Planned Parenthood Former Exec Speaks Out

[a_haze420]

I'm a firm believer in pro-choice, but I'm also a believer that abortion should not be the "first and only choice" that is offered to women as a means of a solution. Planned Parenthood offers some great services to women who would otherwise not get those services without their existence, and anyone can get online and research their annual reports to get a look at some of their numbers. But from their own 2013-2014 annual report - it shows over 327,000 abortion procedures were performed, yet only 1880 adoption referrals were made.

Maybe their report could be laid out differently to possibly prevent such skewed numbers from affecting someone's perception of this?

You have to account for some of the abortions they performed being medically necessary like being harmful to the mom genetic defects that were tested for etc. so no matter what the number would always be higher.

Adoption isn't such an easy alternative going through an entire pregnancy and giving birth is a big commitment one some girls do not want to or simply cannot do. So I believe no matter what the numbers of course will be drastically different.

 

[Gen]

You have to account for some of the abortions they performed being medically necessary like being harmful to the mom genetic defects that were tested for etc. so no matter what the number would always be higher.

Adoption isn't such an easy alternative going through an entire pregnancy and giving birth is a big commitment one some girls do not want to or simply cannot do. So I believe no matter what the numbers of course will be drastically different.

It seems like a really harmful idea that adoption is preferable to abortion in all/most cases. Like you said, pregnancy isn't a cakewalk - even in a developed country with access to prenatal care (thanks, Planned Parenthood), it can have loads of risks and fuck up your body in huge ways, both temporarily and permanently. It can impact school and job opportunities, and is certainly incredibly emotionally taxing as well. I don't think pushing for more adoptions over abortions is to anyone's benefit.

 

[n_i_c_u]

Is she on tour for her book deal hitting up all the networks that would have her? One would think her words from her book or her book tour would match well against those she is talking about in her book or book tour and there would be networks camped out in front of the clinics wanting to know if what she said is true (lots of people write crazy stuff).

Maybe I am not seeing the reaction I am looking for in google videos. You would think that news networks that support her cause would leach on to her knowledge and confront the businesses she is accusing. We get news videos of practically everything these days and videos from cell phones of all kinds of stuff. I just didn't see anyone confronting the clinics she is demeaning in a video format.

Maybe i am not looking at the right google videos?

A big part of me thinks she is not doing this for anyone other than herself.

 

[Lucid1]

It seems like a really harmful idea that adoption is preferable to abortion in all/most cases. Like you said, pregnancy isn't a cakewalk - even in a developed country with access to prenatal care (thanks, Planned Parenthood), it can have loads of risks and fuck up your body in huge ways, both temporarily and permanently. It can impact school and job opportunities, and is certainly incredibly emotionally taxing as well. I don't think pushing for more adoptions over abortions is to anyone's benefit.

PP does include adoption as part of their screening/counseling process, but I don't know if that would qualify as "pushing" for adoptions over abortion. I made my comment from the position of seeing the huge disparity in abortions versus adoptions from just a quick look at the numbers. I just wondered if the numbers were laid out a bit differently, that the numbers themselves wouldn't skew someone's perception against the organization.

 

[a_haze420]

PP does include adoption as part of their screening/counseling process, but I don't know if that would qualify as "pushing" for adoptions over abortion. I made my comment from the position of seeing the huge disparity in abortions versus adoptions from just a quick look at the numbers. I just wondered if the numbers were laid out a bit differently, that the numbers themselves wouldn't skew someone's perception against the organization.

But that's exactly what I reference. No matter what even if they 'pushed' adoption (which I'm sure they just give all options equal amounts of information) the abortion numbers would always be higher for adoption than abortion. Always. There are tons of medically necessary ones and many women can not or will not carry a pregnancy to term and give birth


No matter how you present the numbers. They would remain the same.

 

[Gen]

PP does include adoption as part of their screening/counseling process, but I don't know if that would qualify as "pushing" for adoptions over abortion. I made my comment from the position of seeing the huge disparity in abortions versus adoptions from just a quick look at the numbers. I just wondered if the numbers were laid out a bit differently, that the numbers themselves wouldn't skew someone's perception against the organization.

