Keishia Bovell

I am currently enrolled in New York City College of Technology (NYCCT), Bachelor of Science Nursing program. After the completion of this semester, I will have four classes left to graduate with a BSN degree. Presently, I am taking Professional Nursing which is a writing intensive course that offers a variety of professional, historical, theoretical, ethical, and health issues relevant to contemporary nursing. This course is focused on providing professional tools for enhancement of professional development. This course provides on-line forums to debate  relevant health care issues. The debate topic I was chosen to discuss, on the behalf of the pros, was Should planned parenthood be funded by the federal government. One of my debate arguments are below:

Hello all, this Keishia Bovell, continuing the debate on the Pros of: Should Planned Parenthood be funded by the Federal Government.

For over 100 years planned parenthood have served over 2.5 million men and women in the United States. By defunding Planned Parenthood, you are not only taking away funds from abortion, but funds are also being stripped from primary and preventative services. Women would have fewer options for where to receive care. Services provided by planned parenthood ranges from wellness examinations, vaccinations, over 270,000 pap smears, over 360,000 breast cancer screening, and contraceptives. Planned Parenthood prevented over 579,000 unintended pregnancies. Contraceptives are essential to women’s lives and futures. Women health, economic security, equity and dignity, are all in jeopardy if women lose their ability to plan when to have children. By defunding planned parent, underserved communities will force women to take long trips to another government funded facility, creating a barrier to treatments, scheduling and healthcare appointments. Delay of care is inevitable, and no one wins. 3 out of 5 patients that patients that are seen in Planned parent for preventative care, relies on government programs for care. For many of those patients Planned parenthood is the only option for family planning.

Defunding planned parenthood is not the answer. The experience in Texas shows that when they denied funding to planned parenthood, there was a 35% decrease in effective birth control and a 27% increase in Medicaid funded births. When Indiana cut public health funding, the country saw the biggest and most rapid increase outbreak from HIV. Access to the reproductive and preventative health services is essential to the health and wellbeing of the patient.

Reference

Lawrence, H.C., & Ness, D.L. (2017). “Planned Parenthood Provides Essential Services That Improve Women’s Health.” Annals Of Internal Medicine 166, no. 6: 443-444. CINAHL