After the election of Donald Trump, President Barack Obama took executive action to sign Title X Nov. 10, which means states can’t vote to defund Planned Parenthood and the services it provides.
During his campaign, Trump said he intended to defund Planned Parenthood because he’s pro-life and wants to get rid of the abortion factor. By doing that he takes away a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body. As a woman who is pro-choice, this would take away my reproductive rights.
I had a pregnancy scare a few years ago and, at the time, I was in a bad place. I couldn’t financially afford to raise a child and I wasn’t on speaking terms with the would-be father. I didn’t want to raise a child without a father and I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to give it up for adoption. The only choice that came to mind, if I was pregnant, was abortion.
Trump doesn’t understand Planned Parenthood is more than just abortions. According to its website, only 3 percent of its health services are abortion. In a single year, Planned Parenthood provided 270,000 pap smear tests, 360,000 breast exams to help detect cancer, 4.2 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, including over 650,000 HIV tests, and provide 1.5 million young adults with educational programs. It also provides birth control for women not planning on getting pregnant.
If Obama’s new Title X legislation passes, women won’t need to be in fear of states crushing their rights over their bodies- a step forward. However, Trump could still defund Planned Parenthood, which would defund the millions of people who rely on the program yearly.