Komen and Planned Parenthood

Yes Mods I should have included bc.org as well

Komen is supposed to be about breast cancer.  People who donate to them expect them to use the funds wisely for breast cancer issues.  They also promote themselves as mostly interested in funding research even though the truth is that there is little of that.  PP reaches a lot of otherwise unreachable women and IMO helping PP provide breast cancer screenings was one of the few smart, effective things Komen did.

If they want to branch off into the abortion debate they should do that separately.  So I don't really care who feels how about pro-choice/anti-abortion issues.  Komen's money was not being used to fund abortions anyway.  They are supposed to be about breast cancer and what is best for breast cancer interests.  When they choose to go off in other directions ... my money will go in other directions also.  Easy peasy! 

They are also partnered with Bank of America which is under investigation for some serious misconduct.  That has never bothered them either. 

Planned Parenthood is just that...plan your children. It isn't an abortion clinic.   

There are other forms of birth control available besides the pill. 

 Could it be that my bc was caused by unopposed estrogen? Who knows?  

With so many uninsured woman Planned Parenthood serves the poor and the middle class....many of the so called "middle class" are now without health benefits. 

When someone goes for consultation at PP for an unexpected pregancy ...many walk out after making the decision to have the baby.   It's not just abortions.   It's a form of prenatal care too.  Do you want a baby to be born if you have STDs from your husband.

One more note....Susan B. Komen started out with a good purpose BUT like any other big institution you cannot put your total faith in it....it is run by people not saints.   It is not sensible to put all your faith in one group to solve the problems of the world. We are all looking for someone to save us but we need to save ourselves.  

So speak with your feet....walk for another cause...send your donations to other organizations.  Rules can be quickly changed back when enough people call, write etc. 

I am not in favor of abortion for myself.   It is a matter of each individual's conscience and their relationship with their god.   I am in favor of loving my neighbor and taking care of those who cannot afford care for whatever reason.  

P.S.  I tried to contact Susan B Komen through their website and it is down right now. I hope it is all the 'walkers' who are keeping the lines busy.  Writing letters via snail mail doesn't hurt either.  

Thanks, Nancy. I saw that first article this morning and I am still reeling.



L

nancyc - awesome links - very interesting and disheartening reading.

Like the CT affiliate of SGK, the Denver affiliate of SGK is continuing to fund PP as one of their grantees for the 2012 - 2013 grant cycles......

shokk, respectfully, they clearly did NOT anticipate the level of banklash they have received. Or maybe they just don't care. They are now an ideologically anti-choice political organization. They should be stripped of their charitable, tax-exempt status.

I also don't know where you are getting your statistics that most Americans are against abortion. Most Americans favor very limited restrictions on abortions, such as late term, but other than that most Americans are pro-choice. 

What would you suggest for a sexually active teenager who is responsible enough to be avoiding unplanned pregnancy?

I can't remember where it is, but I read the article on here.  There are pros to birth control use, other than pregnancy.  I was on it for a long time for PCOS issues.  EVERY DRUG has side effects, but we have to choose between them.  The risk of one of those girls getting BC is still very low.  Most BC pills are not made with ER anymore they are PR and other hormones.  THere is also the copper IUD that is safe for those of us who are ER positive.  Has there been a direct link made between any form of BC and an increased risk for BC.  I know that one article I read on BCO said they recommend giving nuns or women who never have kids Birthcontrol because it reduces the risk of other female cancers.  Sorry I can't pull up the art of details, but it was on this website.   I don't forsee an amicable end to this discussion....

They do a lot of that too! Should docs who prescribe the pill for girls with period problems be rebuked too?

Well loves xmas I can see that we will not be agreeing.  I get just as sick as you do, thinking about Komen and the religious right witholding health care and trying to foist their beliefs on others!  Picking and choosing who believes the "right" way to be saved.  And the misinformation about PP makes me sick too.  PP prevents as many as 220,000 abortions every single year through providing health care, education and contraception to underserved women.  They are a health services organization with a heck of a lot more transparancy (and ethics) than Komen. 3% of their services consist of abortion, none of it taxpayer monies (though I would rather pay for health care than wars.) 

shokk I don't know why you think that the country is "vastly" anti-choice.  Gallup says that 53% of people still believe that abortion services should be available within medical guidelines/parameters. 

To cynsister

A doctor who prescribes the pill for a medical problem should not be rebuked.  My point about birth control is that there are other non-drug ways to do it, which are a lot safer.  As all of us here know, treatments that are necessary can have unwanted side effects. 

For those who expressed gratitude for the articles that I posted earlier about Komen. You're very welcome. Here's the rest of the story.

For those that may want to explore the issue of how Komen spends it's money, and how it is or isn't living up to it's stated goals, here are 4 articles written by a accountant with many years of experience of financial analysis, who herself is living with metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer.

http://cancerculturenow.blogspot.com/2011/01/komen-by-numbers.html

http://cancerculturenow.blogspot.com/2011/01/komen-by-numbers-context-of-research.html

http://cancerculturenow.blogspot.com/2011/02/komen-by-numbers-education-in-focus.html

http://www.cancerculturenow.blogspot.com/2011/03/komen-by-numbers-2010-and-still-no.html

My point about birth control and the pill is that has never been and will never be as cut and dried as fluffy pink right wing people would like it to be. If it was as easy as 'tell the guy to wear a condom' that would be just dandy but. .It isn't.