Is Planned Parenthood there to help poor women?
If you listen to their propaganda and the mainstream media, you’d probably be under the impression that they’re the last refuge for women who need help and can’t afford healthcare from traditional sources.
But if you’ve spent any time outside a Planned Parenthood clinic praying or sidewalk counseling, chances are you’ve seen, like I have, that one thing motivates Planned Parenthood above all else: their bottom line.
They claim that helping poor women is a hallmark of their brand, and the trope is incessantly repeated in the media.
Check out this 30 second video Planned Parenthood tweeted yesterday featuring Dr. Sarah Pentlicky positively glowing about how welcoming Planned Parenthood is to any and all patients:
“No matter who walks through those doors, we’re going to provide excellent care.” https://t.co/kTOahwymJx #StandWithPP
— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) November 3, 2015
“We are ready to take care of all women, men, families to help them lead healthy, successful lives.” Planned Parenthood is there to help women “get the care they deserve.” “No matter who walks through those doors, we’re going to provide excellent care.”
Well, that’s not what I saw on the ground at Planned Parenthood here in Aurora, Illinois this morning, and it’s not the first time I’ve seen it.
No Cash? Get lost.
This morning, I spoke with a young woman who was coming for a Depo-Provera birth control shot. My fellow sidewalk counselor saw this woman exit the Planned Parenthood, obviously unhappy, and asked her what was wrong.
It turns out that the young woman came for her appointment for the shot, and was only then told that the cost would be $250 and that it must be paid for in full upfront.
Not having that kind of money on hand, she asked if there were any payment arrangements that could be worked out—if she could be billed for it, or pay some now and make payments later. Planned Parenthood told her no. Pay up, or get out.
So she left. She was so disgusted by the experience that she plans to never visit a Planned Parenthood facility again. We were able to give the young woman some leads on real healthcare providers and some information on why she might want to reconsider using hormonal birth control at all.
Leaving the Poorest of the Poor Out in the Cold
Making matters worse, the young woman seeking help from Planned Parenthood was on a work-release program from jail.
With her limited ability to travel, getting to an appointment like she had today was hard enough without being kicked out of Planned Parenthood’s doors and being forced to make more appointments, taking time away from work and her 3-year old son.
Given Planned Parenthood’s constant crowing about how many underprivileged women they help, you would have thought they would have helped this woman find some way to pay for the care she was looking for. But they didn’t.
Also of interest, according to NYU school of medicine, a Depo-Provera shot should cost $50-$60, not $250! Not only are they refusing to help this woman get the birth control they insist she so greatly needs, they’re jacking up the price to make it prohibitively expensive.
Next time a friend or news story tells you women will have nowhere else to go if Planned Parenthood gets defunded, remember this story. Because, unless they have cash in hand, they can’t go to Planned Parenthood, either.