I just meant like, if they wanted to change the numbers, or if adoption is seen as better. But I do see what you mean! Personally I think as long as they're doing any abortions and refusing to say it's a last resort, it won't matter how they present their numbers. As we can see from the initial video, no matter what they do it will be underscored by lies and propaganda. I don't know that it would make a big difference amongst their core opponents, *but* maybe some of the more middle-of-the-road folk?

 

[CharlieCharma]

I saw earlier in this thread someone saying PP nurses being hardened and heartless. I'm not going to say every nurse is a shining beacon of support and kindness, but that's people. Some people are loving and supportive and awesome to be around, some aren't.

I'm a firm believer in pro-choice, but I'm also a believer that abortion should not be the "first and only choice" that is offered to women as a means of a solution. Planned Parenthood offers some great services to women who would otherwise not get those services without their existence, and anyone can get online and research their annual reports to get a look at some of their numbers. But from their own 2013-2014 annual report - it shows over 327,000 abortion procedures were performed, yet only 1880 adoption referrals were made.

Maybe their report could be laid out differently to possibly prevent such skewed numbers from affecting someone's perception of this?

I don't think they should change the lay out for their reports. That would just give the far right more ammunition to use against them. "Planned Parenthood Manipulating Numbers In Their Favor" would be a fantastic headline for them.

I think the reason abortions are so high and adoption is so low because most people know what they're going to do with an unwanted pregnancy as soon as they find out. They just need time to come to terms with that tough decision. If you're going to Planned Parenthood and already know you're pregnant, you probably already know what you're going to choose, you just want someone else to tell you it's ok.

It seems like a really harmful idea that adoption is preferable to abortion in all/most cases. Like you said, pregnancy isn't a cakewalk - even in a developed country with access to prenatal care (thanks, Planned Parenthood), it can have loads of risks and fuck up your body in huge ways, both temporarily and permanently. It can impact school and job opportunities, and is certainly incredibly emotionally taxing as well. I don't think pushing for more adoptions over abortions is to anyone's benefit.

People don't realize how risky pregnancy actually is to a woman. I had a DVT during my first pregnancy. I had to take 2 shots a day, and luckily I had Tricare at the time that covered the expensive-af blood thinner I was on. When I found out I was pregnant the second time I wasn't insured. It would have been brutal. I would have gone bankrupt, or if I went without the medication my life would have been seriously at risk. DVTs are super fucking dangerous, and I have a blood clotting issues that hormones cause to happen. I had a job that offered insurance, but I opted out of it since my kid was covered by her dad's insurance at the time and I was healthy so Medicaid wasn't an option either.

If you aren't wanting a baby, I will always support abortion. Of course, you should take the necessary precautions(birth control), but an abortion is usually what's best for you, your previous child/ren, and your relationships. As someone who has had both, I can tell you that an abortion was sad for me at the time, but having an unwanted child was much harder. I love my kid, but I won't lie and say being a mother has brought me any sort of accomplishment or meaning in life.

I don't care why someone gets an abortion. Whether it's medically necessary or because it's an unwanted pregnancy, both are fucking great reasons.

 

[Lucid1]

I just meant like, if they wanted to change the numbers, or if adoption is seen as better. But I do see what you mean! Personally I think as long as they're doing any abortions and refusing to say it's a last resort, it won't matter how they present their numbers. As we can see from the initial video, no matter what they do it will be underscored by lies and propaganda. I don't know that it would make a big difference amongst their core opponents, *but* maybe some of the more middle-of-the-road folk?

I realize that this is a "hot-button" issue and is a trigger for many who reside at the polarized ends of the political spectrum, but what I'm offering is a point of clarification that should be offered by the organization itself. What they do is difficult enough in light of the current and ongoing political climate, I just think they could benefit from somehow showing that the adoption process is more than just a mere mention in a screening or counseling session. I just think that anyone at the polarized ends of either political ideology will use those kinds of numbers to suit their own agendas. And at the end of the day, there is no common middle ground for anyone who is "middle of the road" to stand on. I'm a firm believer that healthy skepticism about any issue is, well...healthy.

