By Michelle Pitcher
Editor-in-Chief

The Big Picture

One of the most abundant and affordable resources for family planning, STD testing and information on reproductive health is also one of the most controversial agencies funded by the Texas government. In this past year, Planned Parenthood has come under serious fire, undergoing several rounds of budget cuts both on the state and private levels, and igniting public opinions across the nation.

There are currently 68 Planned Parenthood facilities in Texas, 10 of which are within 20 miles of Coppell. However, this number may see a drastic decrease with the wave of funding cuts coming over the organization. During the last legislative session, the Texas legislature cut funding for family-planning programs by 66 percent, or $73.4 million. The legislative board estimates this change will cause 300,000 women in the state of Texas to lose access to care.

“These cuts are going to affect the family-planning providers who were providing cancer-screening pap smears, breast exams, pelvic exams and testing and treatment for STDs,” Planned Parenthood Director of Public Affairs Kelly Hart said. “The routine gynecological care – that is what the cut funding had previously been paying for.”

Not only were some of the programs affected by this loss in funding, but five North Texas Planned Parenthood centers had to close their doors for good. However, the budget-cut did not isolate Planned Parenthood; every clinic and center that offered family planning had its budget for the program slashed by the same 66 percent, a major blow to smaller agencies.

“Many other healthcare providers are not sure how long they are going to be able to keep their doors open,” Hart said. “Everybody has had their funding slashed. A loss of 66 percent state-wide is a tremendous blow to all agencies that were providing care for patients who can pay little, if anything for their care.”

The effects of this cut will spread farther than just to the pockets of Planned Parenthood’s employees; the entirety of the North Texas area will feel the aftershock.

“The loss of access for so many women across North Texas means more unattended pregnancies, and more children who are going to be born to women who cannot afford to pay for pre-natal care, so Texas taxpayers will be paying for it,” Hart said.

Another crisis came to the agency on Jan. 31 as the Susan G. Komen Foundation announced that it would cease to provide funds to Planned Parenthood’s preventative services. Immediately after this announcement, they provided a brief explanation for their reasoning. A new policy change, they said, now stated they could no longer be in cooperation with any agency under congressional investigation, which is being undertaken to determine whether the government will continue to fund Planned Parenthood’s non-abortion services.

However, after the public voiced its opposition to Komen’s stance, the foundation decided to re-enter in partnership with Planned Parenthood.

“This loss of funding affects high school students and college students who don’t have health insurance and employed women who don’t have health insurance,” Hart said.

The Solution

While it may not seem to be the case among the crowded halls of Coppell High School, many students are struggling with questions about sexual and reproductive health. With the reduced availability of Planned Parenthood’s services, CHS students are forced to find other alternatives for their healthcare and informational needs.

The most extensive collection of resources can be found by simply taking a visit to the school clinic. Upon request, the registered school nurses can provide students with all the information available about sexual and reproductive health. They can also refer students with further inquiries to one of many trusted facilities in the Dallas area.

“I talk with students who have questions about sexual and reproductive health,” CHS nurse Beth Dorn said. “If students say they are worried about Sexually Transmitted Diseases, I refer them to an STD clinic in downtown Dallas. If they are worried about being pregnant, there is a clinic in Lewisville that offers free pregnancy testing.”

While many of these care facilities offer similar services to Planned Parenthood, few offer the same variety with the same level of availability.

“North Dallas Shared Ministries has a women’s clinic, but it offers breast exams and pap smears and pregnancy tests,” volunteer Margaret Blackmon said. “We don’t offer family planning.”

Although the information provided by the school clinic is abundant and cost-free, students rarely think to utilize the health services offered on campus.

“I do not get asked these types of questions frequently, but on average, throughout the school year, I will get several questions about STDs,” Dorn said. “Only three or four times per year do I get people asking about pregnancy.”

When looking for where to voice their concerns, many CHS students fear a lack of confidentiality. Many believe Planned Parenthood is the only facility available where they can receive treatment without their parents’ knowledge; however, this is a common misconception.

“We cannot guarantee confidential care for minors,” Hart said. “A lot of it depends on the funding source. In the majority of cases, the permission of a parent will most likely be required. We encourage our patients to involve a parent anyway. And if there is a special situation, I would advise a minor to call one of our health centers to talk with one of our staff.”

Community Opinions

While some see Planned Parenthood’s dwindling funding sources as a cause for alarm, others stand by those who are withdrawing their support of the organization.

Due to their provision of abortion services, Planned Parenthood has often come under fire from religious and community organizations. However, the legality of abortion has not been in question since the Supreme Court deemed the practice constitutional during certain stages of the pregnancy in 1973 in the case of Roe v Wade. Despite this precedent, some maintain strong positions of moral opposition.

Jane Stonem*, a 2008 CHS graduate, became pregnant her senior year of high school. Even through her personal struggles, she has not wavered in her opposition to Planned Parenthood’s operation. It was her personal experience that the organization does not offer adequate information on the effects of abortion and contraception.

“Teenagers don’t think past Friday night, and they don’t understand consequences – it’s just how their brains work,” Stonem said. “So why is it OK for them to walk into a clinic and make a life-changing decision on a whim?”

Stonem, who went to a health center in Flower Mound for her pre-natal care, agrees that the availability of alternatives to Planned Parenthood offsets the loss of funding for its programs.

“There are plenty of other places for girls to go for private women’s care,” Stonem said. “The school nurse is the first option; they offer everything Planned Parenthood has to offer except birth control and abortions. For a more in-depth women’s check-up, there are women’s health care clinics everywhere. Family doctors can prescribe birth control as well.”

*name has been changed