly check-ups. It's MEDICAL. Not anyone's dang business. IMHO.
LiliumVA The reason why people get returns from their taxes is that they paid too much taxes. Uncle Sam loves the frock out of me cause I don't have any dependants. So I have to pay too much just so I don't owe Uncle Sam at the end.
Load More Replies...Just came from the post about how deadly scary Australia is with their monstrous creatures and nature. But damn, US won, you guys have even worse ones - extremely stupid brainwashed people. I'm so grateful I don't live there.
I went to PP back in 1981 when I was 16 years old. Just becoming sexually active, I did not want to become pregnant like my best friend did. With little money - and an "old school" mother - PP was my only option. It was discreet, completely confidential, and they supplied me with 12 months of birth control at no charge. I went to them for many years to come. Never needed anything other than birth control, but it is because of Planned Parenthood that I never became a pregnant teenager. That is what PP is about, not abortion.
Planned Parenthood is an AMAZING medical facility for women. I stopped going to my physician, because they wouldn't listen to me, and were constantly screwing up my pharmaceutical order on my BC (and contacting them via phone to fix it was impossible). I gave up on them and thought I would try out PP instead. OH the difference. The medical staff there are so kind and gentle, and they always communicate so openly with you. They are also very informative, and they actually taught me more about the pill I was using than I had known before! I am always raving about them, and I think it's extremely sad that these ignorant people give them such a bad rep. PP cares more about women than any doctor I have been to. :/
This is why government needs to stay out of it. Even if she was going for an abortion, it's nobody's business but her's and the doctor.
I pay tons of taxes and disagree Lisa. We all pay taxes.
Load More Replies...Most of the protesters outside Planned Parenthood clinics are ignorant of what Planned Parenthood actually does, and what's worse, in their sidewalk preaching, they try to divert women to "crisis centers" instead. The problem with these crisis centers is that almost none of them have trained medical professionals on staff, and their sole aim is to sow doubt and spread misinformation. They do nothing to prevent STIs or screen for other medical conditions, and for women looking for abortions, they go into a Dean Smith 4-corner stall to try and prevent the women from making a decision until their pregnancy is too far advanced for them to have a decision to make. Planned Parenthood is the first stop for many women seeking ANY kind of healthcare, and for some, PP is the only option. The war on Planned Parenthood is nothing short of a war on women and their reproductive rights. I put my money where my mouth is, and I put my body there, too. I donate to PP, and I volunteer there, too.
Unbelievable. In Europe every citizen has the right to receive such kind of medical assistance without paying enormous bills, and this happens in public hospitals or private hospitals in parnership with NHS. It's really unbelievable how people in the US are treated by their government.
True. For example here in Finland the abortion is very cheap operation, you can get it in any hospital and if you just need the 'morning-after pill' you can just visit any pharmacy and you don't need doctor's prescription for that. Also visiting gynecologist is usually completely free.
Load More Replies...I don't think I'm the only one who believe's, that the very people doing their damned best to get rid of this worthy organisation (Republican politicians), would be the first to ship their own teenage daughter off, to an expensive clinic in another country, to get rid of the "problem" quietly. Hypocrites one and all. And, if they care so very much for the "sanctity of life" how come this "care" only extends to the point of birth, then, your on your own, because they sure as hell don't want to offer any free healthcare for mothers/children from low socio-economic households.
That's not necessarily hypocritical, but it would likely be a case of double standards. Not okay for others, okay for them... It's a common error. Hypocrite means somebody pretending to be something they aren't, or holding beliefs they don't have. They're liars. People can both have double standards and be hypoctites, but it's important to recognize the difference between the two and adopt the propper language respectively.
Load More Replies...This is so much wrong... I mean, im glad that i live in Czech Republic, because, we have medical insurance here, for children is free up to age 18, for People without job the state paying it and every one Who got a job have automaticaly payed the insurance by the company He working for... Also, here noone attack clinic because they could provide abortions
I could bet that the protesters aren't even aware of the fact that they should do regular check-ups, let alone do so.
After my divorce, I had no insurance and very little money. BC pills were the only thing that helped me with debilitating cramps and PCOS. PP gave me a free exam and got me the pills until I could afford to do it on my own. They are so much more than abortions.
How is it *so* easy to get people up in arms about PP that every PP in big cities has around-the-clock protesters... but nobody is protesting the conditions of refugees at the borders? I know they're further away but I hear about the people outside of the Planned Parenthoods and I watch videos and there are so many people with nothing better to do than harass others... why can't you spend your energies protecting the children who have already been born?!?
this is an example of why the US is, in some areas, less developed than most 3rd world countries, where 20% of the poopulation earns less than 2$ a day, where the infrastructure in some areas is oldwer than 70 years. it is in part one of the most advanced countries, and in another the most backward country. but, as long as they can watch a Kardashian fart for money, who cares?