 

[a_haze420]

I realize that this is a "hot-button" issue and is a trigger for many who reside at the polarized ends of the political spectrum, but what I'm offering is a point of clarification that should be offered by the organization itself. What they do is difficult enough in light of the current and ongoing political climate, I just think they could benefit from somehow showing that the adoption process is more than just a mere mention in a screening or counseling session. I just think that anyone at the polarized ends of either political ideology will use those kinds of numbers to suit their own agendas. And at the end of the day, there is no common middle ground for anyone who is "middle of the road" to stand on. I'm a firm believer that healthy skepticism about any issue is, well...healthy.

As far as I am aware the mention every option equally. They wouldn't just simply mention adoption quickly and then just spend the next 2 hours talking about abortion being best.

 

[JickyJuly]

I think Planned Parenthood loses money on abortion most probably. I had an ru pill abortion there 10 years ago. It was almost $600. That is equal to what I paid for 4 prenatal visits with my not fancy midwife for the pregnancies that I went through with. My memory is kind of foggy probably because it is one of my least favorite memories, but I remember for sure that they asked me before anything if I was being forced in anyway to seek abortion or if I was being made to feel it was my only option. They do this with you alone so that if someone else brings you, you have a chance to ask for help. I lived in TN at the time. So, they had to do an ultrasound with a wand. The charge for an ultrasound in my later pregnancies as part of my prenatal care was around $300. They give you a pill that ends your pregnancy and send you home with another pill that induces labor. I had my labor induced with all of my children. The breakdown of that is pricey. I also had to pay an extra $75 for a rhogam shot because of my blood type. You do that every pregnancy, and in my later pregnancies with my midwife those shots were also around $200/each. I'm not sure why they would want to have a quota for losing more money?

Part of planned parenthood's thing is not to infantilize pregnant women. If you say you're not being forced to abort, they're not going to push you toward adoption. There are plenty of other groups that reach out to collect pregnant woman and lead them toward adoption. Honestly, the adoption vs. abortion thing is pretty horrible. It assumes women are terminating only babies that are unwanted. The only negative thing I can say about planned parenthood and the termination I went through with is that I wish they'd pointed me toward counseling. I was a wreck after. It was not a great decision on my part. But, I did skip the follow up appointment. Maybe they would have addressed my emotional state at that one.

 

[CharlieCharma]

The only negative thing I can say about planned parenthood and the termination I went through with is that I wish they'd pointed me toward counseling. I was a wreck after. It was not a great decision on my part. But, I did skip the follow up appointment. Maybe they would have addressed my emotional state at that one.

They do, yes, at the follow up appointment. They also work with you and your income on what birth control is a good option moving forward at that appointment. The majority of women have reported not feeling negatively after an abortion which might be why they don't do it that day. They don't want a woman who doesn't feel regret or sadness to feel bad about that.

 

[Ariana_]

Part of planned parenthood's thing is not to infantilize pregnant women. If you say you're not being forced to abort, they're not going to push you toward adoption. There are plenty of other groups that reach out to collect pregnant woman and lead them toward adoption. Honestly, the adoption vs. abortion thing is pretty horrible. It assumes women are terminating only babies that are unwanted. The only negative thing I can say about planned parenthood and the termination I went through with is that I wish they'd pointed me toward counseling. I was a wreck after. It was not a great decision on my part. But, I did skip the follow up appointment. Maybe they would have addressed my emotional state at that one.

YESSS thank you for mentioning this. I think it's completely inappropriate for a doctor to respond to a request for an abortion with, "Well, have you considered adoption?" If someone is pregnant and does not want to be, or can't be for any reason, there's a very strong chance they've already researched all of their options and spent time thinking about them. If the pregnant person wanted to give birth and then give the child to someone else, they would be at an adoption agency, not an abortion clinic. Like, if they come in and ASK "what are my options" then of course, that's a fine conversation to have. But you wouldn't tell a patient seeking a colonoscopy, "Well, have you considered getting a root canal instead?"

