Womb with a view: Planned Parenthood

Jan. 27--Editor's Note: Abortion is a touchy topic best avoided in mixed company. Suddenly it has become the source of heated discussion on social media and in the news. Last week's women's march which was largely pro-choice, and this week's March for Life, show large numbers of people on both sides of this deeply personal issue.

It is difficult for writers to approach this topic without bringing bias to the story, so we did not even try. In this rare instance, we have two stories with admitted bias. Below is one pro-choice and one pro-life story. We hope you will take the time to read them both with an open mind. -- Beth Brelje, Record Executive Editor

Abortion. The topic remains an elephant in the room while being one of the most talked about subjects online.

In 2013, more than 600,000 legally-induced abortions were reported by the Center for Disease Control -- that's down five percent from the previous year; and the trend doesn't appear over yet.

According to Danielle Kroo, Director for Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood Keystone, education and contraception access have a lot to do with those lowering numbers.

"We are at a 30-year low for abortions," Kroo said. "We can continue to have lower rates of unplanned pregnancies and STDs."

How? The answer may lie in demystifying Planned Parenthood and the services that they provide.

"We are the solution, not the problem," Kroo said.

Routine care

Planned Parenthood Keystone provides a range of medical services for both men and women at 12 medical centers in 37 counties, including Monroe.

The Stroudsburg office is located on North Seventh Street in Courthouse Square. No abortions occur at that office.

The most common reasons patients in Pennsylvania choose Planned Parenthood are surprisingly run-of-the-mill. More than 55,000 appointments were made to obtain birth control or STD testing and treatment in 2016. Near the bottom of the list, 3,864 abortions are performed at the Keystone centers.

"For a lot of people, we are the only health care providers they see," Kroo said.

Many patients choose Planned Parenthood to plan their parenthood, in addition to receiving routine care.

"One of our patients has been seeing us since she was 15 years old," Kroo said. "She saw us while pregnant with her first child." During one of her routine visits, cancer cells were found and removed from her cervix.

"That patient is now on her second pregnancy," said Kroo.

Potential defunding

Many have been calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood -- a rallying cry among a portion of supporters of President Donald Trump. Many are anti-abortion, and many are anti-Planned Parenthood, although the two views are not mutually exclusive.

Trump described the act of partial birth abortions as a talking point during the final presidential debate in October. The procedure has been illegal in the United States since 2003 under the Partial-Birth Abortion Act, and any doctor that violates this law faces up to two years in prison.

It is believed by some that federal money pays for such procedures, or that it could.

"No federal funding can go towards performing abortion at all, except in extreme circumstances," Kroo said.

The Hyde Amendment, initially passed in 1976, serves as a guideline for states that wish to regulate abortions. Today, the guideline prohibits federal funding for abortions, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest. Pennsylvania is one of the states that chooses to follow suggestions made by the Hyde Amendment, with additional restrictions.

The Mexico City policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule, was originally penned by President Reagan in 1984, barring worldwide organizations from receiving federal funding from the U.S. if they provide, counsel, refer or advocate for abortion services globally. This rule also applies to groups that exist outside of the United States, are entirely self-funded, and work in countries in which abortion is already legal. The order has been ceremoniously revoked or invoked with every passing administration since.

Earlier this week, President Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy by way of executive order, this time expanding on it to include "global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies," not just those concerning family planning.

Federal tax payer money does not and will not fund the elective abortions performed by Planned Parenthood in any state or in any country.

Federal funding does go toward reproductive and sex education, cancer screenings, and birth control access.

Additionally, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, limits insurance coverage of abortion.

The act states that at least one multi-state plan cannot provide coverage for abortions for which federal funding is prohibited. Additionally, at least one multi-state plan must exclude coverage for elective abortions.

"The misconception is that we get a blank check, or that we are a line item," Kroo said. "But we're just like any other provider; care is paid for by the patient out of pocket, by insurance or by Medicaid. You get a bill."

In Monroe County, 40 percent of patients pay for services with Medicaid. Additional funding under Title 10 is available through Medicaid for patients who qualify.

Area patients go to Planned Parenthood mostly for STD screenings and treatment, and access to birth control.

"The only thing defunding does is take away a community's access to care," Kroo said.

She is often asked why the organization doesn't just change its name.

"We're a brand," she said. "You move to a new town or community, you know that when you see that blue sign- you see Planned Parenthood. You know you are going to get good care."

Improving the discussion

Katharine Bullard, of Stroudsburg, feels that there is a perception of people who are pro-choice as being man-hating and child-hating.

"I am a parent," Bullard said at a silent protest of the inauguration of Donald Trump in Stroudsburg's Courthouse Square on Jan. 20.

Bullard organized the event with other community members in response to what they perceived as hateful rhetoric of the 2016 campaign.

Dozens of advocates from multiple states and organizations participated in nearly 40 minutes of silent protest in the center of Courthouse Square, which ended with the singing of the national anthem and an emotional chorus of "We Shall Overcome."

Bullard, who is a Planned Parenthood donor, takes what is going on seriously, largely due to personal experience.

Growing up in the 1990s in Buffalo, New York, Bullard experienced hearing the news that a local doctor and member of her synagogue was shot by members of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.

"They shot him through the window of his home," Bullard recalled. "I came of age watching the harassment."

Bullard, who has two daughters, does not want to see occurrences of teen pregnancy or deadly cancers go up in the area.

"I don't want to see them not have a choice," she said.

Bullard feels that most citizens agree when it comes to reproductive healthcare.

"Our economy depends on our health," Bullard said. "We need to support it."

Kroo feels that these personal stories and connections are what's important to improving the discussion about Planned Parenthood.

"People need to put themselves in their shoes. You don't realize when you may need these services," she said. "People need to know what's at stake."

Federal funding or not, women will still seek out avenues to contraception and abortions. Whether or not those alternative methods are safer than what is offered by some clinics nationwide is up for debate. Abortions are not provided by the clinic in Stroudsburg. Referrals to abortion clinics are available for those who undergo state-required counseling. That counseling is provided in Stroudsburg.

Kroo has one message for those who feel that Planned Parenthood is their last hope: "We are here."

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