By Aaron Ilia Merritt

Why is it that when people hear the words “Planned Parenthood” they immediately think of abortion?

Planned Parenthood does not only conduct abortions. Planned Parenthood distributes contraception, and helps manage family planning. Planned Parenthood also educates adults, as well as young adults and teenagers about sexual activity and diseases.They cover STD prevention and treatment. So why would anyone want to defund such a helpful organization?

Of course there is a moral argument that abortion is ungodly. Conservative Christians have argued over and over that abortion is a sin, but is it really? No one is “pro-abortion”, people are pro-choice or pro-life. The right to choose to have an abortion can help eliminate illegitimate and unwanted children.

Teenage girls ages 15-19 account for 18% of abortions conducted. Teenagers are not fit to be parents and usually teens don’t try to get pregnant at such a young age. Abortion at this age does not stop children from being born. It just delays childbirth. The women who get abortions are now able to wait until they are financially able to parent before they give birth.

Planned Parenthood also distributes contraception, which can reduce the number of abortions, for you pro-life people. By distributing contraception, Planned Parenthood helps reduce the number of unwanted babies and unfit parents.

Planned Parenthood helps young adults, or even new or planning parents manage and plan how to provide for a future or coming baby. Parents who may be too young or considered unfit to parent can now learn and prepare to become loving, providing parents for children they plan to conceive.
Perhaps the most effective way Planned Parenthood helps young adults is by educating them about sex, childbirth, and contraception. Planned Parenthood sends out representatives to high schools and colleges that allow them to. The representative teaches the students about STDs, contraception, childbirth, and how to prevent unwanted diseases and children. Education is the key to fix a problem.

If you look at a third world country without this education, cases of overpopulation and homeless children rise. In America, we have a smaller number of homeless, unwanted children than a country like Nigeria. America is fortunate to have Planned Parenthood.