Planned Parenthood’s Legal Issues Today
Since the creation of Planned Parenthood in 1916, they have dealt with legal problems due to progressive and innovative care and services offered to women. The clinics remain some of the few locations where women can have an elective abortion, and they also provide birth control and permanent sterilization procedures. In 1973 Roe v. Wade, a historic court case, overturned previous legislation about a woman’s right to abortion. Abortion was previously outlawed, but the judge on the case recognized that it was a woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion and keep this choice private. Three years later, Planned Parenthood helped to fight for a woman’s right to choose without spousal or parental consent to women over 16 years old. Planned Parenthood has continued to fight for this right throughout the years, and has won in several court cases to keep this right for women to choose.
Additionally, the clinics provide sexual education to people who may not be receiving it in school. Since the Bush administration, abstinence-only sex education is all that is provided in many high schools, which simply does not provide information to teenagers who currently are engaging in, or plan to engage in sexual activity. Without being taught about the risks and dangers of unprotected sex, the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies will skyrocket. Teens simply must have access to this vital information. Planned Parenthood clinics offer contraception, counseling, and testing to patients of all ages, so for sexually active teens, a visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic is vital to obtain the necessary information and products to keep themselves and their partners safe, especially since they won’t be receiving it in school. Since the passing of the abstinence-only education bill, over 3 million patients visited Planned Parenthood clinics throughout America.
Tags: Education, Planned Parenthood, Sex education