 

[AudriTwo]

If I had someone try to push adoption on me when I already made the decision for my abortion, I'd probably go ballistic. PP already goes over all your options. And they don't push you or convince you to do whatever you want. They also remind you throughout if you decide you cannot go through the abortion process, speak up, and they will make sure to point you in the right direction for resources. We were trained if a woman tells us she was pressured not to continue, because this wasn't her choice. I think this only happened like once the six months I was there.

Majority of women already show up wanting an abortion. I knew when I was purchasing a pregnancy test that I was getting an abortion. I'm pretty sure when I called my boyfriend (now-husband), I told him I couldn't do this and I needed an abortion. Not to mention I was experiencing the WORSE morning sickness, was losing weight, my body was doing everything it could it felt like to tell me NO BABY.


I'm gonna quote Concetta on this.



Oh and I got pregnant when I was on birthcontrol. Didn't know that some antibiotics cancels out birthcontrol.
Doctor didn't tell me. Same thing happened to my mother-in-law.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=17192

 

[Teagan]

Here's the rub with adoption referrals. They are only referrals. You have to ask for that. Plain and simply there's these things called adoption agencies and everyone knows they exists and how to google to find one. The mass majority of people are going to just do that, and not ask for a referral from any doctor they have. Women know when they get pregnant they have 3 options. Keep it, adoption, or abortion. It's not a surprise to us we know nothing about. Those who keep it can ask for direction from PP and they will provide what they can. Those who are choosing adoption may ask for a referral from PP for an agency but there's really no need to. You just find one near yo and go with them. For those choosing abortion they have already made that appointment and showed up. The decision is made. There is zero need to then pressure them for something different. That's not their job or what they are there for. They will sit and talk with you and go over all your options as long as you want though at any time. However if you've made the decision to abort and are there for that appointment they instead support you and your decision at that time. Why? Because that's what women need right then. We've already weighed the options we know we have and we don't need another stranger to tell us them. We don't need someone to sit there questioning us on what we decided on because it was already a tough enough decision the first go around before making that appointment. Even with that you do go through a huge list of paperwork with questions. Invasive ones too. They make damn sure you're there for the right reasons.

If middle of the road people want to see the adoption referrals number higher than maybe they need to better educate themselves and remember there is adoption agencies instead. If that's the hang up for them supporting PP then I'm sorry but they are being ignorant on purpose.

As far as just the numbers, you're either for abortion (with restrictions or not) or not at all. People looking at the numbers who are gonna cry about it are going to cry whether there is a number of a million abortions or just 1. That's how they work. Not even 1 is acceptable to them. Some Texas dip is trying to get another bill going to ban it in all instances as we speak. Despite this not being the first nut who has tried this crap, and despite it being shut down many times before already. Nutters are always gonna nut, and they will nut even if that number is 1. Even in cases or rape or incest they scream. Even in cases of it being incest and the potential mother being 12 years old only, they scream. It's gross.

 

[JickyJuly]

There are already over 100k orphans in America. Unless someone is running, not walking, to try everything they can to adopt a few of those, they should probably sit down and not ask a woman birth another one.

 

[Bocefish]

Hey, I don't know squat about PP.

I do know Tucker has a reputation for doing his homework, but this seemed a bit sketchy to me which is why I opened it with "If this is true"

As far as my dickwad comments... if somebody admits they didn't watch the content, yet assumes they know wtf they're talking about I will usually call them on it. Perhaps I need to work on being more tactful.

 

[AmberCutie]

As far as my dickwad comments... if somebody admits they didn't watch the content, yet assumes they know wtf they're talking about I will usually call them on it. Perhaps I need to work on being more tactful.

By no means would I discourage a response, but yes the tactful thing is what I mean.