Why I will always stand with Planned Parenthood

Unless you've been living under a rock (or you don't have facebook), you know that this week the Susan G. Komen "for the Cure" Foundation pulled their funding from Planned Parenthood.  Now, whether this was really because SGK has in their bylaws that they don't fund places currently under investigation by Congress (which PP is, due to a Republican lawmaker claiming that they use federal funding for abortions), or because they bowed to right-wing pressure, especially from their new senior VP for public policy, Karen Handel (who is staunchly pro-life-- which brings me to another rant...pro-life?  Pretty sure everyone is "pro-life."  No one is "pro-abortion."  You're either pro-choice, or anti-choice.  It's like being "anti-war."  Isn't everyone?  Does anyone really salivate over the prospect of going to war?  Ok, rant over.)

So yeah, basically the SGK Foundation pulled funding that provided cancer screenings for under-privileged women.  Simple as that.  People depend on PP for their health.  Rather it's birth control, cancer screenings, pap smears, or, yes, safe abortions, it is an invaluable resource.

I know that, because I've used it.

After college, and before I got my first job with benefits, I went to Planned Parenthood.  I had my annual pap smear there, and I obtained birth control pills there.  Here in San Antonio, even after I had a job with benefits, I still went to Planned Parenthood for my pap smear and contraception.

Planned Parenthood helped me not to get pregnant until I was physically, emotionally, and financially ready.  It also kept me healthy.

In fact, the day that I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I went to my local clinic for a second opinion.  For some reason, I thought that their pregnancy test would be more precise, maybe a blood test or something.  Nope, I just peed on a stick, just like I had at home. :)  Regardless, I was pregnant, I had health insurance, so I started going to an ob/gyn.  But after having my son, I still picked up by birth control from PP, until one day I just realized it was a bit easier to just go through the drive through pharmacy down the road.

But I will always be indebted to Planned Parenthood.

And while breast cancer has affected my family in many ways, and has taken the life of someone I loved, I will no longer support the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Here are some other options for those of you who may feel the same:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
The Rose
National Breast Cancer Coalition
Here is a page that has these and other charities listed:
Charity Navigator

And of course, you can contribute directly to Planned Parenthood, and you can even specify that your donation be used for breast cancer screenings.  In fact, since the announcement of SGK's defunding of PP (like all the abbreviations there?), people have donated $400,000 to Planned Parenthood to help cover the money that will be lost.
Planned Parenthood Donation


Finally, here is a Tumblr that people have set up, telling their stories of how Planned Parenthood has helped them.
Planned Parenthood Saved Me

*Sorry if this seems a bit rambly-- I was typing it in a hurry before I go pick up the kids from their Mom's Day Out program!