It is disgusting and horrible indeed. But I'm curious, would a change of name help reduce all this mess? Instead of "planned parenthood", or even "abortion clinic", why not call it "gynecology clinic/office"? It's a place that handles women's health, right? Or am I missing something here?
I believe men can seek services there too like contraception for example.
Load More Replies...I'm not a big advocate of bars and don't frequent them but it would never cross my mind to protest against them, picket, whatever these people do. God forbid everybody believes the way I do. No one's business.
Her health concern is private and only the physician and nurse need to know what it is as they know what is required to treat it. Politics never should enter in to any health issue between patient and health care providers. I'm a nurse and live in Canada and am aghast at what is going on in the U.S. regarding Planned Parenthood Clinics there. The politicians are bullies and will not listen to what knowledgeable nurses and doctors would tell them. They are also cowards.
Yep and everyone of them protesters there should be arrested for harassment and terroristic threat towards American citizens
Living in Australia, we have free health care provided by the Government. NO CHARGE. People pay a levy (tax) depending on their income. Lower income pays nothing. When we elect a Conservative party to government, they try to dismantle the system that the previous Socialist party put in places we now pay a small fee called "The Gap". It is a subject that bounces around but thankfully is still in place. The health insurance industry makes billions of dollars and lobbies hard to get rid of this socialist anathema and often gets a foothold. Thankfully our Medicare system is still in place and works well. Here, we don’t have to sell our house to get treated for medical condition. The conservatives would love to have the American system so the health insurance industry can profit from the sick.Vote wisely people.
PP, during a routine pap smear, caught that I had some suspicious cells. I was a waitress at the time and held down two jobs. But I hardly had enough money to live off of, let alone money for insurance. If it weren't for PP I wouldn't be here! It's insane how others, through the guise of religion, want to shut down PP. That's not Christian, that's not anything but fear based reactions. PP has helped so many people who wouldn't be able to get medical care otherwise.
Whats the old saying about pay me now or pay me later ? It's either keep PP operating and taking care of the minor thing before they bloom into a hospital stay or wait till the minor thing turn life threatening.
Bored Panda, the title you have on this article is deliberately misleading. This woman received help there and you are trying to draw readers in by suggesting PP did something terrible to her. Shame on you.
The USA, democratic leader of the world, 21.century. Crazy. CRAZY!
can someone with a tank just roll over those nuts? their parent should've got an abortion
Its wonderful that so many are helped by this organization and i pray that many more receive life saving treatments...but having only partial understandings and being duped by those who have dark agendas with far reaching consequences is nothing short of deadly... I believe her story and I am happy for her but it would be less than genuine to not tell the complete story about Planned parenthood?, it's inception, its roots and the story of its founder so that its true narrative is known... But again the good that they do is a lifesaver to many, I will never deny this.. There are many organizations that do good deeds in order to mask a more far reaching dark agenda. Eugenics is very real people, do not be fooled. Know the whole story and understand the narrative.
Women's health and reproductive rights really don't matter to our current idiot-in-chief.
All gov funded hospitals should be required to have full service PP offices on site, and no protestors should ever be allowed to protest on hospital grounds. People going to PP would be able to stole in any enterance free of harrasment. And it'd really hard to identify who visited the PP offices specifically without violating hospital privacy rules, and possibly privacy laws.
As the late George Carlin said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-bLf4F0PM4
Never used their services but if abortion is the issue, why not roll the other services, which are the merit of this story, into other health programs? What if walk-in clinics which covered all services and was federally funded, not just reproductive medical issues, were available? Would the fact that an abortion was not available deter you from accessing the services you need? Would you not seek assistance with a cancer scare regardless of whether you could get an abortion at that facility? I would. My point is, wherever you stand on the abortion issue (it's pretty darn heated), medical assistance for tax paying (let's say tax filing cuz we can't all be rich) individuals should be available using medical merits (kinda like food stamps). If more are needed, the doctors' office can assist you in requesting additional merits when needed, just like the paperwork filled out when you add a child to your family but you are on disability.
Which part of "I was there for cancer screening" did you not understand?
Load More Replies...Please educate yourself because that is completely untrue. Not all planned parenthood do abortions and most of the services are contraception, STI checks, cancer screenings and much more. Abortions are a very small part that PP does, approx 3.4% of the services planned parenthood does is abortions. Also planned parenthood is a not for profit organisation.
Load More Replies...But do you have a problem with your OBGYN performing abortions inside a hospital? Because sweetie, far more are done there than at a PP.
Load More Replies...And this is why people should mind their damn business. Whether this woman was going for cancer screening, counselling, contraception, abortion etc it is no one else’s damn business except the patients and the person/specialist who is there to help her.
