Since Americans have found plenty of reasons to continue to debate abortion at hotly as ever, Planned Parenthood remains a polarizing organization.
But whether you approve of the fact that they offer abortion services or not, it’s also important to remember that this isn’t the only service they provide. While there’s debate as to the accuracy of the organization’s claim that only 3% of the services they offer are abortion services, it’s not difficult to see the value of what else they do for the public.
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These include STI testing and treatment, providing access to birth control medication and other contraceptives, and cancer screenings among other services.
And one woman has a powerful story to tell about not just the crucial value of the services she received from Planned Parenthood, but what she faced along the way.
When she was a teenager, Autumn Mizer of Springfield, Missouri was in a financially difficult position.
As she wrote in a now-missing Facebook post , she was living on her own at 17 years old and couldn’t afford tampons.
This led her to Planned Parenthood, where she said they provided with her long-lasting birth control that she still uses years later.
They didn’t charge her for it.
Two months ago, Mizer was 21 and facing an even more serious problem.
As she wrote , she was told there was a high chance she had late-term cervical cancer.
Unfortunately, everywhere she tried to go to confirm this with a cancer screening would have charged her up to $1,000 for testing.
Everywhere, that is, except for Planned Parenthood.
This branch, however, was in a more populous city than the last, so it came with its own challenges.
Namely, that Mizer had to be escorted into the building.
This was due to some aggressive protesters, who referred to her as a “murdering b****” and threw things at the building.
Ironically, Mizer said the particular branch the protesters were targeting didn’t even offer abortions.
Nonetheless, Mizer recalled having to be buzzed through four separate doors because, as she put it, “They can’t go a day without getting a shooting or a bomb threat.”
Once she got through all of that, however, Mizer discovered she didn’t have cancer, but rather a life-threatening infection that was spreading throughout her body.
![Image credit: Reddit | [deleted]](https://static.diply.com/kICS4wPrSIRjf3oCxO2L.jpg)
As she wrote , Planned Parenthood did not charge for the testing that discovered this.
Not only that, but they also covered 90% of expenses so she could find the appropriate medication.
In her words, they saved her life.
Mizer counters any claim that Planned Parenthood is “evil” by stating taxes actually pay for services to help women get care they otherwise can’t afford.
![Image credit: Reddit | [deleted]](https://static.diply.com/My8axCFUXPXcWhCoRmoQ.jpg)
She also said that it’s illegal to pay for abortions with taxes, which is likely a reference to the Hyde Amendment of 1997.
In many cases, what she said is true.
However, a Forbes report found that federal funding for abortions is possible through Medicaid and Medicare, but only in cases of r**e, i****t, or instances where a pregnancy is life-threatening.
That aside, Mizer’s post demonstrates the heavy cost of stripping Planned Parenthood of public funding.
h/t: Facebook | Women’s Rights News
Last Updated on October 21, 2019 by Mason Joseph Zimmer