This exactly. People should mind their own damn business instead of trying to live lives for others.
Load More Replies...PP caught my grandma's cancer. PP is where I get my screenings. PP is where I'm screamed at by "good Christians" for... uh... getting my yearly check-ups. It's MEDICAL. Not anyone's dang business. IMHO.
LiliumVA The reason why people get returns from their taxes is that they paid too much taxes. Uncle Sam loves the frock out of me cause I don't have any dependants. So I have to pay too much just so I don't owe Uncle Sam at the end.
Load More Replies...Just came from the post about how deadly scary Australia is with their monstrous creatures and nature. But damn, US won, you guys have even worse ones - extremely stupid brainwashed people. I'm so grateful I don't live there.
I went to PP back in 1981 when I was 16 years old. Just becoming sexually active, I did not want to become pregnant like my best friend did. With little money - and an "old school" mother - PP was my only option. It was discreet, completely confidential, and they supplied me with 12 months of birth control at no charge. I went to them for many years to come. Never needed anything other than birth control, but it is because of Planned Parenthood that I never became a pregnant teenager. That is what PP is about, not abortion.
Planned Parenthood is an AMAZING medical facility for women. I stopped going to my physician, because they wouldn't listen to me, and were constantly screwing up my pharmaceutical order on my BC (and contacting them via phone to fix it was impossible). I gave up on them and thought I would try out PP instead. OH the difference. The medical staff there are so kind and gentle, and they always communicate so openly with you. They are also very informative, and they actually taught me more about the pill I was using than I had known before! I am always raving about them, and I think it's extremely sad that these ignorant people give them such a bad rep. PP cares more about women than any doctor I have been to. :/
This is why government needs to stay out of it. Even if she was going for an abortion, it's nobody's business but her's and the doctor.
I pay tons of taxes and disagree Lisa. We all pay taxes.
Load More Replies...Most of the protesters outside Planned Parenthood clinics are ignorant of what Planned Parenthood actually does, and what's worse, in their sidewalk preaching, they try to divert women to "crisis centers" instead. The problem with these crisis centers is that almost none of them have trained medical professionals on staff, and their sole aim is to sow doubt and spread misinformation. They do nothing to prevent STIs or screen for other medical conditions, and for women looking for abortions, they go into a Dean Smith 4-corner stall to try and prevent the women from making a decision until their pregnancy is too far advanced for them to have a decision to make. Planned Parenthood is the first stop for many women seeking ANY kind of healthcare, and for some, PP is the only option. The war on Planned Parenthood is nothing short of a war on women and their reproductive rights. I put my money where my mouth is, and I put my body there, too. I donate to PP, and I volunteer there, too.
Unbelievable. In Europe every citizen has the right to receive such kind of medical assistance without paying enormous bills, and this happens in public hospitals or private hospitals in parnership with NHS. It's really unbelievable how people in the US are treated by their government.
True. For example here in Finland the abortion is very cheap operation, you can get it in any hospital and if you just need the 'morning-after pill' you can just visit any pharmacy and you don't need doctor's prescription for that. Also visiting gynecologist is usually completely free.
Load More Replies...I don't think I'm the only one who believe's, that the very people doing their damned best to get rid of this worthy organisation (Republican politicians), would be the first to ship their own teenage daughter off, to an expensive clinic in another country, to get rid of the "problem" quietly. Hypocrites one and all. And, if they care so very much for the "sanctity of life" how come this "care" only extends to the point of birth, then, your on your own, because they sure as hell don't want to offer any free healthcare for mothers/children from low socio-economic households.
That's not necessarily hypocritical, but it would likely be a case of double standards. Not okay for others, okay for them... It's a common error. Hypocrite means somebody pretending to be something they aren't, or holding beliefs they don't have. They're liars. People can both have double standards and be hypoctites, but it's important to recognize the difference between the two and adopt the propper language respectively.
Load More Replies...This is so much wrong... I mean, im glad that i live in Czech Republic, because, we have medical insurance here, for children is free up to age 18, for People without job the state paying it and every one Who got a job have automaticaly payed the insurance by the company He working for... Also, here noone attack clinic because they could provide abortions
I could bet that the protesters aren't even aware of the fact that they should do regular check-ups, let alone do so.
After my divorce, I had no insurance and very little money. BC pills were the only thing that helped me with debilitating cramps and PCOS. PP gave me a free exam and got me the pills until I could afford to do it on my own. They are so much more than abortions.
How is it *so* easy to get people up in arms about PP that every PP in big cities has around-the-clock protesters... but nobody is protesting the conditions of refugees at the borders? I know they're further away but I hear about the people outside of the Planned Parenthoods and I watch videos and there are so many people with nothing better to do than harass others... why can't you spend your energies protecting the children who have already been born?!?
this is an example of why the US is, in some areas, less developed than most 3rd world countries, where 20% of the poopulation earns less than 2$ a day, where the infrastructure in some areas is oldwer than 70 years. it is in part one of the most advanced countries, and in another the most backward country. but, as long as they can watch a Kardashian fart for money, who cares?
It is disgusting and horrible indeed. But I'm curious, would a change of name help reduce all this mess? Instead of "planned parenthood", or even "abortion clinic", why not call it "gynecology clinic/office"? It's a place that handles women's health, right? Or am I missing something here?
I believe men can seek services there too like contraception for example.
Load More Replies...I'm not a big advocate of bars and don't frequent them but it would never cross my mind to protest against them, picket, whatever these people do. God forbid everybody believes the way I do. No one's business.
Her health concern is private and only the physician and nurse need to know what it is as they know what is required to treat it. Politics never should enter in to any health issue between patient and health care providers. I'm a nurse and live in Canada and am aghast at what is going on in the U.S. regarding Planned Parenthood Clinics there. The politicians are bullies and will not listen to what knowledgeable nurses and doctors would tell them. They are also cowards.
Yep and everyone of them protesters there should be arrested for harassment and terroristic threat towards American citizens
Living in Australia, we have free health care provided by the Government. NO CHARGE. People pay a levy (tax) depending on their income. Lower income pays nothing. When we elect a Conservative party to government, they try to dismantle the system that the previous Socialist party put in places we now pay a small fee called "The Gap". It is a subject that bounces around but thankfully is still in place. The health insurance industry makes billions of dollars and lobbies hard to get rid of this socialist anathema and often gets a foothold. Thankfully our Medicare system is still in place and works well. Here, we don’t have to sell our house to get treated for medical condition. The conservatives would love to have the American system so the health insurance industry can profit from the sick.Vote wisely people.
PP, during a routine pap smear, caught that I had some suspicious cells. I was a waitress at the time and held down two jobs. But I hardly had enough money to live off of, let alone money for insurance. If it weren't for PP I wouldn't be here! It's insane how others, through the guise of religion, want to shut down PP. That's not Christian, that's not anything but fear based reactions. PP has helped so many people who wouldn't be able to get medical care otherwise.
Whats the old saying about pay me now or pay me later ? It's either keep PP operating and taking care of the minor thing before they bloom into a hospital stay or wait till the minor thing turn life threatening.
Bored Panda, the title you have on this article is deliberately misleading. This woman received help there and you are trying to draw readers in by suggesting PP did something terrible to her. Shame on you.
The USA, democratic leader of the world, 21.century. Crazy. CRAZY!
can someone with a tank just roll over those nuts? their parent should've got an abortion
Its wonderful that so many are helped by this organization and i pray that many more receive life saving treatments...but having only partial understandings and being duped by those who have dark agendas with far reaching consequences is nothing short of deadly... I believe her story and I am happy for her but it would be less than genuine to not tell the complete story about Planned parenthood?, it's inception, its roots and the story of its founder so that its true narrative is known... But again the good that they do is a lifesaver to many, I will never deny this.. There are many organizations that do good deeds in order to mask a more far reaching dark agenda. Eugenics is very real people, do not be fooled. Know the whole story and understand the narrative.
Women's health and reproductive rights really don't matter to our current idiot-in-chief.
All gov funded hospitals should be required to have full service PP offices on site, and no protestors should ever be allowed to protest on hospital grounds. People going to PP would be able to stole in any enterance free of harrasment. And it'd really hard to identify who visited the PP offices specifically without violating hospital privacy rules, and possibly privacy laws.
As the late George Carlin said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-bLf4F0PM4
Never used their services but if abortion is the issue, why not roll the other services, which are the merit of this story, into other health programs? What if walk-in clinics which covered all services and was federally funded, not just reproductive medical issues, were available? Would the fact that an abortion was not available deter you from accessing the services you need? Would you not seek assistance with a cancer scare regardless of whether you could get an abortion at that facility? I would. My point is, wherever you stand on the abortion issue (it's pretty darn heated), medical assistance for tax paying (let's say tax filing cuz we can't all be rich) individuals should be available using medical merits (kinda like food stamps). If more are needed, the doctors' office can assist you in requesting additional merits when needed, just like the paperwork filled out when you add a child to your family but you are on disability.
Which part of "I was there for cancer screening" did you not understand?
Load More Replies...Please educate yourself because that is completely untrue. Not all planned parenthood do abortions and most of the services are contraception, STI checks, cancer screenings and much more. Abortions are a very small part that PP does, approx 3.4% of the services planned parenthood does is abortions. Also planned parenthood is a not for profit organisation.
Load More Replies...But do you have a problem with your OBGYN performing abortions inside a hospital? Because sweetie, far more are done there than at a PP.
Load More Replies...
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